On Tuesday, age discrimination showed its face once again in our society, this time in the form of banning young people from bars and nightclubs. This practice has been widely accepted, of course, since those establishments serve alcohol, which is illegal if you’re under 21. But even on special nights ”“ when the taps are turned off, the pro-beer paraphernalia covered up and the security tight ”“ some adults just don’t want to see their youth inside a bar, having a good time.

This form of protectionism, which is a nationwide issue, arose locally Tuesday as the Old Orchard Beach Town Council chose to prohibit all nightclubs and bars from hosting chem-free nights for young adults under 21. Sure, they can still have alcohol-free dances at places other than nightclubs or bars, but so what?

The action was well-intentioned. But perhaps town officials should pause to recall what it was like to straddle adulthood and childhood. At 17, who wants to hang out at the rec center or go to “kiddie” dances? Those youth who are coming of age want to taste adulthood and for many, part of that is the nightclub scene. Offering it to them in a monitored, alcohol-free environment is a great introduction and also a smart alternative to hanging out at a friend’s house, where the risks of bad behavior are potentially much greater.

Let’s not forget that by age 18 you can die for your country in the military, cast your vote for the leader of the country, smoke cigarettes, buy a gun, get married or any other number of things that adults do ”“ but you can’t legally buy or consume alcohol. That leaves an awkward period when a young person has reached adulthood, technically, but isn’t really welcome in either the adult world or the child’s world. Even as a junior or senior in college, a 20-year-old can’t step foot in a bar to dance the night away, hanging out with friends. No wonder many of our youth, particularly at college age, choose to binge drink illegally in the privacy of their own homes.

Then one nightclub owner comes along, seeing an opportunity to fill that awkward gap for young people by opening his club as a dry venue for fun every once in a while, and he is made a pariah by the town.

It’s time for all those in charge, countrywide, to think back to their youth and put aside their instincts to be overprotective. A chem-free bar is a “cool” place that young people will want to frequent and it provides them with a safe place to go. Sure, the alternatives won’t be as visible to the public who drive by the clubs, but that’s probably for the best ”“ they aren’t pretty.

— Questions? Comments? Contact Kristen Schulze Muszynski or Nick Cowenhoven at 282-1535 or kristenm@journaltribune.com or nickc@journaltribune.com.