According to the Advertiser, State Senator Eric LaFleur is proposing a bill that would allow 18-20 year olds to obtain a certificate to drink in bars.
“I really believe that 18-year-olds should be able to drink,” LaFleur said in an interview. “It just doesn’t make any sense for people to be going to bars and getting drinks from older guys and having to patrol and regulate that. It just doesn’t work, and everyone knows it doesn’t work. So why do we bury our head in the sand and say it works?”
LaFleur’s bill was scheduled to be heard yesterday at a hearing, but he postponed consideration of it until next week before it came up for discussion.
LaFleur said he hoped the bill would encourage drinking in public places over drinking in private places, citing additional safety advantages and social pressures to behave more responsibly. His bill comes at a time when college administrators and many decision makers are heading in the direction of stopping college drinking after the hazing death last September of the LSU fraternity pledge who was forced to drink more than six times the legal limit.
You thoughts on this? Especially if you have children/teenagers, what are your thoughts? -Brittany