Old Enough to Drink

O.K., the Second Civil War is probably not going to start in Madison, Wisconsin. But this week's introduction of Wisconsin bill AB 259, which would lower Wisconsin's drinking age to 19, will hopefully touch off a debate on two important national issues: the legitimacy of the current drinking age of 21 and, more generally, the amount of power the federal government should be able to wield over states.

Over the last couple of decades, Washington has been successful in coercing states to adopt the 21-year drinking age by threatening to withhold funds for crucial highway construction. Wisconsin now appears to be challenging this lingering federal power.

While the Wisconsin bill stands little chance of passing, that should not discourage states such as Massachusetts from passing bills that would lower the drinking age to 18, the age at which all citizens are allowed to vote and the age when males can be drafted for war.

Currently, 18-year-olds are allowed to serve alcohol as bartenders in the Commonwealth and 18 is also the age when consensual sex becomes legal in this state. It is illogical to grant young people the right to judge and alter the sobriety of others when they cannot legally do the same for themselves, just as it is absurd to allow 18-year-olds to create new citizens when they can't celebrate the birth with even a sip of champagne.

The contradictory legal signals indicating when an individual is truly an adult must be streamlined. For virtually everything but the consumption of alcohol, we are judged to be responsible adults at age 18. Why should drinking be any different?