This is in response to “States weighing lower age to drink; Citing young GIs at war, college bingeing, some revisiting laws” (Page 1, March 9).
Some supporters argue that if Americans can vote, go to war and sign contracts at age 18, they should be able to legally purchase and consume alcohol. Others claim it as a way to address binge drinking — that lowering the legal age diminishes the allure of illegal consumption.
While we may recognize the emotional appeal of these arguments, we must address what lowering the drinking age would mean: a tragic step backward for safe teen driving; more to the point, an action that would cost lives.
The current drinking age laws prevent accidents and save lives. They must remain in place.
Thanks in part to organizations like Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the past two decades have seen laws enacted in all 50 states prohibiting the purchase of alcohol by anyone under the age of 21, as well as zero-tolerance laws that make it illegal for those under age to have any alcohol in their bloodstreams while driving.
Preventable auto accidents are the No. 1 cause of death for teenagers. Each year, nearly 6,000 young people die in car crashes and 300,000 are injured. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 25 percent of young drivers 15-20 years old killed in 2006 crashes had a blood alcohol content of .08 or higher.
While these numbers are unacceptable, we are seeing signs of progress. Thanks in part to the national drinking age of 21, alcohol is no longer the principal factor in fatal crashes involving teens.
The decision to set the national drinking age at 21 resulted from an argument had and an argument won. The success of the law is clear: It has contributed to the significant reduction in fatal DUI crashes among those under 21. It has made our young people safer in their cars.
There are many ways to honor the service of our young men and women in the armed forces or to address the real problem of binge drinking without making our young people less safe on the roads.
Too many teens die in preventable automobile accidents. Let’s focus our efforts on helping American teens become as safe as they can be on the road. Let’s find new ways to address the root causes of unsafe driving.
Let’s move forward, not backward.
