Choose Responsibility

Semantic. We recommend that young persons upon turning 18 be consistently referred to as adults.

Reality-Based Alcohol Education. We recommend a new approach to, and a new understanding of, alcohol education. Such a program will acknowledge that a young person, upon reaching the age of 18, is without exception an adult. It will represent a partnership between home and school. It will consist of both academic and experiential learning. And it will confer a tangible benefit upon successful completion.

The course envisioned will borrow from successful elements of existing programs. It also will recognize, unlike existing programs, that alcohol use is a reality among those aged 18-21 and thus will move beyond a singular emphasis on abstinence—and a stigmatizing of all drinking behavior—to address the deleterious consequences of unsafe or irresponsible drinking while teaching responsible drinking practices.

Licensing. At the conclusion of the course, and upon passing the final examination, the student would receive a license, entitling him/her to all the privileges and responsibilities of adults in the purchase, possession, and consumption of alcohol. The student would also receive a free one-year membership in Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

A Congressional Waiver. We recommend that the Congress permit states to apply for a waiver of the highway-funding condition, setting specific criteria under which a waiver would be considered. We further recommend that state legislatures consider whether applying for such a waiver would, in their case, represent sound public policy.