Severna Park, MD -- Do American teenagers need a learner's permit for beer? The 20-year-old intern on a Maryland-based radio show called "Beer Radio" thinks so.

Jennifer Wiley, who will hit the legal drinking age this September, says she thinks young Americans need to learn how to appreciate beer as a component to a meal, rather than a liquid to chug until you get drunk.

She thinks 21st birthday binges filled with shots of alcohol and bottle after bottle of beer would be a lot less common if American teens were allowed to sample beer legally with their parents during mealtimes.

The "Beer Radio" staff has sent a proposal for a "beer learner's permit" bill to the Maryland government for consideration, but so far, there's been no reaction. Wiley doesn't expect it will be greeted warmly by lawmakers, but she and others on the show feel it's time for legal drinking ages to change in America.

As a countdown to Wiley's own 21st birthday, she is discussing her plight every week as a beer show intern who can't drink beer on "Beer Radio."

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