Weekend trips to the True North for those under 21 may be numbered. An Ontario health board is calling on the national government to raise the drinking age from 19 to 21.
Officials worry about students being susceptible to injury and death as a result of drunk driving. According to an article in the Globe and Mail, about 300 young people died last year because of alcohol, leaving behind ruined lives of loved ones.
Of course, the people who have a problem with this are those under 21. Our neighbors to the North should take a leaf from America's history books. Prohibition didn't work, and the 21-and-over rule hasn't curbed underage drinking that much either.
Students argue that changing the drinking age does not deal with the issue effectively. Making alcohol inaccessible only makes it more alluring.
It's mostly up to parents to instill the value of moderation in their offspring. Learn from the Europeans; a glass of red wine with dinner is viewed as acceptable, even healthy. By the time most Europeans are old enough to buy alcohol, it seems like old news. Contrarily, American homes with liquor cabinets under lock-and-key make kids want to swipe some even more.
On the same note, some parents think they help their children by being "cool" - letting them have parties and providing alcohol. "Cool" parents replace teaching a lesson about moderation with trying to be their child's best friend.
Schools try to pick up where parents fail, trying to educate students about the dangers of drinking. Their words fall mostly on deaf ears.
Still, desperate administrators are trying. AlcoholEDU may not be the best way to teach people about the consequences of drinking. Many accounts show that AlcoholEDU is easily turned into a drinking game - simply take a sip whenever the word "alcohol" is mentioned (mind you, those who actually do this will probably die before completing the program.)
Admittedly, there's not much to do in Buffalo, which makes drinking a hobby for many. Those who do it in the comfort of their own homes don't have to deal with finding a ride home from the bars. Buffalo's metro system stops running at midnight, just when most students are getting started. With no shuttles available and cabs charging ridiculous fares, it's shocking that there aren't more drunk driving arrests and accidents in Buffalo. If educating people isn't working that well, making punishments stricter might. Taking away one's license and increasing jail time for a drunk driving offense may be the best way to get through to some young people. Raising the drinking age in Canada won't decrease the number of fatalities caused by drunk driving; it will just make illicit behavior more appealing on both sides of the border.
Before making laws and policies that will cause backdoor-encouragement of illicit behavior, Canada should take a long, hard look at what hasn't worked just across the bridge. Meanwhile, Americans should reassess what can be done in terms of prevention and punishment, rather than turning a blind eye and ignoring the obvious.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
