tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post4969082640053395858..comments2024-02-16T09:00:32.845-06:00Comments on FromDC2Iowa: Deeth's Drinking Age: A ReplyUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-20902119140545956282013-10-11T16:29:08.399-05:002013-10-11T16:29:08.399-05:00The age dependence of hazardous use of alcohol dec...The age dependence of hazardous use of alcohol decreases much faster than a Constant/Age with most of the problems in the 15 to 25 age range. The peak age is about 19 so 21 is a reasonable compromise for the minimum legal age to drink.<br /><br />The problem is that people the 15 to 20 age range violate the law and have done so since 12/5/1933 when prohibition ended. My impression is that the Iowa City down-town zone acts as a catchment for obnoxious drunks and when enough people get fed up there is a crackdown. <br /><br />There has been a big increase in the cost of law enforcement and I am surprised they have been able to keep the level of enforcement high for such a long time.John Neffnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-43406480322037301902013-10-11T09:14:20.847-05:002013-10-11T09:14:20.847-05:00"18 is considered adult for all major purpose..."18 is considered adult for all major purposes with the singular exception of drinking."<br /><br />Sorry, Mr. Deeth but you're wrong. Being a member of Congress and being President are two more exceptions. And last I heard you couldn't rent a car either.<br /><br />I frankly am sick to death of the "old enough to vote" argument. Call me a fascist but if you know so little about the candidates that you just vote for the guy with the "D" (or "R") behind his name, or about the issues that you just don't bother (or worse, just tick something to tick something), then you shouldn't be voting at all. This goes for 18 year olds as well as 80 year olds. Make drinking a license activity: You have to take a test and if you pass, you get a license to drink.Douglasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-26811833303336592602013-10-10T06:30:39.011-05:002013-10-10T06:30:39.011-05:00My problem with the 21 only after 10 is two fold. ...My problem with the 21 only after 10 is two fold. One, why is it OK for Under 21 to be in the bars until 10 PM OK? I go out around 10 and see a crowded bar of drinkers turn into a much less crowded bar of drinkers. This law doesn't really change whether they drink or not - just when which I think is a little hypocritical. Secondly, age and responsibility don't always go together. I have met many under 21 year old drinkers (I honestly did not know most were under 21 until I was there when they were celebrating their 21st birthday) who were responsible drinkers. They didn't drink to excess. They were polite and friendly. I have also met many over 21 who are drunk and rude and "in a fighting mood". I'm all for the European way - let them drink early so it isn't such a big deal but I doubt America will ever pass that law. So then education. More education. Earlier education. If they break the law and get caught - they are responsible and have to pay just like someone over 21 who gets arrested for a DUI. I am for repealing the 21 law. Even with the 21 Only law Iowa City is considered a party school showing that the poll isn't an argument that should be used.Steven Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00336907437612862916noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-73262224635088740712013-10-09T23:11:21.517-05:002013-10-09T23:11:21.517-05:00I feel that as one reaches the age of adulthood on...I feel that as one reaches the age of adulthood one should be able to choose to drink alcohol. However, as I've witnessed, a large portion of young adults are simply incapable of maintaining reasonable judgement once becoming intoxicated. In the private homes of citizens such behavior could be socially acceptable, but not in public walks, streets and bars. The dangers are too great.<br />Mr. Deeth has a well written editorial however his persuasiveness is weak. Learning about alcohol should happen in familiar and limited environments; one's or a friend's home not in public environments surrounded by unfamiliar people while bowing to untold social pressures. For some reason this is one argument everyone seems to have gotten wrong. Bars are the worst place to find out how much alcohol you can handle. Groups of friends (or family) in a private residence will always be much more responsible to each other than complete strangers.Dave Murraynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-4016497518182849302013-10-07T23:12:01.721-05:002013-10-07T23:12:01.721-05:00The tone I'm getting in Mr. Deeth's articl...The tone I'm getting in Mr. Deeth's article appears to be that underage drinking in college is a necessary learning experience for all students.<br /><br />Well, I'm a current (under-21) student at Iowa and I learned all I needed to know about underage drinking from watching the people living down the hall coming home drunk, obnoxious, and eventually with PAULAs and hefty fines. No thanks...not an experience I need to be partaking in.<br /><br />I understand his argument about why the drinking age should be lowered to 18, but since federal law stands where it is right now, I think it's an incredibly dangerous position to say we should encourage breaking of said law (i.e. repealing the 21-ordinance.)<br /><br />With that being said, I'm probably one of the only under-21 college students opposed to a repeal. But from what I've seen on Friday and Saturday nights, I don't think we could maturely handle such a privilege. <br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-41356587553158423012013-10-07T18:42:08.818-05:002013-10-07T18:42:08.818-05:00Nick, you're a great friend but I'm disapp...Nick, you're a great friend but I'm disappointed that a legal scholar of your skill is distorting my argument almost beyond recognition. <br /><br />Thank you for including my full text so your readers can see that my statement "It’s tacitly OK to start drinking in your late teens, as long as you don’t get caught" is, in context, an indictment of our culture's attitude toward alcohol and not a personal endorsement. Indeed, to my children and my young friends, I would personally warn of the dangers of excessive drinking, based on my own painful experiences.<br /><br />My entire point here is to initiate a conversation about this contradiction in the law, where 18 is considered adult for all major purposes with the singular exception of drinking. This makes drinking a particularly special symbol of adulthood and in my opinion and (indirect, anecdotal) experience, encourages rather than discourages excessive drinking when alcohol is accessible, while doing little to actually limit access. <br /><br />Amending the Constitution is a daunting task requiring a near-consensus level super-majority. Once the issue becomes in any way partisan, that consensus level support is unreachable. As you well remember, we made the decision in the middle of an unpopular and divisive war that the default age of majority was 18. Do we want to revisit that? I don't, though I'm sure many in Iowa City would be happy if we did.<br /><br />It's far easier to change mere legislation than the Constitution. And to me, the 26th Amendment carries far more legal and ethical weight that the 1985 highway bill that set a de facto nationwide 21 drinking age. <br /><br />You state: "it is not my purpose to make arguments why the drinking age should be kept at 21, rather than lowered to 18." Fair enough if you choose not to participate in the conversation. But it begs the question: just what SHOULD the legal drinking age be, and if not the Constitutional voting age of 18, why not? Refusing to answer that question seems to be the official party line out of "21 Makes Sense," as is the deliberate misuse of the term "underage" to describe 19 and 20 year old adults.<br /><br />I'll answer: I believe that age should be the Constitutional 18 rather than the merely legislated 21. And since I believe an 18 year old should be able to stay in a bar till closing time and drink to their responsible limit, by extension I believe in letting a 19 or 20 year old stay in a bar till closing time "just to dance." It's an incremental step closer to the rights they should have, and therefore I vote Yes. <br /><br />I don't have any illusions that "just to dance" is what will happen. I don't endorse lawbreaking. But I don't shed many tears over violations of a law that's unenforceable and unfair.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09749260349116845928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-40395837685883335042013-10-07T15:54:02.140-05:002013-10-07T15:54:02.140-05:00Well stated, as usual, Nick. I also tend to agree ...Well stated, as usual, Nick. I also tend to agree with John Deeth, but definitely not in this case. Thank you for pointing out the fallacy in his argument. The "21 only" law, which is hardly that, already overemphasizes our local drinking culture. I don't think you get named a top party school unless there are multiple opportunities and an encouraging culture to drink to excess. The UI, Iowa City, and their resective citizens need to drive this issue, not bar owners with contrary goals and young adults without enough "experience" to be left solely on their own.JD Mendenhall, Iowa Citynoreply@blogger.com