A bill up for consideration in the Illinois General Assembly would change the state’s legal drinking age.
State Rep. John Cabello (R-Machesney Park) introduced the bill that could see the changes take place and affect 18- to 20-year-olds, WGN-TV reported Thursday.
The general assembly’s webpage regarding HB-4945 read:
Amends the Liquor Control Act of 1934. Changes the age at which a person may possess and consume alcoholic liquor to the age of 18 (instead of 21) so long as a parent or guardian is present, including at licensed establishments. Makes conforming changes. Amends the Video Gaming Act and the Innkeeper Protection Act to make conforming changes.
In March 2023, Cabello proposed HB-4021 that “would lower the state’s legal drinking age to 18 by amending the Liquor Control Act of 1934, which set the drinking age at 21 following the end of Prohibition,” NBC Chicago reported at the time.
It is important to note that underage drinking is considered a serious public health issue in America, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
“People ages 12 to 20 drink 3.0% of all alcohol consumed in the United States. Although youth drink less often than adults, when they do drink, they drink more. Approximately 91% of all beverages containing alcohol consumed by youth are consumed by youth who engage in binge drinking,” the site read, noting that people typically begin drinking when they are adolescents, and its use becomes more likely as the years go by.
Drinking alcohol can lead a person to make poor decisions that hurt themselves and others in car wrecks, falls, drowning, suicide, violence, homicide, or becoming a victim of a violent criminal act, according to MedlinePlus.
“Over time, too much alcohol damages brain cells. This can lead to behavior problems and lasting damage to memory, thinking, and judgment. Teens who drink tend to do poorly in school and their behaviors may get them into trouble,” the site read.
In May, an Illinois teenager was killed by a 21-year-old alleged drunk driver whom police said was speeding over 120 miles per hour through a Chicago suburb, according to Breitbart News.