|
|
 |
January
18 , 2005
Teens: have license, will drink
|
Heather
Cutler
News Associate |
Let’s be honest, although the drinking age is 21, we all know that
minors, at any given time, can obtain any kind of alcohol. Whether it’s
a six-pack or hard liquor, almost any teen knows where to go or who to
go to for alcohol. This fact is even more apparent in the college scene
where ‘keggers’ happen on a nightly basis.
The ‘21 or older’ law has one purpose: to protect the minors
of Arizona from the dangers of drinking which include: long-term health
hazards, alcohol poisoning, and other dangers associated with consuming
too much alcohol.
So what exactly is the ‘21 or older’ law doing?
Nothing. If anything, it prevents some minors from drinking at a bar,
but we all know that with the flaws in the system, it in no way can stop
a minor from obtaining alcohol from a friend or from some other resource.
I have a message to the lawmakers of Arizona: wake up!
Instead of living in a fantasy world where underage teenagers are not
drinking, let’s do something to actually protect teenagers like
the law is supposed to do in the first place. Minors are always going
to find some way to consume alcohol whether there is a law or not. Therefore,
I have a proposal.
Minors should be allowed to drink alcohol. Not all minors, but only those
teenagers who know how to drink responsibly should have a way to do it.
At the age of 18, teenagers should be able to obtain a “drinking
license.”
Obviously, there would have to be rules and regulations to follow in order
to obtain and keep the license. So, here is what I propose:
This license would cost $150, just to show how important this license
is and to make sure that it is treated as such.
The teenager would have to be enrolled in a high school, community college
or university, trade school, or any other form of government recognized
schooling. If the student is in college, they would have to be enrolled
in at least 12 credit hours and possess a grade point average of at least
3.0 or higher.
The teenager would have to hold down a steady job for at least six months
before applying for the license, as well as performing at least 50 hours
of community service.
Once all these conditions were met, the student could get the license,
but there would also be ways the student could lose the license and once
again have to follow the ‘21 or over’ law without a chance
of obtaining the license again.
The student would have to follow the current alcohol laws in addition
to the following: if a student were asked to show their license and could
not, the license would be revoked. If the student’s GPA slipped
below a 3.0, the license would be suspended until the grades came back
up. Should the student lose their job, and not regain employment within
two weeks, the license would be revoked.
My idea is that this license would promote drinking responsibly.
It would mean too much to teens to risk losing it, so they would be less
likely to break the rules regarding it. This means that more teenagers
would drink responsibly and not endanger their own lives. This will not
stop all minors from drinking illegally, but I think teens with the license
would be much safer, and less of an endangerment to others.
Back to Top
| Previous Page | Home
|
|
|
