Get real on teen drinking, Part 2
By Sol Israel | December 11, 2004
THIS IS a time when blue-state Americans are considering the chilly trek north to Canada, citing Canada's friendly foreign policy, equitable marriage laws, tolerant drug regulations, and lack of George W. Bush as reasons for their possible emigration. Although these may be some of the more popular reasons to contemplate defection, they're certainly not the only ones, particularly if you're under the age of 21.
Canada's legal drinking age is another practice of Canadian society from which United States lawmakers could take a cue.
In Canada, the legal age to purchase alcohol is either 18 or 19, depending on provincial law. In Ontario, where I'm a student, it's 19. This may not seem significantly different from America's federally imposed minimum drinking age of 21, but those few years -- when most kids are going to drink anyway -- are a valuable time to learn responsible drinking habits.
As a 19-year-old criminology student at the University of Toronto, I can enjoy myself at one of Toronto's many bars or go shopping in a so-called "liquor commission." Meanwhile, my American peers -- attending good colleges around the country -- are also enjoying themselves in bars and shopping in liquor stores, using illegal fake ID cards. The only difference is that in Canada we are considered law-abiding citizens, while in the United States we're perceived as law-breaking con artists.
This isn't going to stop my peers from drinking, of course. It's just going to make them hide it and make it difficult to control. It will also make them reluctant to call for help if someone gets hurt while drinking or if a drunken friend reaches for the car keys at a party, until they're 21.
A higher drinking age like America's also makes it harder for youth to learn to make responsible drinking decisions. I believe America's current drinking age, changed only 20 years ago after drinking-control lobbying groups applied pressure to the government, reflects a lack of faith in America's youth. American teenagers are told that they can't be trusted with the responsibility of drinking, so why should they bother drinking responsibly?
When I occasionally go out for a drink in Toronto -- and no, the freedom to drink doesn't increase my tendency to do so -- I usually end up at a bar where my friends and I will buy our drinks and enjoy them in a legal setting, just as a 21-year-old could in America. My American peers, though, are not only cunningly devising ways to illegally procure alcohol, but have to find a house to drink it in, which means deceiving their parents, too.
Living in Canada, I find drink ing to be immensely more social and relaxed as opposed to my stressful, illegal American experience. I don't have to worry about illegally obtaining liquor, I don't have to worry about illegally transporting it, and I don't have to worry about being arrested for underage possession of alcohol. This relaxed atmosphere has a noticeable impact on the way we drink.
We're drinking as part of socializing instead of drinking just to get drunk, which is what tends to happen in the United States when kids flout authority. Being legal, the experience here is noticeably more laid-back, rather than the frantic drink-fest I remember from home.
Furthermore, drinking in bars or clubs provides some protection for an inexperienced drinker; it promotes responsible drinking far more effectively than drinking at a keg party or in a dorm room. Bar tenders know when to cut a heavy drinker off -- I've seen it happen -- and bouncers and security staff are present to keep intoxicated patrons from hurting themselves or others.
Perhaps most effectively, higher prices limit how much a cash- strapped student can afford to drink -- it's a lot harder on your wallet to get drunk at even a cheap student bar than at a kegger. The atmosphere of the adult world of bars -- where drinking is socially sanctioned, and not covert -- promotes good behavior.
Psychology 101: Teens want to try what they're not allowed to. By taking some of the rebellious edge off of drinking, Canada has helped to foster more responsible drinking attitudes among its youth. Maybe they'll get into trouble a few times, but that's how they learn.
Canadians, like Americans, recognize the dangers inherent in drinking. However, they also recognize the wisdom of encouraging social responsibility in young adults. So come up to Canada, and bring your kids -- you can teach the older ones a valuable lesson. Plus, since they're going to be drinking anyway, they might as well be drinking good beer.
Sol Israel is a Newton resident and a sophomore at the University of Toronto.
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