[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 96 (Thursday, June 14, 2007)]
[House]
[Page H6408]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       UNDERAGE COLLEGE DRINKING

  (Mr. POE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, binge drinking is the silent health epidemic 
attacking America's underage college students. It is defined as five 
consecutive drinks for men and four consecutive drinks for women. 
According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, 43 
percent of college students state they are binge drinkers. Parents and 
college communities are rightfully concerned.
  However, some universities ignore the problem and, in fact, are 
complicit in this drinking binge. Middlebury College in Vermont claims 
to have the cure for binge drinking: lower the minimum drinking age 
from 21 to 18. The former college president proposes that lowering the 
drinking age will encourage students to drink responsibly. That is an 
irresponsible statement. This will only encourage younger people to get 
drunk.
  The answer lies in admitting the problem, enforcing underage drinking 
laws, and educating students on the effect of binge drinking. Lowering 
the minimum drinking age just adds fuel to the epidemic and gives 
students a legal license to drink. Colleges cannot consent to the binge 
drinking by ignoring the problem and making outlandish statements.
  And that's just the way it is.

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