Growing up was fun especially during our teenage years. To parents, this was the dreaded period of peril as they sleeplessly and nervously watched their children grew up becoming young adults. Their demands for more freedom and breathing space to express their individuality piled on rapidly within the next seven years or so. However, to a teenager, the party was just about to begin. And by that, I meant beer, booze and brandy.
During my teenage years, my country (Philippines) was under Martial Law. Minors below the age of twenty-one caught under the influence of alcohol faced long-term imprisonment and hard labor. So my cohorts and I considered ourselves “late bloomers” as the dreadful situation during our time put our adrenalin “shots” within a certain threshold. We never felt the kind of rush like the new wave kids are going through right now. Nevertheless, it was not something to feel sorry.
The topic of the talk show I was watching last night wrapped around the legal drinking age. Lately, a petition was filed in the US requesting the drinking age be lowered to 18. The issue triggered an outpouring of emotions from parents, as they have to deal with another problem in addition to the mounting case of premarital sex, teenage pregnancy and drugs.
The legal drinking age around the world ranged between zero to twenty-one. The US National Minimum Drinking Act in 1984 dictated twenty-one as the legal age for its citizen to consume alcohol. And for that, United States uniquely was the highest in the world, closely followed by Japan and South Korea. Countries with no MDA (Minimum Drinking Age) like China, Thailand and Vietnam ranked bottom.
Why the unusual high drinking age? Advocates of the current law believed the earlier the teenager started drinking alcohol the more likely he became alcoholic later in life. Another reason was, the law does not want teenagers to obtain their driver’s license the same time they were allowed to drink alcohol. They thought the newly found freedoms do not mix. There may be a grain of truth to this. But that did not explain the high rate of alcohol related misdemeanor American teenagers committed before they reached twelfth grade. Was it because teenagers were not allowed to legally drink, that is why they did it in secret? If Americans were worried about alcohol related accidents then which should come first? Driving age or drinking age?
From this perspective, it seemed the Drinking Act sowed more harm than good in the last two decades. Setting the legal age to 21 made criminals out of the overwhelming majority and enforcing the law until everyone gave in was pointless. Lowering the age to 18 will not even do wonders either.
It is time for a new approach, a new line of attack. I think it should start with a new attitude towards drinking alcohol. If teenagers are allowed to drink, they should do it with adult supervision to avoid excess. Just like teaching them how to drive a car before giving them a license. European teenagers’ first encounter with a glass of wine is at the dinner table under the watchful eye of their parents, not at a binge drink - promoting frat party. Responsibility is one of the key aspects in successfully implementing the law.
After the lifting of Martial Law, the Philippines saw a new beginning. Finally, patience paid off. It called for a celebration. It was then that I had my first mug of icy cold draft beer at Shakey’s – at 20 years old.
Rapper-TV host Francis Magalona died Friday at the Medical City in Pasig City, his co-hosts at the GMA Network’s noontime show “Eat Bulaga” said. He was 44.
