Drinking Age Debate
By: Danielle Todesco
Updated: October 19, 2009
Texas Tech University hosted the leader of a national movement to change the drinking age to just eighteen.
The university hosted Dr. John McCardell who says if eighteen is the age to join the military or sign a contract, it should be the age for someone to make their own decisions about alcohol. But officials with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission say it is hard enough to crack down on underage drinking and this could drive younger and younger people to the bottle.
Dr. John McCardell, Choose Responsibility:
"I think the law has been very successful in driving drinking out of public places, but all the data show that young people are continuing to consume alcohol and if they're not doing it in public, that leaves those secretive places where they do shots, they pregame, and as a result, binge drinking takes place and lives are put at risk."
Sgt. Michael Lockhart, TABC:
"If it was 18, then you have 15, 16, 14 year olds hiding it."
You can find out more about McCardell's movement at www.chooseresponsibility.org
