Annotated Links Post

Report on the drinking age debate on ABC online:
This article presents a fairly comprehensive overview of the ongoing debate and the different groups involved: the Amethyst Initiative and its opponents in MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) and Support 21. However, the focus of the article is clearly more on those who propose lowering the age, since they are, after all, the ones who have breathed new life into the drinking age debate.

Higher Drinking Age Leads To Less Binge Drinking – Except In College Students
This article from Science Daily gives an account of a study which shows a correlation between the raising of the drinking age to 21 in 1984 and the overall decline of binge drinking, even as binge drinking in male college students remained unchanged and increased in female college students. It presents an interesting conclusion that even as “There may be good, philosophical arguments about why the drinking age should be lower than 21, but our study demonstrates the higher minimum drinking age has been good for public health.” While the statistics are interesting, my contention with the article is that a correlation does not necessarily mean a casual correlation. In that respect, I think the article makes a logical leap which may not be wholly justified.

Alcohol Advertising and Youth: A Measured Approach
This study recognizes the influence the media has, in the form of advertising, on youth attitudes towards alcohol. It points out that there is an excess of youth exposure to alcohol advertising and suggests a 15% cap on youth audience composition for alcohol advertising. This study presents a practical way to address the alcohol issue without running into the age issue, thus showing that we need not quibble about age in order to do something about alcohol.

Theory of Planned Behavior/ Reasoned Action:
A summary of a theory in behavioral psychology that could be potentially useful in alcohol education.
It may seem de-humanizing to suggest that behavior can be planned, as though human agency and control is wrest from the individual. However, that is exactly what the theory seems to suggest, that behavior can be planned and conditioned. What is interesting is that it expands the model beyond one’s attitudes (which is what I’ve proposed throughout the blog, that behavior is influenced by attitude) to include one’s beliefs regarding others’ response to a particular behavior and their “perceptions of their ability to perform a given behavior.”

Understanding binge drinking among young people: an application of the Theory of Planned Behaviour:
A study that relates behavioral psychology specifically to the problem of binge drinking.
This follows from the earlier link explaining the theory. The study stresses the need to alter the current social environment of young people in “full-time education” to one that downplays alcohol in order to curb the incidence of binge drinking among young people. Some suggestions include both formal alcohol education and using the media to reshape social attitudes towards alcohol consumption.