Twenty-three years ago Vermont raised its drinking age to 21 to meet the federal requirements of a National Minimum Drinking Age Act. But within the last few years, some Vermonters have advocated for lowering the age back to 18. Currently, the Senate Appropriations committee is examining a bill that would create a task force to study such a proposal.
John McCardell is the former President of Middlebury College, who has led the effort with his non-profit group, Choose Responsibility. He says 18 to 20 year-olds should be educated and then allowed to choose whether or not to drink. John Searles is a UVM Psychiatry Professor and a Substance Abuse Analyst with the Vermont Department of Health. He believes a change to the current law would undo progress made against underage drinking and drunk driving accidents. They spoke with VPR’s Jane Lindholm about the bill