Imagine that we prepared young people for driving the way we "prepare" them for drinking if they choose to do so when they become of age. We would tell them that driving is very dangerous. We would tell them that safe driving requires knowledge of the rules of the road, which we wouldn't teach them because we wouldn't want to send the message that driving is acceptable for them. We would tell them that safe driving requires physical maturity and coordination as well as emotional maturity and good judgment, which they don't have. And we would tell them that good driving requires practice, which we wouldn't provide because they're too young to drive. Then, when they became of age, we issued them licenses and told them that it's much safer to take public transportation, that we hope they wouldn't drive, but if they do they should be careful and try to stay out of accidents. We should promote responsible consumption by those who choose to drink by issuing drinking licenses to adults age 18, 19 and 20 who have completed a specified alcohol education course and who have not been found guilty of a state's alcohol laws. Such licenses might be graduated, like driving learner's permits, so that restrictions could be lifted incrementally with successful compliance with all their many conditions.What about the argument that alcohol damages young brains? Actually, there's no evidence that drinking in moderation damages developing brains. If it did most Italians, Jews, French, Greeks, Spaniards, Portuguese and many others would be suffering mental defects. And the frequently-cited research on the subject uses rats and people who are alcohol abusers - not young people who consume in moderation. What about the fact that those who begin drinking at an early age are more likely to experience drinking problems later in life. This correlation appears to result from pre-existing personality factors that have been identified. In addition, psychologists have been able to observe pre-schoolers and predict accurately which will begin drinking earlier and later have problems. It's time to re-think our approach to alcohol education and public policy. Part of the solution might be the issuance of drinking learner permits to qualified adults age 18, 19 and 20. Let the dialogue begin.
Binge drinking and overconsumption of alcohol by the young is clearly a huge and growing problem worldwide. Restrictions and bans, while useful in some circumstances, are not the answer. Surely the starting point is for parents to demonstrate how to consume alcohol beverages responsibly. And that starts by including these drinks in everyday family life. In this way wine and spirits are demystified and children learn, by example, how to consume responsibly. I was brought up in a teetotal household but can still remember sitting on my grandfather’s knee and being allowed a sip of his beer. I much preferred Coke, but it felt great to be included.
In very few jurisdictions is it unlawful for minors to attempt to purchase alcoholic beverages, however it is illegal for a server or retail clerk to sell to them, and the penalties are enforced on the seller or permit holder. Make the attempted purchase by the minor unlawful, with a heavy monetary fine & a portion of the fine revenue ($50) would go to the clerk or server who prevented the sale & initiated prosecution of the minor. Such an incentive would ensure that ID's would be checked before making a sale, and would end the adversarial relationship between permit holders and law enforcement that currently exists in many areas. Such an incentive program might even put an end to the $20 twelve pack no questions asked scam being worked in many areas by underpaid clerks working alone in many outlets where minors are getting their alcohol regularly.
In most jurisdictions (43 states), it is illegal for an underage person to attempt to purchase alcohol. However, it may be that in some such situations, law enforcement officials choose not to cite someone for a failed attempt to purchase alcohol.
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