Under Age Drinking

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A group of College Presidents met and decided the answer to under age binge drinking at the college level is to lower the drinking age to 18. This only solves the problem for the college having to deal with the behavior because it is now legal and if the students drink the law deals with it. Is this the answer to under age binge drinking? The National Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council (NIMNRC) have outlined several proposals to reduce underage drinking. Among their recommendations are: -increasing alcohol taxes, -reducing youth exposure to alcohol advertising, and -enforcing underage drinking laws more aggressively, not less. And they call on colleges and universities to collaborate and implement programs to prevent underage drinking. (from the article Redefining The Problem Won't Make It Go Away By Linda Chavez August 22, 2008 appearing in http://www.gopusa.com/commentary/lchavez/2008/lc_08221.shtml) I don't think the first two will work and right now we are very lax on enforcement. Several states and communities are very willing to punish the bars, bartenders, and parents with heave fines and even jail time while treating the underage drinker as a victim not responsible for their actions. I think it is time that underage drinkers become responsible for their own action and face the music. I know of one case where there was an accident involving underage drinking and only one p[erson was charged with crime. The others were let off if they would tell who was at the party and who bought the alcohol and where it was purchased. In this case a 21 yr old bought the alcohol and yet the bar owner is being held responsible for what happened twice removed form his action. This is almost like some one asking you for directions to the bank and then this person drives some people to the bank where they rob the bank and the police charging you with helping because you gave them directions. It is time to make the underage drinker responsible for their actions.