At 18 years old, people are considered adults. They can fight for their country, buy cigarettes, vote and live legally on their own, without seeking emancipation from their parents.
At 21 years old, we deem these adults, many of whom have already been on their own for three years, responsible enough to consume alcohol — if they choose to do so. Many don’t, but in a college town with a dominant bar scene and a large Greek community, the ability to serve alcohol is a substantial business advantage.
Recently The Perch — a grocer, bar and campus staple — was denied permission to continue serving beer for on-site consumption by the Moscow City Council. The reason, according to some council members, was to deter underage drinking, because the establishment was serving in an area with high numbers of underage students living nearby.
The problem with this logic is that while The Perch may no longer be able to sell beer on tap for on-site consumption, they can still sell prepackaged beer for off-site consumption.
So now, the people who previously were legally consuming alcohol — with other people who were legally consuming alcohol — now must buy their beverage of choice and take it elsewhere, to places where there are probably underage people present.
This means the City Council, rather than slowing underage drinking on campus, likely increased it. Congratulations.
Yes, underage drinking is a problem on campus. And yes, the reason the drinking age is 21 is that many people mature a lot in three years, and are, theoretically, more responsible than 18-year-old drinkers.
But not allowing a well-established business to continue serving fully-grown adults who are legally consuming beer is taking on a parental role the Moscow City Council doesn’t have the right to fill.
State code says alcohol for on-site consumption cannot be sold within 300 feet of a place of worship. The Perch is located within this distance of both the Campus Christian Center and the Institute of Religion owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While the law may be antiquated and a seemingly obvious discrepancy when considering a separation of Church and State, it’s still a better reason than city officials are giving for not allowing a waiver, which would provide an exception to the law.
If you expect college students to act as the adults they are, treat them that way. Battling the culture of drinking on campus is one thing. Taking away the ability of a profitable business to serve fully-grown adults acting within the law is another.
If you put responsibility in the hands of adults they will act accordingly. Let them.
-KK