In response to the column written by Ikechukwu Enenmoh on how lowering the drinking age would make consumption safer (“A lower bar age could make alcohol consumption safer,” April 7), I must say Enenmoh’s idea is a bad one. The truth of the matter is that lowering the legal age is not only irresponsible, but dangerous.

You must consider and understand the facts. Alcohol impairs judgment and reaction time and works as a depressant. Enenmoh talks about “a proactive approach” aimed at the education of drinking dangers. The problem is that this is already done in driver’s education and health classes across the country and in Iowa.

Lowering the legal age will only increase the number of people getting alcohol poisoning and increase the number of drunken drivers on the street because it will be available to more people legally who are not mentally and sometimes physically mature enough to handle alcohol. We need to think about society as a whole, not just the few “displaced” college students who think it is unfair they have to wait. And honestly, do they wait?

Enenmoh points out that an underage girl got into MoJazz and passed out after drinking. This only proves my point that the younger you are, the less you should be drinking alcohol (and that MoJazz needs to do a better job at the doors). Young people don’t make the best decisions in the first place, and the track record here at Iowa State is proof of that. There is a sad history of riots during Veishea because of legal and underage drinking. There was a murder during Veishea in 1997 that involved alcohol. Why do you think Veishea went dry in the late ’90s? Why do you think Veishea was canceled this year? Why do you think local government is pushing for keg registration? The answer to all of these questions is because alcohol and ISU students don’t get along.

If you are bored, get involved with a campus organization — there are plenty of them. Or go to a movie, work out at the Lied Recreation Center (we pay enough for it, we should use it), pick up a hobby or find a place that allows underage people to come in and dance. If that is all that you are truly interested in, not being able to drink alcohol won’t be a problem for you.

The bottom line is this: We already have enough problems with the drinking age as it is. We absolutely must not lower the legal age, because in doing so we only compound the problem.

Chris Hudrick

Sophomore

Criminal Justice