Arguing that adults should be able to consume alcohol, a Washington, D.C., resident is responsible for a nonbinding referendum question on the Nov. 8 ballot in three towns that encourages the state Legislature to reduce the drinking age from 21 to 19.
“I’m for lowering it because I believe it’s age discrimination against adults,” said Matthew Malone, a former Massachusetts resident who previously worked with both the National Youth Rights Association, which supports reducing the drinking age, and the Choose Responsibility nonprofit, which has studied the effects of setting the drinking age at 21.
The question, which will be on the ballot in the 3rd Hampshire District comprising Amherst, Pelham and Precinct 1 in Granby, reads:
“Shall the state representative from this district be instructed to vote in favor of legislation that lowers the drinking age to age 19 for wines and malt beverages and maintains the drinking age at 21 for all other alcoholic beverages?”
Solomon Goldstein-Rose, who is expected to replace Ellen Story as the state representative for the district in January, said he is intrigued by the question, but he doesn’t expect filing such legislation to be a high priority of his.
Malone said part of his motivation in putting the question forward now is that states and communities are increasing the age for buying tobacco to 21, including in California, and that rights are being eroded for adults who can marry without parental consent at 18, and serve in the military at the same age.
The question was put on the ballot with 310 certified signatures, 307 of which were collected in Amherst in June and hand-delivered to the secretary of state’s satellite office in Springfield on July 26. The other three signatures were mailed in from Pelham residents.
Malone said he chose the 3rd Hampshire District because Senate President Stanley Rosenberg lives in Amherst and a large population of college students may be motivated to support the question, alongside the statewide ballot question that would allow recreational use of marijuana in Massachusetts.
While his inclination is to not support lowering the drinking age in isolation, Goldstein-Rose said the proposal may have merit in that it would make what most college students are already doing legal, and could make it safer by lessening their consumption of hard alcohol.
“It may encourage college students to use beer or wine rather than liquor,” Goldstein-Rose said.
Malone understands that the federal government can punish states by withholding transportation money if they set the drinking age lower than 21, but he believes there is an opportunity to seek a trial waiver from this law. Other sates, including Vermont, have pursued similar legislation, he said.
Malone adds that he finds it compelling that in Quebec, the nearest Canadian province, the drinking age has been 18 since 1972. Setting the age at 19 would ensure that most high school students would not be able to purchase and drink alcohol legally.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
