" The thought process, behind the drinking age of 21, probably was, to give a little more time, to gain some responsibility, before legally having the right, to endulge. This left out, that many try, or start drinking in their early teens, and have years of relatively undeturred, use and abuse, under their belt, by the time they turn 21. The step, of taking the license, of 20 and under, caught drinking, is an overdue risk of loss, added to the equation, that will discourage all underage drinking, in those that can and wish to drive a car. Nothing yet, has come close to doing this. Should this pass, in 10 or so years, the likelyhood, of someone having been abusing alcohol, for 3 to 7 years, by the time they turn 18, might be lower, then they could reasonably drop the drinking age to 18. Not likely to become a law, I have no doubt it is one of those attention, we really are doing things here in Sprinfield, that will dissapear, as quickly, as it made headlines. But also be prepared once smoking gets banned, alcohol, is next. Run up the taxes, sue the marketers, for using frogs, and covering up the detrimental effects, and missuse its marketing, allowed to take place. Then suddenly drinking and an occasional cigar, will only be possible, in a back room, with the shades drawn, in a private home. Not to mention, will only able to buy alcohol, and cigerettes, or cigars, along with your allergy medicine, with three forms of id, signing a log book, at the pharmacy. I feel an effective risk, like their license, will reduce, underage drinking, expand it to drugs of all kinds as well, from huffing, to prescriptions, and the usual. Efectively reducing the misuse, of all of it, in the time, between 12 and 20, will have a positive impact, on their being productive adults, and more unaltered reality under their belts, to make responsible choices, from the time they turn 21, on. "

" Harry, I think you really blew it on this one. If your intention was strictly to create a buzz, that's one thing, but to actually push such an idea is quite asinine. The end result of lowering the drinking age in Illinois would only result in more deaths on the highways. Did you bother to talk to anyone at the Charleston police department about how they felt about letting teenagers into the bars again. I doubt it. Since you now live in Mattoon, you must think it's fair for the folks over in Charleston to have to put up with all of results of teenagers going into the bars and all of the related problems. We need to move forward, not return to the past. I will agree with your proposal for tightening up the drunk driving laws. The article, on the simulated wreck, must have gotten your pro-drinking dander up, as usual. Do you know the reason we have 21 year old drinking laws in the first place (nation wide)? I'll give you a little hint, it has to do with federal highway funding. You need to do some research before you spout such nonsense. "

" I am 26 years old and I can honestly say I drank more before I turned 21. Since my 21st birthday I have been in a bar only once and I only drink at home less than 3 times a year. I think that there are so many underage drinkers because they want to be considered adults and do the one thing that adults can do but they can't. I think the if the drinking age was lowered there would be more responsible 18,19, 20 yo because they would not be forced to try to hide what they are doing. They would be seen as adults and act like they should. I know you will always have a couple of bad apples in the bushel but the same can be said for anyone over the age of 21. "

" I have always been irritated with the age 21 drinking laws in this country. At age 16 you can get your drivers license, and at 18 you can go and fight for your country. But you can't have a beer! How is it that you are mature enough at 18 to go and take a bullet, but can't drink alchohol? Truth be said, they DO IT ANYWAY so the law is USELESS. "

" raise the driving age to 18, and lower the drinking age to 16 so they get bored of it quicker. oh yes, to "stupid" if you are ACTUALLY in the position to DIE for you COUNTRY then you should be able to drink. Don't even begin to tie together non-military people with the military and tell me they have the same rights, because they are in completely different situations. "

" Drinking illegally adds a little flavor to the teenage experience. "

" My God, I actually agree with Harry on this one. Early Bird, do you have any evidence (statistically validated) to support your view? "

" Yeah man, and get rid of the stupid laws on pot too. "

" Canada, 18-19. Mexico, 18. Cuba, 16. Brazil, 18. China, 18. Israel, 18. Vietnam, 18. Denmark, 16. France, 16-18. Germany, 16-18. Ireland, 18. Italy, 14. Russia, 18. Spain, 16. United Kingdom, 16-18. Australia, 18. New Zealand, 18. "

" That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Only 18 year olds who are enlisted should be able to drink? They drink ANYWAY. It might as well be legal. "

" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Minimum_Drinking_Age_Act_of_1984 "

" I agree with you on this one, Harry. "

" It may be acceptable to tell a small child that he or she can't have too much candy because it's unhealthy. The child doesn't know any better, may argue with you, but in the end is forced to give in. At the same time, telling someone who's 18, holds a job 40 hours a week, pays taxes, may have a child of their own, could possibly be married, has credit cards, has signed contracts, and owns a car that he or she is too immature to drink is somehow acceptable? I'm tired of people talking as if adults under 21 have no concept of the dangers of alcohol and thus have the right to say what we can and cannot choose to do to ourselves. I'm fully willing to take the same penalties someone 50 years of age receives after driving drunk, should I make the same mistake. I don't see why my apparent immaturity means I must face harsher penalties than those who apparently know so much more than myself. If anyone really cared about saving lives either, they'd eat healthier, slow down their driving, and avoid cigarettes like the plague. Don't use the excuse that some 800 people may be saved each year with the drinking age at 21. While it may be true, I'd rather save the lives of the homeless dying on our city streets than prevent an adult from sharing a beer while watching football. "

" Voltaire: Thanks for the info - now, do you have stats from those countries regarding drunk driving? I would love to see the correlation (if there is one). This is a very interesting debate. "

" I had more fun drinking before I turned 21. Don't ruin it for the 17-20-year-olds of today!! "

" For the Speak the Truth: The tone of your question seems to infer that I have just put forth an unsubstantiated theory. Your question was rather vague, but I assume you were questioning my "idea" about deaths rising with a younger drinking age. Let me explain what I meant about more deaths on the highways. When the National Highway safety people got involved with this issue several years ago (alcohol related deaths), the one thing that was quite evident, was the fact that the rates for alcohol related crashes was much higher in those states that had the lower drinking ages. It also was a fact that the death rates were higher along the borders of these states. I think my "idea" that death rates would increase was a very logical conclusion. I attended a conference in Springfield as a representative of both EIU and LLC that centered on reducing alcohol related problem for college students. I have long since discarded any materials I received at that conference, but can assure you that this was a historical fact. I suppose that if one wanted to, they could do a archival research query into this whole issue. I don't see the point, but your welcome to do so to dispute my "idea". Actually, I think this whole issue is moot, because as long as the Federal government mandates a 21 year old minimum drinking age for states to receive Federal money for their highways, I don't think it's going to change. Sorry for the lack of "statistically validated" facts on this one, but I hope I answered you question. Harry, in his usual fashion, seems to be trying to stir up controversy with his latest article. I'm sure he is aware that what goes on here in these little towns is not going to change a thing, but it does make for an interesting debate, doesn't it?. Kind of like the anti-smoking laws, they are coming whether we want it or not. "

" well, if they are enlisted, let them drink. you're an idiot if you want to say "if you're old enough to die for your country, then you should be old enough to drink." thats completely illogical and irrelevant if you are not in the position to die for your country. yeh, it might as well be legal if you are enlisted. isn't that what I said? "

" To Early Bird: Don't be too harsh on Harry. He's in the midst of a morphing process from Liberal to Libertarian. 'Pot stirring' is an important part of his transition. **** As far as the ‘federally imposed legal drinking age’ is concerned, it does seem rather arbitrary that we consider 18 year olds 'adult' in almost all respects, including voting, criminal law, civil law, family law, and most legal contracts - including federal military service obligations; however, when it comes to alcohol, minor status applies until age 21. **** The much larger, and more dangerous, precept here is that the federal government has far too much control over how we conduct our daily lives in Illinois. The primary reason the feds are able to lord this power over us is because we send entirely too many tax dollars from Illinois to DC. Then, in order to have our own money re-appropriated to us, we have to abide by whatever rules the feds impose. All states, from Alabama to Wyoming, have lost the precious sovereignty once presumed to be ‘states rights’. Paradoxically, when you consider how homogeneous the feds have forced us to become, our country suffers as much internal political divide now as was our experience during the dark days of the Civil War. "

" You make absolutely no sense! Where is it written that if you are enlisted you can drink? Where? If you are 18 years old the US government can draft you into their military, force you to go fight and die in a war. Yet when you turn 18 you cannot legally have an alcoholic beverage. But you are expected to put your life on the line. You are making absolutely NO sense whatsoever, and you sound ridiculous. Try rereading the posts carefully, S-L-O-W-L-Y, and maybe you'll get it. It wasn't a slam to the military at ALL. It was just a point. When you are 18 you are expected to die for your country if necessary, but you can't have a beer. Plain and simple. Hello? Does anyone else understand what I'm getting at? Please explain to this person if you do. "

" i agree with harry wholeheartedly. It's insane to treat legal "adults" like children. And like Honesty I also drank much more often before I was legal, not only do I drink less frequently now...but since I can't just crash at the bar like I did at parties I never drink past my limit as I feel very strongly about driving while intoxicated. "

" okay, let me explain this to you S-L-O-W-L-Y, though I still doubt you get it. 1.People can't drink till they're 21. duh. everyone knows that. 2.I didnt say people could drink if they are 18 and in the military - I think that should be changed. To explain that further... If you are in baghdad, fighting in the armed forces, you deserve a beer. If you are 18 and sitting on your couch at home watching spongebob, i'm sorry, you didn't earn it. Is that clear to you? at all? Did I illustrate my point that time. The draft will never be re-instated. There is too much red tape for even bush to cut through, so don't count on your argument having much clout in my eyes. "

" You so ridiculous! So if you are 18, working, paying your bills, raising a child, paying taxes, and all the other things that go along with being an ADULT, and ARE NOT IN THE MILITARY, you shouldn't be allowed to drink. But if you are in the military, you can drink. What a bunch of nonsense. You obviously are not getting what any of us are talking about. Eighteen year olds are expected to behave and act like adults - working, taxes, etc. mentioned above. Yet if we listen to bozos like you, only if you go to war do you deserve to drink. This is a pointless argument because you sound like an uneducated moron. Stop focusing on the "war" part and take everything into consideration. Who cares if the draft isn't going to be reinstated? Hello? People am I not explaining myself clearly? Or did I just happen upon the only mentally ill individual who reads this paper? You still don't get it! You make absolutely no sense whatsoever! I think I'll spare myself trying to explain to you further - it's a waste of time! "

" Ah, I see how it is...when you lose your temper you start throwing words like bozo and moron out there. - very educated response there. Let me be frank with you. The majority of people who are aged 18 do not have kids, do not do their own taxes (let alone pay them - if you are using money toward education you don't even need to file taxes), etc. etc. Personally, for reference here, I'd actually like the drinking age dropped to 16 and the driving age increased to 18. Also, you expect 18 year olds to act like adults...well that great, if they felt obliged to do so. "

" JKM Talking again? He still doesn't get it. Oh well. It isn't people who expect 18 year olds to act like adults - it's the law. "

" again, the law doesn't typically mean much to 18 year olds yet. and gee, i'm sorry, I cant hang around here all day waiting for people to respond to my comments - I have things to do. everyone is entitled to their opinion. "

" To Tom: I have yet to figure out where Harry is coming from. A good example of his lack of consistency in his writings, is that just a few months ago he was bashing the MADD organization, whose main objective is to get drunk drivers off the road, and now he comes out in full support of that effort. I still say Harry's objective is to stoke the fire on here, and will give him credit in accomplishing that. I will certainly agree with you that we have too many laws on the books now, but when one comes along that I personally agree with, I will support it's passage. Alcohol and tobacco, as I see it, are two of the biggest problems in this country. I am not promoting any total bans on either, but feel that we must have strong laws about their usage. No child should be put in a position of having to breathe in second hand smoke. "

" Have you seen how the 18 year old drivers fly by you and weave in and out and go through lights after they change? They need to grow up and accept responsibility if they want to be treated like adults. "

" I agree with you on those 18 year old drivers, but I've seen many more adults driving like crazy people! Just my personal experience, mind you, not to negate your thought. "

" Fred, How do you know these people are 18 year olds? "

" Because there was a car load of them and they were leaving the high school parking lot. "

" Drinking and Driving should be an Olympic sport. "

" I think that teens are just doing it because the teens keep being told no dont do this and dont do that. The teens are trying to be rebelious. Teens dont like to listen to their parents nor do they like to listen to any one else. "

" They should raise the age for driving and for being able to drink to age 25. "

" i wouldnt mind if they kept the age at 21 for buying the alcohol but to drink it should be 18. if you can be tried as an adult i should be able to drink. "

" Yank their licenses for long periods, and more people will take buses, or walk. More ridership allows bus companies to extend routes and hours. More pedestrians means more political power for pedestrians. This would not sit well with companies in the auto and oil industries who are among MADD's corporate sponsors. "