MSNBC.com reported earlier this week that several college presidents think it may be a good idea to lower the legal drinking age to 18 instead of 21. Their thinking is this…if the drinking age is lowered students would be allowed to drink in college, therefore the students may drink more safely and responsibly. Also, students under 21 who have an alcohol problem may be more likely to come forward and ask for help if their habit isn’t considered illegal. The critics say that college presidents want the drinking age lowered so they don’t have to worry about enforcing a very difficult to enforce law.

I have to admit that I agree with the college presidents. Anyone who thinks 18-20 year olds aren’t drinking because of the law is ultra-naive. College students drink. They are away from the rules of their parents for the first time and they want to experiment a little. As long as it’s done responsibly there is nothing wrong with that. I truly believe that lowering the drinking age could do more good than harm because it’s happening anyway. I do feel, however, that if we do lower the drinking age we need to crack down as hard as possible on drunk driving. That’s my only concern. People of all ages need to know that drinking and driving is not okay.

I also agree that the law is unconstitutional. The legal adult age is 18, not 21. At 18 you are old enough to be cut off by your parents, vote, and enlist/get drafted into the military. But for some odd reason you can’t have a drink or gamble in a casino. That’s really stupid. Let’s make up our minds folks. If we as a nation feel that 18 is not mature enough to drink or gamble, let’s change the legal adult age to 21 then. If the legal adult age to vote and join the military is 21 then it makes sense to leave the drinking age at 21 also.

Lowering the drinking age may also make us change the way we look at alcohol. Just because we go out for a drink doesn’t mean we have to binge and get really drunk. If we teach people that having a drink or two with dinner is a nice, grown up way to let loose without getting crazy maybe the partying will become more reasonable and responsible in our nation’s colleges.