Vermont May Lower Drinking Age

Glibbidy · 03-09-2008, 05:33 PM

Vermont is looking into lower it's drinking age.

**bigjohnmilford** · 03-09-2008, 05:37 PM

hopefully it'll never happen. too much federal money at stake.

**the_bird** · 03-09-2008, 05:45 PM

Well, that sounds like the issue. Looks like they're trying to explore alternative ways of preventing problem/binge drinking about young people (including making drinking legal, so that kids who NEED help aren't as afraid to get it), but would only do so if the Feds were willing to grant some waivers related to losing highway funding.

It's at least worthy of a conversation.

MikeFlynn74 · 03-09-2008, 05:46 PM

It will never happen because the douchebags at MADD would go nutz.

Torchiest · 03-09-2008, 05:58 PM

They should keep it at 21 unless you complete some big alcohol awareness and education course to get a drinking license. If you did that, you could drink at age 18. Like how we do driver's ed for 16-year-olds. That way the younger drinkers would be more educated, and less likely to drink themselves to death, or get behind the wheel of a car.

I think we need a drinking license in general anyway. They have education programs for the people that are serving the stuff, like bartenders and waitresses, why not for the people that are actually putting it in their bodies?? Education is always good when it comes to stuff like this.

**bigjohnmilford** · 03-09-2008, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the_bird

Well, that sounds like the issue. Looks like they're trying to explore alternative ways of preventing problem/binge drinking about young people (including making drinking legal, so that kids who NEED help aren't as afraid to get it), but would only do so if the Feds were willing to grant some waivers related to losing highway funding.

It's at least worthy of a conversation.

I'll agree that it's worth looking into. But were you ready to be legally drinking @ 18? I know I wasn't. Not to say that I didn't drink. If it's only about kids not getting in trouble for getting caught drinking or seeking treatment then that's another story. There's not much you can do about that. I just don't see it happening.

**the_bird** · 03-09-2008, 06:42 PM

Well, from reading the article, dropping the drinking age is just a small piece of what they're thinking about. It sounds like they're trying to figure out a "think out of the box" approach to underage alcohol use/abuse; what that means (education? something more than that?) sounds like it's still up for debate, but that part of whatever BIG approach they try might include lightening up on the illegallity.

I'm skeptical, but interested in hearing what they propose. I would hope that they're thinking of something more comprehensive than "more education about drinking in public schools!" Be interesting to watch, but there's nothing to really judge at this point in time.

mrfocus · 03-09-2008, 06:59 PM

Sorry to be a bit off topic, but how was the federal government able to attach not having the legal drinking age be 21 and not getting funding for highways?

Seems totally unrelated and that doesn't sound very constitutional...?

z987k · 03-09-2008, 08:35 PM

when the do the budgeting stuff the next year vermont would likely get very little aloted to them. Thats how they do it.

Regardless of the drinking age thing though, I like how vermont is actually willing to stand up to the feds. I really like the idea of states rights, I mean if thats how a majority of the people want it to be there, who am I or for that matter the federal govt to tell them otherwise?

Professor Frink · 03-09-2008, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrfocus

Sorry to be a bit off topic, but how was the federal government able to attach not having the legal drinking age be 21 and not getting funding for highways?

Seems totally unrelated and that doesn't sound very constitutional...?

It's the same way the federal government is pressuring states into making smoking indoors illegal. Every year, if a state doesn't comply, they get less money budgeted to them - typically highway funds. That explains all the potholes in North Carolina.