Advocates of the law say it allows parents to educate their kids and supervise underage drinking. That's a fair argument at ages 18-21. Personally, I have never understood why we say young people age 18 are old enough to fight and die in war, but not mature enough to drink alcohol. This Wisconsin law, however, establishes no floor. You can serve alchol to a 10 year old, though the discriminating bartender will surely say "that's a no-go."
According to the news article, in addition to the legally drunk minors, drunk drivers in Wisconsin are not charged with a felony until they have been arrested a fifth time and Wisconsin law prohibits sobriety checks by the police.
Sadly, an organization formed to change Wisconsin's liquor laws informs us the state's loose approach to drinking has consequences:
1. Wisconsin has led the nation in binge drinking (5 drinks in a sitting for men, 4 in a sitting for women) every year since the CDC began its surveys more than a decade ago.
2. People in Wisconsin are more likely than anywhere else to drive drunk.
3. Wisconsin has among the highest incidence of drunken driving deaths in the United States.
Hard for me to say how scientific the connection is between lower drinking ages and drunk driving, binge drinking, etc. Makes a certain logical sense, but maybe it's the cold or the cheese or those underachieving Packers!
Regardless, I found this Wisconsin approach to "underage" drinking very interesting and with some merit. For now, I'll just dabble at supporting lowering the drinking age to 18 (maybe only when in the company of a parent?) and be glad I have several years before I address this with my boys.
