NJ lawmaker proposes lower legal drinking age

A legislator wants to lower the legal drinking age in New Jersey from 21 to 18, arguing if an 18-year-old can serve in the military they should be allowed to buy alcohol.

A New Jersey lawmaker wants to lower the legal drinking age from 21 to 18

Republican assemblyman Michael Patrick Carroll introduced the proposal, which goes against one of the most famous laws sponsored by the state’s late US senator, Frank Lautenberg.

“If you’re old enough to join the military, as two of my sons have, and to be handed an M4 and to be sent on lethal missions where you’re risking your life, it seems to be you’re adult enough to make the relatively trivial decision whether to buy a six pack of beer,” said Carroll, as reported by 6 ABC.

The legal drinking age in across the US has stood at 21-years-old since 1984 and Carroll believes that as an 18-year-old can also vote, marry and buy a house at that age they should also be able to buy alcohol.

However, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD NJ), expressed its opposition to the planned change.

Brandon English, of MADD NJ, said: “We have the science and data that backs up keeping the drinking age at 21-years-old.

“The brain isn’t fully developed. We save over 800 lives a year nationwide from the 21-year-old drinking age.”