Alaska considers lowering drinking and smoking age for troops

[Nova]

Yes, I believe MADD was a major force in getting the drinking age raised.

I don't have a link handy, but others have linked before to studies that show the part of our brains that deals with risk and consequence doesn't fully mature until the early to mid-20s. So there is a scientific argument for not allowing 19-year-olds to drink.

But if we go by that, then Velouria is right and we should not allow 19-year-olds to enlist.

 

[hockeymom]

I am not disagreeing that alcohol lowers inhibitions and people may engage in risky behavior(witness 1st hand with my children),and I know that the brain is not fully developed until mid twenties(boys,maybe never). But my biggest arguement is everyone is doing it anyway.I feel it is way better to have it be somewhat supervised. I would think an 18 year old soldier,would be far better off going out with his older buddies than having someone buy him a six pack and sitting in his room by himself.

 

[Nova]

I am not disagreeing that alcohol lowers inhibitions and people may engage in risky behavior(witness 1st hand with my children),and I know that the brain is not fully developed until mid twenties(boys,maybe never). But my biggest arguement is everyone is doing it anyway.I feel it is way better to have it be somewhat supervised. I would think an 18 year old soldier,would be far better off going out with his older buddies than having someone buy him a six pack and sitting in his room by himself.

And to continue in that vein, if drinking is legal at 18, perhaps we can do a better job of educating 18 to 21-year-olds on the hazards of binge drinking than we seem to do now. I imagine it's hard to educate somebody on alcohol abuse when you have to pretend by law that he or she isn't drinking at all.

 

[Kat]

A really broad and non specific interpretation of who this "sort of" works (my interpretation) on post (or other federal military instillations) federal law is what is followed. An Officer or NCO can't ammend the law in such a way that the law is broken but they can address that law with general orders that further restrict. (not directed at anyone just throwing that out there it's neither here nor there). Kind of the same way that regulations can be interpreted (which regs aren't interpreted by CO's or CG's but rather the legal branch at that instillation) so for instance, hypothectically, if a CO or CG wants to add to this particular law the general order that would be given would be reviewed and approved by the legal div and I've never seen those done under corps level. Corps level is the highest you can go usually on an instillation, to go higher you would basically have to do to Washington DC KWIM?

It's been my personal observation that underage drinking happens all the time and it happens as hockeymom gave as an example: the underaged service member will go out with older service members or more often than not they will gather at the older service members home.

That is illegal and it's (in my opinion) treated pretty much as I didn't see you do it, I don't know about it...kind of thing by others and the chain of command. Illegal? yes. Do I have a problem with it? nope.

We've had so many incidents of drinking and driving on all of the posts that I have lived on in the past 20 yrs that there are pretty stringent general orders at each and every one concerning drinking in general. For instance, when we have a function where alcohol could be served then it is usually an order that there are designated drivers from the event. (This wasn't always the case IIRC this came about around the mid to end of the 90's and has grown to be more popular). Also, at another instillation I lived in there was a general order that there would be no alcohol served---period. The drinking and driving was a major problem. Besides endangering themselves and others those drunk drivers got charged with a felony if caught drinking and driving on post proper.

So hypothetically, if on the instillations that are located in AK decide that although the drinking age has been lowered to the age of 18 the CG (after review and approval of the legal div and I know the name of them I just can't pull it out now for some reason) can give a general order that there will be no drinking under the age of 21 or 22 or whatever age he/she deems appropriate.

Just adding this as food for thought. It really doesn't make a difference about AK's bill.