Roughly 200 Hickman High School students raised their hands last night when asked whether they know someone older than 21 who can buy alcohol for them.

"Everyone here knows where they can get alcohol," senior Dalton Perry said. "Drinking is easily accessible. It’s not hard to get, it’s cheap and it’s easy to do without getting caught. ... People under 21 do not follow the under 21 law to drink."

Dalton’s comments sparked applause from fellow students - but so did comments that irresponsible drinking leads to poor judgment and safety problems.

Kewpies last night were asked to consider whether a national movement to lower the drinking age to 18 is a good idea during a Speak Your Mind forum while a panel of adults disagreed about the impact a lower alcohol limit would have on society.

In one corner were Libertarians Glenn Nielsen and Wes Upchurch, along with Bob Hansen, director of counseling and health services at Westminster College, all of whom agreed drinking privileges should be bestowed on people who demonstrate responsible decision making, regardless of age.

In the other corner, retired Missouri State Highway Patrolman Ed Moses and attorney Mike Page, a representative for Mothers Against Drunk Driving, argued that young bodies aren’t developed enough to handle alcohol.

More than 100 college and university presidents have signed the so-called Amethyst Initiative to consider lowering the drinking age. Currently, states that allow individuals under 21 to drink lose 10 percent of their federal highway funding.

The initiative is aimed at decreasing binge drinking, Hansen said. He argued that those younger than 21 drink more dangerously because they quickly consume large amounts of alcohol in an effort to become intoxicated before attending events where they can’t legally drink. If they were able to drink legally, he said, those 18 to 20 likely would become social drinkers.

Moses said that drinking impacts judgment more severely on underdeveloped brains and hormones. "Folks, it’s science," he said. "It’s not opinion, it’s not up to a vote, it’s science." Lowering the drinking age "is the most horrific thing we can do."

Students questioned both sides of the argument, wondering how the government would deem an 18-year-old mature enough to drink while also questioning why 18-year-olds can serve in the military, vote and smoke but not drink alcohol.

Both sides agreed that drinking and driving laws need to be strictly enforced and that youngsters need to be better educated about alcohol.

Moses asked students to consider the "bottom line" and follow the money behind initiatives to lower the drinking age. He pointed to studies that show people who wait until 21 to drink are less likely to become alcoholics. He also cited a statistic that shows youngsters make up at least 10 of alcohol sales. "You’re worth more than that," he said.

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