A bill introduced in the Vermont legislature would establish a task force that would consider whether the state should lower its legal drinking age from 21 to 18, the Associated Press reported Feb. 28.

The legislation, sponsored by state Sen. Hinda Miller, calls for the panel to make a recommendation to lawmakers before the end of 2008.

Facing the threatened loss of federal highway funds, Vermont raised its drinking age to 21 in 1985; since then, alcohol-related traffic fatalities have fallen 40 percent in the state. Groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) say the higher drinking age contributed to the trend and that it is foolish to consider revisiting the law.

But Miller said the laws are "not preventing underage drinking. What they're doing is putting it outside the public eye. So you have a lot of kids binge drinking. They get sick, they get scared and they get into trouble and they can't call because they know it's illegal."

John McCardell, the former president of Middlebury College in Vermont, has spearheaded a national campaign to lower the drinking age to 21, called Choose Responsibility. Part of the effort includes asking Congress to waive the federal penalties for states that lower their drinking age: if not, Vermont would lose $17 million in federal highway aid if it changes its law, for example.

"We're trying to see if there are states which would, if Congress should grant a waiver of that condition, come up with a plan that would not simply be lowering the age," said McCardell. "We don't simply advocate the lower age, but believe mandatory alcohol education and licensing with very strict enforcement for violations of the state's alcohol laws might work. If Congress would grant a waiver, the states would be willing to try something, and at least then we could get some evidence and see whether things are better or worse."

MADD officials say there's no significant support in Congress for changing the law, and William Goggins of the Vermont Liquor Control Board called Miller's bill "irresponsible legislation."

"The facts speak for themselves," he said. "Once the drinking age was raised, the number of alcohol-related fatalities decreased. To me, saving lives is the grandest argument of them all."