"My solution: Lower the drinking age to 17 but only allow Low Alcohol beer/wine to be consumed by those under 21. Make the under-21 drink a case of beer to feel even a slight buzz, but let them feel that they are stepping into the adult world. Keep 'em off drugs, keep 'em safe, keep 'em out of jail, and collect taxes on the alcohol sales."
How about: 17 if in HS and have a cumulatie and semester 3.3 or above GPA, with parental permission. 18 if you are a H.S. graduate. 19 for GED 21 for everone else.
Better yet, how about 18 as long as you're enrolled in a college or university? Encourage more kids to go into higher education, where for the most part you don't drive to the parties on campus, but walk.
That solution would be completely and utterly worthless, and it ignores reality.
The reality is, that kids do drink, and while it causes some trouble on it's own, it causes even more because it's illegal.
Kids that are kicking ass at school arn't going to be the ones with the problems, and the other ones will drink anyway.