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Lawmaker pushes lower military drinking age

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A state lawmaker wants to give members of the armed forces younger than 21 the right to buy alcohol even though it’s in stark contrast to the military’s efforts to diminish underage drinking and related accidents.

“I really don’t think it should create a problem for the military. It might even enhance their morale,” Rep. Fletcher Smith said Wednesday.

State law prohibits the sale or possession of alcohol by anyone under 21. In 1984, South Carolina raised the drinking age to 21 from 18 to comply with federal law.

Smith, a private attorney, acknowledged South Carolina would risk losing several hundred million dollars in federal highway money if the legislation he introduced is approved, but he insisted the change is necessary.

“It’s absurd that people serving in the military are trained to kill on the battlefield but at the same time couldn’t come back home and have a beer,” the Greenville Democrat said. “If you’re old enough to get training in the U.S. military, you should be old enough to get a beer. That training really matures a person.”

Rep. Grady Brown, who served in the South Carolina Air National Guard, said he would support the bill.

“If a man is old enough to defend his country and die for his country,” he shouldn’t be told he’s too young for a beer, said Brown, D-Bishopville.

There’s a different attitude on many military bases attempting to battle drinking by younger men and women, in part to reduce drunken driving and other alcohol-related problems.

At nearby Fort Jackson, recruits may join the Army at age 17 with parental approval. However, no one in basic training may drink, regardless of their age, said base spokeswoman Karen Soule.

Air Force Tech. Sgt. Kevin Williams said Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter has a “zero tolerance” policy for underage drinkers.

Overall, he’s seen “a real shift in attitude — an effort to de-glamorize drinking” since he first joined the military at age 20.

“It used to be you’d see four kegs at a picnic. Now, it’s all about drinking responsibly,” said Williams, 36.

Safety advocates, including Mothers Against Drunk Driving, think Smith’s bill is a bad idea.

“MADD supports our military and supports living life to the fullest,” Juliet Smith, a spokeswoman for the state chapter, told The (Columbia) State for a story published Wednesday. “Let’s not create additional dangerous risks. Let’s protect our youth and our roadways.”

Chuck Hurley, chief executive officer of MADD’s national office, told the newspaper that similar bills have been introduced in a handful of states, including Kentucky, Nebraska and Vermont.

“These bills are going up against a mountain of data and have very little public support,” Hurley said. “We would be very surprised if these get serious consideration.”

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Associated Press writer Seanna Adcox in Columbia contributed to this report.

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