AMERICAN politicians decided it would be a good idea to force all states to increase their minimum drinking age from 18 to 21. No doubt they thought it would start a trend and reduce the negative consequences of misusing alcohol. But, there are two things about politics that they forgot. One is that political intentions are meaningless when it comes to results and, second, there are often unintended consequences.The US found that, soon, there was a backlash from university presidents. More than 100 such esteemed academics damned the idea because one unintended consequence was a dramatic increase in binge-drinking by college students. John McCardell, president emeritus of Middlebury College, said: "The drinking age has effectively banished alcohol from public places and public views. But it has done little to reduce drinking. If you were to design the ideal venue for binge-drinking, you would not design a student union, a dining hall, a restaurant or any public gathering place. You w...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.