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HSFPP Update # 202—Some State Legislatures Are Considering Lowering the Drinking Age to 18

Message from Bob:  The weekly update that prompted the most e-mails from educators last year was Update # 183—Alcohol Remains Teenagers’ Drug of Choice. As a result, when I saw an article in the March 10 electronic newsletter, Insurance Journal, “States Urged to Lower Drinking Age to Reduce ‘Underground’ Drinking,” I decided it was worth including discussion questions and a follow-up assignment as part of this week’s update.

Having an insurance agent visit your class (or having teens ask pertinent questions of an insurance agent—see below for “Activity Involving an Outside Insurance Professional”) could bring this message home in a way that few other activities would. When teens see the emotional and financial impact of their actions, they might alter their behavior in a positive way. Some effort needs to be made to let teens know that, while we don’t want them to drink before they’re of age, there are worse things than being caught drinking. Teens who overestimate the trouble they’re in sometimes make the situation much worse by trying to keep it quiet. However, lowering the drinking age to 18 is moving in the wrong direction.

 

Educators: As a follow-up activity, have students read “Myths about Alcohol” from the Illinois 19th Circuit Court Web site: http://www.19thcircuitcourt.state.il.us/bkshelf/resource/alcohol_myth.htm

Also ask an insurance agent to come in and talk about the financial consequences of a DUI/DWI conviction. Or, as an alternative, ask each teen to talk with their parent or their insurance agent, using the activity questions involving an insurance professional.

Supplementary Activity:

English Class: Based on what students come up with on Discussion Question # 4, have them write a short editorial for the student or local newspaper. Use facts from this week’s story In the New$... about alcohol and drunk driving, then focus on what parents and educators can do to help prevent drunk driving. This could be an extra-credit assignment and could provide a good opportunity for students to learn about newspaper writing.

Business Education/Math Class: Have students calculate interest earned when investing $1000 annually for 10 years at 6% and 9% interest. This shows the relationship between investing and insurance and what it will really cost teens to spend $10,000 or more on costs associated with a DUI/DWI. Instead of spending the money wastefully on fines and increased insurance, they could have invested it. This is one way that behavior can hurt (or help) your finances. Students can find an Investment Compound Interest Calculator at this Web site: http://www.csgnetwork.com/compoundint2calc.html.

 

Web Site Pick of the Week:

http://www.madd.org/under21/

The Mothers Against Drunk Driving resource page for underage drinking features valuable materials for students, parents, and teachers.

In the New$... Some State Legislatures Are Considering Lowering the Drinking Age to 18

by Robert H. Flashman, Ph.D., UK Professor and State Coordinator, HSFPP; and Alex Lesueur, Jr., UK Family & Consumer Sciences Extension

After reading a newspaper column by recently retired Middlebury College president John M. McCardell Jr., Richard C. Marron, a Republican state representative in Vermont, decided to introduce a bill to lower the drinking age in his state to 18. The debate that resulted is relevant in every state. There are occasional attempts in one state or another to lower the state drinking age to 18, but passage of such a law would mean that state would lose federal highway funds and most states can’t afford to do that.

Whether wanting to lower the drinking age to 18 could be considered a conservative or liberal stance, the issue is more complicated than right or left. Is the law effective in reducing teen drinking and has it reduced alcohol-related traffic accidents? Have there been fewer injuries and deaths? And does this prohibition encourage binge drinking among young people? Disagreement over the facts has resulted in differing opinions about what we should do about the drinking age.

McCardell and Marron say we are forcing young drinkers underground, where they are more likely to binge drink. Marron also says it is age discrimination to set the legal age for everything else at 18, but not allow anyone under 21 to drink. If a person is old enough to fight and die for our country, is he or she old enough to drink? If a person is old enough to sign contracts without their parent or guardian, to marry, or to vote, why not allow that person to drink legally? And does keeping the drinking age at 21 make drinking appear more attractive to young people? Is alcohol forbidden fruit?
“‘Before the age was increased, we had a very different environment,’ said Ronald D. Liebowitz, the current president of Middlebury College. ‘You had kids drinking beer and getting sick on beer, but you didn’t have gross alcohol poisoning and binge drinking.’”

“... Liebowitz said many students ‘go off campus to private homes to drink and then, because this is a rural environment, they have to drive home.’”

Since Kentucky is a mostly rural state, this argument should ring true here. But is there a cause-and-effect relationship between the drinking age and behavior, not to mention all the damages resulting from that behavior? And, if so, what is the effect of these laws?

“Statistics from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration show that the number of drunken drivers under age 21 involved in fatal crashes decreased by 61 percent from 1982 to 1998. The agency also estimates that 22,798 lives were saved from 1975 to 2003 by higher-drinking-age laws.”

Whether the positive changes are due to the higher drinking age or to increased law enforcement is among the considerations in whether to lower the drinking age. There also has been more alcohol education and the illegal blood alcohol level has been lowered to 0.08. So can we really know whether the legal drinking age is responsible?

Those who have lost friends or family members to drunk driving might find that reason enough to oppose lowering the drinking age. Others will argue that the legal drinking age should be lowered to about 18 or 19 and young adults allowed to drink in controlled environments such as homes or restaurants. In these situations responsible drinking could perhaps be taught through role modeling and educational programs. Mature and sensible drinking behavior would be expected. But would education, role modeling, and positive social influence encourage responsible drinking or simply encourage drinking? People are sure to disagree.

DUIs and DWIs do have a high cost, however. According to MSN Money, “A typical DUI costs about $10,000 by the time you pay bail, fines, fees and insurance, even if you didn't hit anything or hurt anybody.

“The penalties are intended to be discouraging.” Considering how much alcohol abuse costs this country in money and lives, not many people would want to encourage abuse.

Carole Walker, executive director of the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association, estimates that, “If you get a DUI conviction, it will likely affect your insurance rates for (at least) the next three to five years.” If the insurance company doesn’t instantly drop you, she says your rates “could double, triple, even quadruple.”

You could even lose your driver’s license. Think of having to ask for a ride whenever you need to go anywhere, and not having the money to do what you want. And the repercussions can last for years: many employers conduct background checks and will not hire people with a history of drunk driving. Do you want to ruin your career before you’ve even started? You can save yourself and your parents a great deal of trouble and money by abstaining from drugs and alcohol; or, if you’re going to drink anyway, be smart enough to call a cab or have a designated driver. Besides, you will not always be under your parents’ wings, and I know you will want to avoid bringing this kind of trouble on yourself.

Sources:

1. Pam Belluck, “Vermont Considers Lowering Drinking Age to 18,” New York Times, 4/13/05. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/13/national/13drink.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

2. Christopher Solomon, “DUI: The $10,000 Ride Home,” MSN Money.
   http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Insurance/InsureYourCar/DUIThe$10000RideHome.aspx?page=all.

 

Discussion Questions:
Divide into small groups and discuss the following questions:

1. If fellow teens knew of the financial consequences and the potential loss of life, as well as the possible loss of their driver’s license, do you think they would stop driving while intoxicated?

   Yes ___  No ___  Why or why not?

2. Has knowing a friend or relative was killed or injured by a drunk driver changed your behavior or that of your fellow teens? Or do teens believe it will not happen to them, so they continue to drink and drive?

3. Who would you feel comfortable calling for a ride if you do decide to drink and need a ride home?

4. What can parents do to stop their teens from driving drunk or riding with friends who are drunk? Come up with a list of at least five things and be ready to share them with the group.

 

Follow-up Activity for Teenagers:

Read “Myths about Alcohol” from the Illinois 19th Circuit Court Web site:
http://www.19thcircuitcourt.state.il.us/bkshelf/resource/alcohol_myth.htm

Follow-up Activity Involving an Outside Insurance Professional:

Ask your family’s insurance agent what the consequences might be for a DUI/DWI conviction while driving your own vehicle or your family vehicle.

1. How much would you or your family’s premiums go up? Amount _________

2. Would you or your family’s auto insurance coverage change as a result of a DUI?
   No ____ If yes, how much ___________________________

3. Would you or another family member lose a driver’s license as a result of a DUI?
   No ___ Yes ___ (If yes, for how long?) _______

 

Kentucky High School Financial Planning Program

http://www.ca.uky.edu/fcs/hsfp

The purpose of the HSFPP financial updates, video lessons, and Web site is to assist county Extension agents, credit union educators, high school teachers, and parents who home school their teenagers so that they may improve the economic well-being of our teenagers; and also to show educators how the HSFPP, updates, and video lessons meet Kentucky core concepts. The Web site, updates, and video lessons are provided by the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service, and are free to all educators. The list of core concepts and order form for free program materials including the student guide and instructors manual can be found on the Kentucky HSFPP home page.

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