Parent to Parent Network Creating an atmosphere for Parent Networking and Positive Community Norms (c) (c) 2008 Parent to Parent Network

Artilces specific to the drinking age debate

New Data Show Drinking Age Laws Saved 4,441 Lives Over 5 Years (CADCA, Nov. 13, 2008)
“Turning our back on these laws would be a deadly mistake. Minimum drinking age laws are among the most effective measures ever used to reduce drunken driving deaths among America's young people,” said NHTSA Acting Administrator David Kelly, who presented the report at an underage drinking symposium on the subject led by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). <Read More>

Drug Free Action Alliance issues position on the drinking age (Sept. 9, 2008)
Drug-Free Action Alliance today (9/8/08) released a position paper supporting the current 21 Minimum Legal Drinking Age Law. This position was taken after a long and extensive review of the science and research surrounding the law which clearly demonstrates that it helps to protect the health, safety and well-being of our youth. “Research has shown that not only are lives saved and alcohol-related injuries reduced, but also that youth ages 18 to 21 consume less alcohol when the minimum drinking age is 21,” said Patricia Harmon, Executive Director of Drug-Free Action Alliance. “The Minimum Legal Drinking Age laws are the most studied and successful alcohol-related laws on the books.” <Read More>

College presidents are asking: Should the drinking age be lowered? (Cleveland PD, August 19, 2008)
"If you asked college presidents in America, probably at least 90 percent of us would say that raising the drinking age has not been a positive thing on our campuses," said S. Georgia Nugent, president of Kenyon College in Knox County. "Let's look at, in a sense, education rather than prohibition." <Read More>

Dropping to 18 brings in too much risky behavior
(By David Hodge, president of Miami University. Cincinnati.com, Aug. 24, 2008)
First, the problem with alcohol use does not begin at age 18 or in college. More than half of the students arriving on college campuses today report that they have already engaged in alcohol consumption. Second, in addition to making alcohol more available to university students, most experts in the field believe that lowering the age limit will likely increase student alcohol use in high school and earlier. Indeed, while there is a broad perception that the lower drinking age in Europe leads to more responsible behaviors, more recent data show that binge drinking is a bigger problem in Europe than in the U.S. for those under age 18. <Read More>

Study Shows Minimum Drinking Age Law Saves Lives (CADCA Newsletter, July 10, 2008):
A comprehensive new study funded by the Substance Abuse Policy Research Program found that laws aimed at preventing consumption of alcohol by those under 21 have significantly reduced drinking-related fatal car crashes. <Read More> <Read Complete Study>