(WSVN) - Lawmakers in Illinois are considering a bill that would allow those 18 or older to drink beer or wine at restaurants with a parent’s permission.
Proponents say the move could lead to healthier drinking habits by introducing drinking in a more controlled, supervised environment, rather than by peer pressure. The bill would not allow hard liquor to be served, Fox 32 reports.
But the bill’s detractors argue that alcohol should not be introduced at such a young age.
“People are still developing until the age of 25, which is why we like to delay alcohol as much as we can,” said University of Illinois-Springfield sociology lecturer Tiffani Saunders.
If passed, Illinois would join ten other states that currently have similar laws on the books: Connecticut, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nevada, Ohio, Texas, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
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