Fight Unsafe Drinking: Lower the Drinking Age

1. Lowering the drinking age to 18 (as it already is in the rest of the world)
2. Student-led designated drivers programs.
3. Alcohol education courses that teach students how to drink moderately and responsibly.
4. Good Samaritan Policies that protect students from punishment if they call for help during an emergency related to alcohol or other drugs.
5. An end to parental notification policies for student alcohol & drug offenses.
6. Other non-punitive methods of dealing with substance abuse.

Health - Addiction and Substance Abuse

Alcohol is a reality on college campuses around the country. However, strict zero-tolerance policies are not only ineffective, but they poison the educational atmosphere and in many cases make the problem worse. The 21-year-old drinking age isn't helping. It is time we move in a better direction by lowering the drinking age to 18 and promoting sensible harm reduction on college campuses. Help the National Youth Rights Association find solutions that save lives, reduce the harm substance abuse causes on campus, and respects student rights.

The problem:
• Every year, almost 600,000 college students are injured from alcohol-related unintentional injuries.
• 1,700 of them die from those injuries.
• 97,000 are victims of alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape.
• 25% of college students reported academic consequences of their drinking, including receiving lower grades overall.
• 2.1 million students drive under the influence.
• 11% report damaging property while under the influence.
• 31% of students meet the criteria for a diagnosis of alcohol abuse.


The solution to these problems is not abstinence-only “Just Say No” policies. Rather, we must transition away from a prohibition culture and create policies that encourage students to act safely and responsibly.

Therefore we propose:
• Lowering the drinking age to 18 (as it already is in the rest of the world)
• Good Samaritan Policies that protect students from punishment if they call for help during an emergency related to alcohol or other drugs.
• Student-led designated drivers programs.
• An end to parental notification policies for student drug & alcohol offenses.
• Alcohol education courses that teach students how to drink moderately and responsibly.
• Other non-punitive methods of dealing with substance abuse.

The National Youth Rights Association is launching a new campaign to mobilize concerned students across the country to make a difference in solving these problems and will put this money toward those efforts. We will work to ensure student voices are heard, their rights are respected, and the harms of substance abuse are reduced.