DR. WALLACE: I'm a regular reader of your column and, for the most part, agree with your opinions. But I'm amazed that you support a minimum drinking age of 21. You even said you'd like to see the minimum age raised to 24. That, my dear Dr. Wallace, was your most outrageous statement ever! Do yourself a favor and support lowering the drinking age in the United States to 18. You look foolish and very stupid when you prefer a drinking minimum age of 24.
Almost every country in the world has a lower minimum drinking age. In Canada, our highly civilized nation to the north, the minimum drinking age is 19. In Europe, for the most part, it's 18. In Mexico, if you have the pesos, you get the booze.
Many of our 18-year-olds are old enough to risk their lives in the military, but can't have a beer after the battle ends. I realize that alcohol can be addictive, but the vast number of people around the globe who consume alcohol are not all alcoholics.
I'm 20 and frustrated that I can't have a glass of wine at my favorite Italian restaurant because I'm "too young." If I lived in Italy, I would be expected to have wine with my meal. In the United States, if I got caught drinking wine in a restaurant, both the restaurant owner and I would be in deep trouble. Sometimes I wish I lived in Rome.
I think you would like to return to the days of Prohibition when alcohol was against the law to make, sell, or consume. — Anthony, New York, N.Y.
ANTHONY: No, I'm not a prohibitionist. The nation's experiment to ban the manufacture, sale, and consumption of alcohol 80-some years ago was a failure. What's needed is sensible regulation.
It's true that many adults manage to drink alcohol in moderation, without harming themselves, their loved ones, or society in general. And the recent popularity of the "designated driver" has no doubt made our roads a little safer.
But teenagers are just entering the world of adult responsibility and consequences, are highly susceptible to peer pressure, and often, quite frankly, lack good judgment. I say this based on my experience as a high school principal. Some teens think they're invincible. The last thing they need in their lives is easy access to alcohol, which blurs the moral edges and heightens every foolish tendency.
My main concern, if the minimum drinking age were lowered, would be highway safety. The following facts are "sobering":
Alcohol-related accidents are the number one killer of young people. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that more than 10,000 young adults age 16 to 24 are killed each year in all kinds of alcohol-related accidents. The combination of youthful exuberance and alcohol is a deadly combination — for the youthful drinkers as well as for the rest of our population.
You have less than a year to go before you can enjoy a glass of wine at an Italian restaurant, Tony. Show a little patience. Doing so will also make you a better driver. If you can't wait until you are 21 to consume wine at an Italian restaurant, there are flights every day from New York to Rome and I'm sure the Italians will welcome you!
Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. E-mail him at rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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