[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 148 (Wednesday, September 17, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8938-S8939]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           LEGAL DRINKING AGE

  Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, the debate over the legal drinking age 
has continued for decades.
  As a physician and surgeon, I have repeatedly dealt firsthand with 
the traumatic results of underage drinking.
  Recently, a number of college presidents from across the country 
signed a public statement petitioning that the current legal drinking 
age be lowered to age 18.
  I believe changing this law would pose a danger to our youth and 
communities.
  Wyoming's First Lady, Nancy Freudenthal, wrote an important editorial 
addressing drinking on college campuses. It was printed in the Wyoming 
Tribune Eagle and the Casper Star Tribune. I believe Mrs. Freudenthal 
presents a compelling argument for keeping the minimum drinking age at 
21.
  I ask unanimous consent to have the editorial to which I referred 
printed in the Record. There being no objection, the material was 
ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:

              Lowering the Drinking Age Is Not a Good Idea

                         (By Nancy Freudenthal)

       When the leaders of our nation's institutions of higher 
     learning have something to say, we naturally assume that it 
     will be well-reasoned, responsible and grounded in factual 
     evidence. That is why it was disappointing to see more than 
     100 college presidents and chancellors have signed on to what 
     is now being called the Amethyst Initiative, which seeks to 
     lower the legal drinking age from 21 to 18 because, as its 
     proponents claim, ``Twenty-one is not working.''
       I am very pleased the University of Wyoming has not signed 
     on to this initiative, and in fact is addressing drinking on 
     campus on many fronts, including ``education, training, 
     enforcement and changing the environment around alcohol 
     use,'' according to Dean of Students Dave Cozzens.
       By viewing this issue through the narrow lens of alcohol-
     related problems on campus, these college presidents are 
     ignoring the broader societal implications of throwing in the 
     towel on the health and well-being of our young people.
       The Amethyst Initiative's solution for reducing binge 
     drinking and preventing underage drinking is to make alcohol 
     more readily available to young people, which will only

[[Page S8939]]

     exacerbate the public health concern of underage drinking.
       We believe that such an approach is irresponsible and would 
     lead to more of the tragic consequences associated with 
     underage alcohol use documented in the U.S. Surgeon General's 
     2007 Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking.
       Teen deaths and injuries, traffic accidents, physical 
     assaults and other violent acts, risky sexual behavior, and 
     school failure, among other potentially lifelong 
     consequences, would increase as a result.
       Lowering the drinking age also runs counter to scientific 
     research that shows underage drinking can affect brain 
     development, which we now know continues into the mid-to late 
     twenties. Scientific evidence further shows that underage 
     drinking is related to future alcohol dependence and other 
     substance abuse.
       Approximately 96 percent of alcohol-dependent adults 
     started drinking before the age of 21.
       For the past 20 plus years, so many have worked tirelessly 
     and diligently to keep our youth and our communities safe and 
     healthy by reducing the prevalence of alcohol use among those 
     under 21, with the current legal drinking age limit a large 
     part of our success.
       Although we are under no illusion that problems persist, we 
     must continue to confront them head on, vigilantly and 
     responsibly, and resist easy efforts to turn back the clock 
     and undo years of steady progress.
       Seventy-eight percent of Americans oppose lowering the 
     drinking age from 21 to 18, so the public gets the message.
       We recognize that colleges have a tremendous problem with 
     binge drinking.
       Young people are drinking more aggressively than ever 
     before. The solution is really about changing the culture of 
     alcohol consumption. In many respects, we have achieved this 
     change in culture for youth tobacco use. We must now change 
     the culture as it relates to underage drinking.
       The bottom line is children who are connected to family, 
     community and society are less prone to drink alcohol.
       It's just a shame that some college administrators didn't 
     do their homework, and our children are the ones who would 
     pay the price.
       When children drink, America loses.

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