Hit teen drinkers in their wallets
DERRICK Z. Jackson is right and the college presidents are wrong about how to reduce excessive drinking on college campuses ("Beer ads undermine campus efforts," Op-ed, Aug 26). Our research shows that the five states with the highest beer taxes have half the rate of binge drinking as the five states with the lowest beer taxes.
Beer taxes in Massachusetts are the lowest in New England, and that is one of the major reasons we have such severe teen and college drinking problems here.
Lowering the legal age will not reduce dangerous teen drinking. Raising the price will.
DAVID ROSENBLOOM
Director
Youth Alcohol Prevention Center
Boston University
School of Public Health 