CollegeNow: California drinking age lowered for some students
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California Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law on Monday a bill that changes the drinking age...or at least, the tasting age.
The law allows students that are at least 18 years of age to taste wine and beer, as long as it is part of either a wine-making or beer-brewing course and the students spit out the alcohol after tasting it.
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As the law stood before this new addition, students between ages 18 and 20 caught consuming or purchasing alcohol and public were charged with a misdemeanor. It was also illegal to provide alcohol to someone underage...meaning professors of wine-making courses were breaking the law if they let students try wine.
The law became known as the "sip and spit" bill as it was being discussed by legislators. The law gained attention as the popularity of these courses grew on college campuses across California. Professors felt students needed a means of tasting the products they were learning to make.
Similar laws that allow students to taste libations have passed in 12 other states.
Madison Mills works for USA TODAY College while studying broadcast journalism at University of Southern California.
This story originally appeared on the USA TODAY College blog, a news source produced for college students by student journalists. The blog closed in September of 2017.