Forum 20 Feature: Learning to Defend the Minimum Legal Drinking Age

One of the stories that made national headlines the past couple of years was an attempt by a group of college presidents to reduce the Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA) from 21 to 18. While research has shown that the MLDA saves lives, there are still those who argue that reducing the legal drinking age could result in less alcohol use on college campuses. During CADCA's 20th Annual National Leadership Forum, a researcher with the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE) who has studied the impact of the MLDA, will present the latest research on this topic and reasons why the MLDA should remain at 21.

James Fell, Senior Program Director at PIRE, led a 2008 study showing that the laws that make it illegal for youth to possess or purchase alcohol if they are under age 21 have significantly reduced drinking-related fatal car crashes. During a workshop entitled “Defending the Minimum Legal Drinking Age,” Fell will discuss the arguments brought forth by the so called “Amethyst Initiative” and how those involved in substance abuse prevention can argue in favor of keeping the drinking age 21.

“There’s been a lot of emotion brought into the debate about lowering the drinking age, but that has nothing to do with the facts,” Fell explained. “Everybody needs to understand what the science says about this issue, so that if someone tries to push legislation in their state to lower the legal drinking age they’re armed with some good ammunition.”

Not only will participants learn how to counter the arguments presented by the Amethyst Initiative, but they will also hear from a coalition leader who fought off an attempt to lower the drinking age in their community and managed to convince college presidents not to sign it. In addition, Fell will dispel the “European Myth” by showing that adolescents in most European countries where the drinking age is 18 or younger have higher binge drinking and intoxication rates than U.S. teens.

Underage drinking and teen alcohol use will be the topic of a number of workshops at CADCA’s 20th Annual National Leadership Forum. Here’s a small sampling of those workshops:

• The STOP Act State Report on Underage Drinking Laws, Policies and Programs: An Overview

• Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws: Lessons Learned for Maximizing Success

• Mapping Alcohol Outlet Density: Implications
from Research to Practice

• A New Look at College Drinking: Results from the NIAAA Rapid Response Grants and How Coalitions Can Apply Them

• Working To Prevent Underage Drinking: Workplace is the Key, A Free Toolkit

• Changing the Conversation: Community Discussions on Childhood Drinking

• Alcoholic Energy Drinks and Youth: Taking Action

CADCA’s 20th Annual National Leadership Forum is the nation's largest training event for substance abuse prevention, treatment professionals and researchers, featuring more than 100 workshops to help community and state leaders prevent and reduce substance abuse and its related problems. The Forum will take place at the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center, just minutes outside Washington, D.C., on Feb. 8-11, 2010. This year's theme, “Coalitions At Work: Restoring Communities,” focuses on what community coalitions do best—mobilize communities and implement evidence-based practices.

Click here to view the full workshop grid or register now!