Vermont Considers Lowering the Drinking Age to 18
Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2005 2:22 am
Burlington, Vermont - January 25, 2005
At Nectar's in Burlington Tuesday night, Grace Potter is on stage and beer is on tap. The crowd is 21 and over, but that could change.
A bill proposed in Montpelier would lower the state's drinking age to 18, reversing a law passed in 1986. Vermont followed the nation then by requiring drinkers be 21. The movement was an effort to cut down on deadly drunk driving accidents across the country. Rep. Dick Marron, R-Stowe, says the move was a mistake: "Right now we have got a lot of binge drinking on college campuses. Kids that are over 18 are now serving in the military in Iraq. If you are old enough to fight you are old enough to drink."
Other lawmakers disagree.
"There is going to be more deaths when there is more alcohol involved that is a certainty," says Rep. Loren Shaw, R-Derby.
Bouncers check IDs at Higher Ground in South Burlington for all ages shows. The of age crowd waiting to see the show wears bracelets, those too young to be served are marked with an X on their hands.
"I can make decisions about who I want to lead my country and make decisions about taxes, but I can't have a beer with my friends or parents," says 20-year-old Charlie Guerin.
She says lowering the drinking age would reduce alcohol abuse.
"Right now people underage are going to frat parties. There's a higher risk of date rape, a higher risk of binge drinking and more chances of the destruction of property. If these people were allowed to go into bars, that would be less likely because it wouldn't be such a taboo to drink."
Some bar owners say underage drinking parties lack the supervision at pubs.
"We're better equipped to handle it than to have them on their own," says Damon Brink, who owns Nectar's and Metronome. "It takes it out of houses and woods and I don't think that's a bad thing."
But in the end, it may all come down to money. The federal government can withhold highway funds from any state with a drinking age lower than 21. If Vermont passes this bill, it could cost the state nearly $10 million.
Rep. Marron says he has gotten a half-dozen or so co-sponsors for his proposal and several others say they are interested in supporting the idea. But he admits that getting the bill passed will be an uphill battle.
Darren Perron - Channel 3 News
Archived topic from Anythingforums, old topic ID:1948, old post ID:28523
At Nectar's in Burlington Tuesday night, Grace Potter is on stage and beer is on tap. The crowd is 21 and over, but that could change.
A bill proposed in Montpelier would lower the state's drinking age to 18, reversing a law passed in 1986. Vermont followed the nation then by requiring drinkers be 21. The movement was an effort to cut down on deadly drunk driving accidents across the country. Rep. Dick Marron, R-Stowe, says the move was a mistake: "Right now we have got a lot of binge drinking on college campuses. Kids that are over 18 are now serving in the military in Iraq. If you are old enough to fight you are old enough to drink."
Other lawmakers disagree.
"There is going to be more deaths when there is more alcohol involved that is a certainty," says Rep. Loren Shaw, R-Derby.
Bouncers check IDs at Higher Ground in South Burlington for all ages shows. The of age crowd waiting to see the show wears bracelets, those too young to be served are marked with an X on their hands.
"I can make decisions about who I want to lead my country and make decisions about taxes, but I can't have a beer with my friends or parents," says 20-year-old Charlie Guerin.
She says lowering the drinking age would reduce alcohol abuse.
"Right now people underage are going to frat parties. There's a higher risk of date rape, a higher risk of binge drinking and more chances of the destruction of property. If these people were allowed to go into bars, that would be less likely because it wouldn't be such a taboo to drink."
Some bar owners say underage drinking parties lack the supervision at pubs.
"We're better equipped to handle it than to have them on their own," says Damon Brink, who owns Nectar's and Metronome. "It takes it out of houses and woods and I don't think that's a bad thing."
But in the end, it may all come down to money. The federal government can withhold highway funds from any state with a drinking age lower than 21. If Vermont passes this bill, it could cost the state nearly $10 million.
Rep. Marron says he has gotten a half-dozen or so co-sponsors for his proposal and several others say they are interested in supporting the idea. But he admits that getting the bill passed will be an uphill battle.
Darren Perron - Channel 3 News
Archived topic from Anythingforums, old topic ID:1948, old post ID:28523
But people get their boose anyway. ex: been to a few parties with high school friends and one of them is 19 so he just goes to the LCBO and gets the booze for everyone. The cashier is all "is this for you only?" and he's like "yes", looking at like 3 bags full of booze. 