Drinking age to 18

[Pat McCotter]

I've written a few Reps on both sides of the aisle. It has been a few weeks, and none of them have responded to my letters.

I'm wondering if the best way to appraoch this issue is through a question on the ballot that can be decided by a direct vote of the people. I don't usually have faith in directly democratic measures, but I think it might be more expedient than trying to go through the legislature.

What kind of hoops does one need to jump through to get a proposition on the ballot.

Not in NH. You have to get a rep or senator to sponsor the bill.

[d_goddard]

you get more out of the general public by making a clear, example-based case for a complete end to any form of prohibition.  You are a full grown adult, and you are responsible for yourself.

I agree.
From what I've followed of how various bills passed (or, rather, failed to pass) the NH legislature this year, I'm inclined to say, they'd have a better chance if they went for full legalization, of all substances. As long as it's clearly "not to minors" and as long as it's clear that there will be proper "licensing and regulation", there's a realistic chance for success on drug (including ethanol) reform here in NH.

Note that I purposefully included the bit about licensing. It's a separate issue that from what I can tell will take longer to get straightened out. Just ask Mike Fisher!

[FTL_Ian]

Pushing for an end to prohibition is principled and controversial, which means people will be talking about our ideas.  We want that.

[scullmaster]

I see a few choices.  We need to think laws in reverse since it is always much easier to create them then to irradicate them.

I would push for at least 2 things first, Allow adults over the age of 18 to at least be able to drink at home.  When I was a kid you could not buy cigarrettes under 18 but you could smoke them at school or wherever when you were 16.  So this would give parents some choice instead of "it's not your choice its the law" mentallity.  I hop that by the time my son is 18 years old I will not be considered a criminal if I decide to give him a glass of wine with Christmas Dinner.

The other option maybe try to get Beer and Wine legalized for 18 year olds? Germany legal drinking age is 16 and I never saw anyone check a ID in the 2 years I lived there.  Then again the driving age is 21 and the kids need to take a bus to the disco tech on weekends that picks them up like a school bus in each village.   We should make all senators and representatives take a world tour before making any laws.

[LiveFree]

We should make all senators and representatives take a world tour before making any laws.

That could backfire horribly.  Imagine all the calls for gun control!  "They do it over there!"  But I understand your sentiment.

[d_goddard]

Allow adults over the age of 18 to at least be able to drink at home.

+1... very good suggestion!!
This is something all kinds of people can get behind.

I would strongly suggest you contact the most liberty-friendly Rep in your district, and ask if they would sponsor such a bill in the fall legislative session. If none of your Reps will, try contacting any of the "A" or "B+/B" Reps -- they tend to be a lot more willing to listen to people than the authoritarian "D/F/CT" Reps.

If you'll work with a Rep to get the bill introduced, I'll do what I can to lobby for it. Deal?

BTW, those who oppose it will probably point to the "house party" law:
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/lxii/644/644-18.htm

[KBCraig]

Here's a good approach, as found in the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code:

Sec. 106.04. CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL BY A MINOR
(a) A minor commits an offense if he consumes an alcoholic beverage.
(b) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under this section that the alcoholic beverage was consumed in the visible presence of the minor's adult parent, guardian, or spouse.

and:

Sec. 106.06. PURCHASE OF ALCOHOL FOR A MINOR; FURNISHING ALCOHOL TO A MINOR.
(a) Except as provided in Subsection (b) of this section, a person commits an offense if he purchases an alcoholic beverage for or gives or makes available an alcoholic beverage to a minor with criminal negligence.
(b) A person may purchase an alcoholic beverage for or give an alcoholic beverage to a minor if he is the minor's adult parent, guardian, or spouse, or an adult in whose custody the minor has been committed by a court, and he is visibly present when the minor possesses or consumes the alcoholic beverage.

It works well.

[KBCraig]

http://www.theagitator.com/2008/03/09/some-good-news-6/

Sunday, March 9th, 2008

Several states are considering a return to a more sensible drinking age:

    More than two decades after the U.S. set the national drinking age at 21, a movement is gaining traction to revisit the issue and consider allowing Americans as young as 18 to legally consume alcohol.

    Serious discussions already are under way in several states.

    In Vermont, the Legislature has formed a task force that will study whether the drinking age should be lowered.

    In South Dakota, a petition is circulating that would ask the state to allow 19- and 20-year-olds to legally buy beer no stronger than 3.2 percent alcohol, while in Missouri a group is attempting to collect the 100,000 signatures needed to get a measure on the November ballot to lower the state's drinking age to 18.

    And in South Carolina and Wisconsin, lawmakers have proposed that active-duty military personnel younger than 21 be allowed to buy alcohol, a move similar to one that was rejected last year in New Hampshire.

[Pat K]

Tim Wilson

[KBCraig]

Linked from the comments at Balko's blog:

http://www.alcoholfacts.org/CrashCourseOnMADD.html

[yonder]

Not that I'm a fan of using the law to fix things, but if there had to be a law...

The age of majority should not be done in steps.  18 to vote but 21 to drink and buy a pistol.  I would contend 18-20 year olds are being discriminated against due to their age, and should be demanding their full adult rights that they gained on their 18th birthdays.

Old enough to enlist or be drafted?  Then old also enough to buy a handgun or a six pack.

[Kat Kanning]

You mean 18 year olds can be handed all kinds of weapons of war but can't buy handguns?    Wow.

[JJ]

You mean 18 year olds can be handed all kinds of weapons of war but can't buy handguns?    Wow.

Not only that but if an 18 year old accidentally loses his M16 rifle he goes to prison.  When an admistration lies a country into a protracted war they get re-elected. 

[Free libertarian]

 
  It would be interesting to hear a group of  under 21 active service
members  weigh in on the issue.  I'd like to know how they feel about being asked to bear arms and kill people but are told they aren't responsible enough to have a beer.   I have a close relative that's, 20 years old...jarhead, think I'll ask him next time he checks in.   Are active military uh "discouraged" from free speech on issues like this by some kind of "we own your mind" military policy?

   The height of irony... in the Middle East a 20 year old grunt saying..."man it's hot, I'd just kill for a beer".