1. John M. McCardell, Jr.
Director of Choose Responsibility
President Emeritus of Middlebury College

2. Johnny Appleseed . . . Imperfection . . . Forbidden fruit.
Alcohol is a reality
Prohibition Doesn’t Work (decrease Use not Abuse)

3. The Moral Thermometer
An Inquiry into the Effects of Spirituous Liquors on the Human Body and the Mind (Benjamin Rush, 1790)

4. Total alcohol-related fatalities, 1982-2006
Drinking and Driving has decreased since the early 1980’s Before the law was changed
(The Y axis is Alcohol-related fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled)
(Data from NHTSA 2003)

5. Alcohol-Related Traffic Fatalities
That decrease was not exclusive to underage drinkers.
All age groups’ fatality rates declined
Primarily: and
Why would drinking age decrease 21-29?
Other explanations . . .
(Hingson & Winter 2003)

6. Estimated number of lives saved per year by use of restraints and drinking age, 1975-2005
Seatbelts and Air Bags
OTHERS:
Other Safety Features
Designated Drivers
Public Education about the danger of drinking and driving
Better Enforcement
Harsher Penalties
. . .population change
(Data from NHTSA 2005)

7. Population change and drunken driving fatalities, 1982-2004
There need not be a 56% decrease in population to explain the change in fatalities seen in the population.
The population change need only account for that change in fatalities that were above and beyond those seen in the other age groups (21-29).
(Data from NHTSA 2005 and Bureau of Census Population Estimates)

8. Binge Drinking
56% increase in binge drinking between 1993 and 2001 by year-olds (1)
More than 90% of all alcohol consumed by underage drinkers is consumed during binge drinking (2)
Over 1000 lives of year-olds are lost annually to alcohol off the highways, a figure that has been increasing since 1998 (3)
Use v. Abuse
2/1000
1 (Naimi et al. 2003)
2 (Institutes of Medicine 2003)
3 (Hingson et al. 2005)

9. By law, at age 18 you are mature enough to . . .
Enlist or be drafted, risking your life for our nation
Marry, adopt children, and be a legal guardian
Open a bank account, go into debt, own property, sue or be sued
Vote, and seek or hold public office
Purchase firearms
Smoke, buy lottery tickets, and gamble
Enter into a legally binding contract
At age 18 you are legally accountable for your actions.
You must have a choice.

10. The 21 year-old drinking age is anti-family.
Where families introduce their children to alcohol early and responsibly, there are lower rates of drinking problems (binge, drunk driving) later in life.

11. The 21 year-old drinking age is anti-family
In only the Purple and Red States (11/50) does a family exception exist.

12. Congressional waiver of highway funds incentive
Our Proposal
Congressional waiver of highway funds incentive
Allow for the consumption of alcohol with parents beginning at age 18
After high school, young adults may take an alcohol education course that grants a license to purchase, possess, and consume alcohol
Any violation of the state’s alcohol laws would result in the revocation of the alcohol license, or the opportunity to apply for license for those under 18
Cut down if you want.

13. References
Alcohol Policy Information System. (2006). Underage Consumption of Alcohol.
Hingson, R. & Winter, M. (2003). Epidemiology and Consequences of Drinking and Driving. Bethesda: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institute of Health.
Hingson, R., Hereen, T., Winter, M., Weschler, H. (2005). Magnitude of alcohol related mortality and morbidity among US college students ages 18-24: Changes from 1998 to Annual Review of Public Health, (26),
Institutes of Medicine. (2003). Reducing Underage Drinking: A Collective Responsibility. Washington: National Academies Press.
Naimi, T.S., Brewer, R.D., Mokdad, A., Denny, C., Serdula, M., & Marks, J.S. (2003). Binge drinking among U.S. Adults. Journal of the American Medical Association, 289(1),
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (2005). Traffic safety facts: 2004 Data (DOT HS ). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Transportation. Retrieved May 1, 2006, from:
Kobler, J. (1973). Ardent Spirits: The Origins of the American Temperance Movement. New York: De Cappo Press. (Benjamin Rush’s Moral Thermometer)
Runge, J.W. (2003, October 21). Impaired driving in the US: Progress and research needs. Washington DC: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.