Bad news for boozers

Students under 21 will soon think twice about trying to buy alcohol, whether they’re in line at Kilroy’s or checking out at Kroger. The Indiana General Assembly recently passed House Bill 1118, which states that minors will be charged with a Class C misdemeanor if they are caught showing false identification or lying about their age with the intention of buying alcohol, while they previously received only an infraction. Likewise, the penalty for adults who knowingly sell or even supply alcohol to minors will increase from a Class C to Class B misdemeanor. \nWhether or not this bill, effective this July, will make a difference is yet to be determined. It could prove to be a fruitless attempt at reducing underage drinking, as minors may view this simply as another obstacle to getting their liquor. But the threat of a Class C misdemeanor on a student’s permanent record may just be enough to sway him or her from drinking – well, from buying alcohol, anyway. \nThe Editorial Board believes the drinking age of 21 should be lowered (by the time people are 18 years old, they can buy cigarettes and are even given a slice of power in choosing the next commander in chief – but they’re not mature enough for a beer? Please.) But this is all beside the point. Regardless of how stupid we think the law is, a law is a law. And unless it is changed, the government should enforce it – and we should abide by it. If implementing severe penalties for breaking the law deters at least a few minors from buying alcohol and other people from providing it to them, then it’s an effort that deserves our support. After all, without enforcement, a law is nothing more than words on a flimsy piece of paper.\nObviously, we’re not so naive that we think that this will eliminate underage drinking across the board. All IU students who are under 21 will not suddenly stop trying to buy alcohol because of the possibility of a harsher punishment, and it is impossible to prevent an individual from bringing a 24-pack of Bud Light for a group of 17-year-olds at a house party. But the threat of a Class C misdemeanor is probably enough to scare away a lot of students from breaking the law. \nLisa Hutcheson, director of the Indiana Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking, said in a press release that she helped lobby for the bill because she felt many minors drink because they do not understand the consequences. The bill, she said, would help attack this “community problem” that “we have a collective responsibility to address ... through education, enforcement and legislation.” Developing educational programs to diffuse underage drinking has proved to be a challenge, but this bill at least covers the last two. U.S. officials have made several different strategies to combat underage drinking – universal carding, online social networks, hotlines, etc. – and setting harsh punishments for minors seems to be the only logical way to enforce the law.