Students mixed on proposal to lower drinking age

Jessica Marshall, left, and Sarah Lorentz of Muskegon Community College's Sociology Club display pamphlets they made as part of a campaign against irresponsible drinking and drunken-driving. The club was formed in October.

It was the most popular drinking night of the year — the Wednesday before Thanksgiving Day.

And 20-year-old Sarah Lorentz had been drinking all afternoon and night.

Her new Honda weaved across the lanes of U.S. 31 as she tried to make it home from the bar. Lorentz didn't even realize it when her car left the road, flew off the river flats and plummeted into a swamp.

"I blacked out and didn't know what happened," recalled the 24-year-old Lorentz.

As police and firefighters worked to rescue her from the vehicle, a wave of anger flooded over an awakening Lorentz."I thought the cops had stolen my jacket," Lorentz said, recalling her first thoughts after regaining consciousness.

"Right away, I realized I was being stupid," said Lorentz.

Since that night, Lorentz, a student at Muskegon Community College, has become an advocate for raising alcohol awareness among youth. She shares her story with community groups.


• 599,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are unintentionally injured while under the influence of alcohol.



• Young people ages 18 to 25 have the highest prevalence of binge (38.7 percent) and heavy (13.6 percent) drinking, with a peak rate (48.2 percent for binge and 17.8 percent for heavy drinking) occurring at age 21, according to the 2001 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse.

• Binge drinking typically is defined as consuming five or more drinks in a row for men, and four or more drinks in a row for women.

• Forty-nine percent -- 3.8 million -- of full-time college students binge drink and/or abuse prescription and illegal drugs, according to a 2007 report by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University.

• The same study also finds that 1.8 million full-time college students meet the medical criteria for substance abuse and dependence, two and one half times the 8.5 percent of the general population who meet the same criteria.

• The report found that from 1993 to 2005 there was a small decline in the proportion of college students who drank (70 to 68 percent). However, the intensity of excessive drinking during has increased sharply.

• Between 1993 and 2001 the proportion of students who binge drink frequently went up 16 percent; those who drink on 10 or more occasions in a month, up 25 percent; who get drunk at least three times a month, up 26 percent; and who drink to get drunk, up 21 percent.

As president of MCC's Sociology Club, she's helped create business cards that list phone numbers that bar patrons can use to get a ride home. The club also has created several informational brochures and posters designed to educate young people about the effects of alcohol.

But, Lorentz is also among a growing number of college-age young people who believe the drinking age in the U.S. should be lowered from 21 to 18. It's part of a movement gaining steam nationally after several presidents from prominent universities, like Ohio State, Dartmouth and Duke, have thrown their support behind the plan.

Proponents of lowering the drinking age believe the solution is to educate people so they know how to drink responsibly. Part of the lure of underage drinking is the thrill of doing something that you're not supposed to be doing, Lorentz said.

"I think (18- to 20-year-olds) wouldn't drink as much because it wouldn't be as exciting," said Lorentz. "I was 18 when I started buying alcohol. We knew people at bars so they served us."

Baker College student Robby Elston, 20, agreed with Lorentz.

"If you take away the thrill, fewer people would drink," said Elston, who said he supports lowering the legal drinking age.

"Once you've graduated from high school and you're old enough to vote, purchase tobacco, get into bars and die for your country, than you should be old enough to drink," said Elston.

That debate tends to return with every generation, especially when the U.S. is at war, said Beverly Hair, a longtime sociology instructor at MCC.

"It's a real hard debate," said Hair. "Are 14-, 15- and 16-year-olds mature enough to drink? I don't think so. Are 18-year-olds? That's an issue we need to talk about."

That's exactly what's happening at some colleges and universities across the U.S.

Earlier this year, a group of more than 100 university presidents, including leaders from Duke, Dartmouth and Ohio State, publicly expressed support for lowering the legal drinking age from 21 to 18.

Some of those leaders argued that the 21-year-old drinking age has had unintended consequences on college campuses, such as a rise in dangerous binge drinking.

The college presidents agreed that nearly half of college students, no matter their age, say they binge drink -- defined as five or more drinks in a sitting for men and four for women -- at least once every week, according to U.S. News & World Report. One in five male freshmen say they regularly drink more than 10 drinks at a time.

Muskegon Community College and Baker College of Muskegon are not among those supporting the proposal to lower the drinking age.

Baker College, which provides on-campus housing for hundreds of students has long prohibited students from bringing alcohol on campus, said Mike Helsen, vice president of student services.

Students who break the rule, or get involved in alcohol-related problems are required to complete "Alcohol 101," a class designed to educate students about the health and legal problems that can result from drinking, said Helsen. Offenders must also make alcohol awareness presentations to other students as part of their requirement to remain enrolled at Baker.

An Alcoholic's Anonymous chapter also conducts regular meetings on campus for students who want to seek more help.

"Drinking is a national problem for colleges and young people," said Helsen. "We continue to try to do more. We don't hide from it."

Drinking problems are less of a problem at MCC because the community college does not have student housing. The serving of alcohol is also banned at all on-campus programs.

The Muskegon Community College Sociology Club, left to right, Jennifer Hasty, Jessica Marshall, Julie Darrar, Naaleigha, Gilchrist, Advisor Dr. Beverly Hair, Carrie Johnson and Sarah Lorentz. In October, the club started a campaign against irresponsible drinking and drunken driving in mid-October.

Several faculty and students groups at MCC actively promote various alcohol awareness events and activities.

MCC's Sociology Club, which received a $5,000 grant in 2007, has used the money to bring speakers to campus and hosted an alcohol-free, after-prom party for area high school students last spring, said Hair, who serves as the club's advisor.

"The message we give is not that people shouldn't drink -- but that you should be responsible," said Hair. "It would be wonderful if young people never drank. But, we know that's not going to happen. So we have to be realistic and give them the information to make more responsible decisions."

After Prohibition, nearly all states designated 21 as the minimum legal drinking age, according to the American Medical Association. Between 1970 and 1975, 29 states lowered the minimum drinking age to 18, 19 and 20. Those changes occurred when the minimum age for other activities, such as voting, also were being lowered.

Various tests conducted in the 1970s and '80s indicated that motor vehicle crashes increased significantly when the minimum drinking age was lowered. In response, lawmakers passed, "The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984," which uniformly raised the nation's minimum legal drinking age to 21.

MCC student Lindsay VanSingel calls that decision "bogus."

"It didn't stop anything," says VanSingel, 19, of Grant. "In Canada (drinking at age 18) is legal. In Germany it's legal.

"If you lowered the drinking age to 18 you would have less problems because less people would be buying (for underage drinkers), there would be less police problems."

Matt Kunesh, 22, of Ludington disagrees: "I know from experience. I drank frequently throughout high school. I was 15- or 16- years-old.

"If you lowered the drinking age it would only be worse because young people are more irresponsible. They just are."

Kunesh, an MCC student, isn't totally opposed to lowering the legal drinking age to 18. But, before the law is changed the U.S. must better promote responsible drinking like other European nations have done, said Kunesh.

"Education programs don't really work," said 18-year-old MCC student Ashley Morrison. "I don't think the law makes a difference. If you're 18 or 21 and want to drink, you're going to drink."

"Yes, I drink," added Adam Sullivan, 18, of Kent City. "It's a social thing. Everyone I know is responsible. They don't drink and drive."

Sarah Lorentz wishes that was true of everybody. Over the years she's seen a lot of people she knows get hurt and in trouble because they decided to get behind the wheel after drinking.

When she goes out with friends these days, Lorentz is usually the designated driver. She doesn't lie. Occasionally, she will have a drink or two. But, the lesson learned four years ago is never far from her mind.

"You don't think it can happen to you," said Lorentz. "You think, "I can't be that stupid."

The night of her accident Lorentz's blood alcohol level tested 2.2. A measurement of 0.8 is considered legally drunk.

"I remember being in jail on Thanksgiving Day," recalled Lorentz. "They wouldn't let me out until 9 p.m. (when her alcohol level returned to 0.0).

"That was horrible. Try explaining that to your grandmother."