MA - "The issue of "underage drinking" is not one of dispensing beer at high school sporting events. It's of people who have otherwise reached the age of majority having a restriction put upon this one prerogative of adulthood, during probably the last period in which an educational organization may have some influence over how they exercise that option."

Binge drinking, "stealth" drinking are not a function of age-laws. If they were, they would stop when a person reaches the age of 21. They are a function of alcohol being way, way too important to that individual.

A great gauge - if alcohol is any more important than peanuts, there's a problem.

And "learning to drink" would seem to be a fallacy. What's to learn. Any more than "learning to eat peanuts". What does happen with repeated drinking is that the body learns to process acetaldehyde better, which minimizes hangovers. Just like taking bee venom or snake venom will minimize the effects of a bite.

And, who says people HAVE to drink? Most folks live just fine without it. If you stop to think about it, most people quit drinking when they start to feel the effects. They get a bit silly, then tired, and CAN'T go on binges. Physically can't do it.

Those of us with a problem, well, we drink FOR effect.

Anyway, since it's easier and cheaper to do without, may as well.

Just occurred to me. Assault weapons were banned. How are people ever going to learn to fire UZIs, or AK-47s if they are banned. When will they learn to handle a Thompson sub-machine gun if they never get a chance?

Not a bad analogy.

It's a tough problem if one is interested in protecting drinking people. It's not otherwise.

I wish you the very, very best in handling this issue. I truly do.

Arf