CONCORD, N.H. (AP) – A Portsmouth lawmaker wants to lower the drinking age for troops.

State Rep. James Splaine said his bill would let the youth over 18 use their military identification card to buy alcohol.

The current drinking age is 21.

“I think it is unconscionable for us to be sending you people into battle and still be saying there are some rights you don’t have and one of them is the right to drink,” said Splaine, a Democrat.

Critics of Spline’s bill say alcohol inhibits brain development in the young and would put New Hampshire’s federal highway funding at risk. Federal law conditions the aid on the drinking age being 21.

Splaine said he would make the age change in New Hampshire conditional on winning a waiver from the federal government so highway aid would not be affected.

“I think this will be a good debate to have,” said Splaine. “I don’t know if the bill stands a chance of passage, but we need to generate the discussion on how to best educate people to handle alcohol. Age doesn’t seem to be the main element.”

New Futures, a nonprofit that works to reduce underage drinking, is among the groups prepared to fight Splaine’s idea. Rep. Terie Norelli, also a Portsmouth Democrat, is on New Futures’ board.

“We tried this once. It was failed public policy. We realized it and we fixed it, and we shouldn’t be messing with it,” she said.

Norelli said research shows that the brain is still developing at age 20.

“We certainly don’t want out children to be drinking alcohol and have it bring a very negative effect on brain development,” she said.

Ginger Blanchard, president of the state’s Mothers Against Drunk Driving chapter, also opposes the change.

“I don’t feel at 18 a person is responsible enough to be able to drink alcohol and know how to drive,” she said.

Splaine said the debate should focus on teaching teens about responsible drinking before they reach the legal age.

“Do I want to see anyone 18, 19 or 20 years old get drunk? And then drive? Of course not,” he said. “Nor do I want anyone 21 years of age to do that.”