Lowering the Drinking Age

"The presidents of 135 colleges have called for lowering the drinking age from 21. They note that the age restriction hasn 't stopped binge drinking on campus and argue, not without reason, that it has turned alcohol into forbidden fruit begging to be picked. Perhaps teaching young adults how to imbibe in moderation is the safer direction to go (Harrop)." Having the drinking age at 21 does not teach young adults who are starting to pledge anyway, how to drink responsibly. It makes them hide away from adult supervision and makes alcohol seem that a great deal more appealing. Office of the trill of drinking underage is hiding and getting away with it, so lowering it to 18 would take the thrill of drinking underage away. Things cannot go on this path.

Because the drinking age is lower in other countries, such as Europe, the drinking that occurs there demonstrates moderate, responsible alcohol intake and allows teenagers to ease into drinking at their own pace. One of the main reasons of binge drinking, drinking in unsafe environments, and alcohol related accidents is because teenagers enjoy the thrill of being able to do something that is illegal. However, in countries such as Europe, having a glass of wine at dinner or a beer while watching television, isn’t anything out of the ordinary to them. Since their parents allow it, because the government allows it, there is no real motive to hide in a basement or dorm room and binge drink. They are also provided with a safe environment with legal adults who will know how to react in a dangerous situation. Often when teenagers are drinking and faced with a dangerous issue, such as if someone is too drunk and unconscious, they flee the scene in fear of getting in trouble. Any legal adult would take the right actions and give that person the treatment and care he or she needs or take them to seek medical help. That kind of care can be seen in other countries, where it is not wrong for an adult to be at the scene with teenagers drinking if it is legal. If the drinking age remains 21 here, there will be less and less adults at a scene of underage kids drinking, and therefore there will be no supervision if something goes wrong. According to the World Health Organization, 15 and 16 year old teens in many European states, where the drinking age is 18 and often not enforced, although have more drinking occasions per month, they have fewer dangerous, intoxication occasions than their American

Studies show that keeping the drinking age at twenty-one improves lives. When the United States raised the age limit to twenty-one in 1985, a shortage of drinking occurred at a whopping 40% by 1991. As a result, fewer students drop out of high school, less motor accidents occur, and suicides rates dropped significantly. However, lowering the drinking age to eighteen will bring serious consequences on young adults by reversing these statistics. Lowering the drinking age will cause significant health problems, draw youth to poor judgment situations, before they are even old enough to handle the responsibility of drinking.

In 2009, about 10.4 million young people between ages 12 and 20 drank more than “just a few sips” of alcohol (Underage). The drinking age should be lowered to age 18 because teens are considered adults at this age, less people in jail for hosting underage drinking, and teens can be taught responsible drinking. Although there is a negative side to lowering the drinking age because it can cause more motor-vehicle accidents, greater chance for alcohol problems, and the health risk it can cause. There is also warning signs to look for in a teen that is drinking underage the age of 21.

The legal drinking age in the United States was ruled to be 21 in 1984, setting the country apart from almost all other western nations. These past 30 years have contained as much problems regarding the consumption of alcohol as one of the country’s biggest failures ever, the 18th amendment, otherwise known as prohibition. Also, the legal drinking age in the United States can be considered violation of states liberties, as the national government, albeit with good intentions, has intervened and only made matters worse. The problem of a too high drinking age has been pushed to the side and overlooked by politicians because it only affects 18 to 20 year olds. Based on the increase in teenage binge drinking, the history of altering legal consumption of alcohol, and its unenforceable nature, the legal drinking age in the United States should be lowered to 18.

The concerns about safety involving alcohol, including alcohol-related fatalities, “binge drinking”, and long-term health effects, will not be compromised by lowering the legal drinking age to nineteen in the United States. Activists who wish to raise the legal minimum age frequently discuss the ways that driving while intoxicated endangers countless lives every day in the United States, and is an increasing problem in "model" Europe as well. However, drunk driving increases will secrecy, not with accessibility. This concept only increases with teenagers, because avoiding parental guardians and the police are two of the main goals for the average underage party member. Following the inevitable secrecy is where problems generate as teenagers drive while drunk out of ignorance, lack of care, or fear of retribution as a result of calling for assistance. At this point where this occurs, the legal drinking age does not change a thing one way or another. Yet, if it was a twenty-one year-old drinking one-too-many beers at the local sports bar, a cab would have been called with very little ease, and no lives would be endangered. The aspect of secrecy is why the legal drinking age in the United States must be lowered to nineteen.

Although the legal drinking age in the U.S. should stay at twenty-one years old due to small reasons such as, drinking under the influence or alcohol poisoning, the MLDA has helped teens with larger reasons such as the avoidance of tobacco, cannabinoids, opioids or club drugs. Another extensive reason why the legal drinking age should not be lowered is because of the unsafe surroundings teens would be allowed into such as bars and nightclubs. Last, exposing the brain to alcohol in the teen years will hinder the process of brain development.

Winston Churchill was infamous for his one liners and occasional drunken outbursts. One night at a party, he shocked a rather prominent woman with his drunken atrocities. Insulted, she turned to him and said, “Mr. Churchill, you are as drunk as a dog.” The Prime Minister returned, “Madam, I may be very drunk, but you are very ugly. But tomorrow,” he added, “I shall be sober” (Churchill, W). The use and abuse of alcohol is a centuries old vice that has circumnavigated the globe and all eras of humanity; young and old, man and woman. Alcohol is an inhibitor of logical thought. However, it is an enjoyable pastime as well as custom in almost every society as long as it is used within reason. Recently however, laws have been placed in many nations restricting drinking to only certain age groups. In America, the legal age to purchase and consume alcohol has fluxuated between 18 and 21, coming to rest at 21 in 1984. (CITE) This law is understandably strict, but also somewhat toying with a person 's free abilities. Aggravating the threat of binge-drinking and alcohol poisoning, this exceptionally high age limit has promoted more hindrances than benefits. Currently a great debate among lawmakers is whether the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) should be lowered to 18; mirroring other nations in their practices. A lower limit would be exceptionally beneficial and fair legally, health-wise, and economically towards not only young adults, but society

In today’s world alcohol has a major role. Whether it be for celebratory reasons or the exact opposite many people love to have an alcoholic beverage. Some enjoy getting a slight buzz off of it while others love to let go and and get drunk but for the most part it is an enjoyable act. Around the world many different countries have different laws placed on drinking alcohol and some are controversial. With the majority of the world having a drinking age of 18 years old many often wonder why does the United States have their own at 21 years of age. This has been a topic of much discussion and drama ever since the law was put in place by the US government. There are many people who agree with the law the US have placed on alcohol but there are even more people who have a problem with it. Not only do these people have a problem with the age but they also have their points in why the drinking age should be lowered to 18 years.

It seemed to work, since drinking by 12th graders in high school dropped 24% from 66%. Binge drinking has also decreased by a substantial amount at a 13% decrease. However, there is still a large number of minors who consume alcohol, at 42% of 12th graders still reporting drinking. The debate around the drinking age continues to this day, as many people believe that since one can join the Army and put their life on the line when they are 18, then they should also be able to buy a drink. 18 year olds can also vote and make decisions that affect the outcome of the country. However, there are still many people who argue that the drinking age should not be lowered to 18 due to the risk of injury and accidents relating to alcohol use.They also argue that the brain is not fully developed at this age, and not even at 21, so 18 year olds should especially not be consuming a substance that can harm their development. The advocators for lowering the drinking age believe that since 18 year olds can make decisions that affect both the country and their own lives, then they should be able to buy a

Lowering the drinking age will damage the teenagers’s still -developing brain. Different sections of the brain develop at different times. The human brain is not fully developed until the mid-twenties. The use of alcohol before full development can cause many issues down the road. “The brain’s frontal lobes are important for planning, forming ideas, making decisions, and using self-control” 5 Lowering the drinking age to eighteen leaves room for six to eight more years of development. If teens are allowed to drink, their ability to make decisions and their self-control is affected; this puts them in harm’s way and could put them in difficult situations that they are not able to handle. Too much alcohol can make someone act without thinking or even become violent at times. “Drinking alcohol over a long period of time can damage the frontal lobes forever.” 5 The frontal lobes are responsible for so much a person’s life and if they are damaged before they are developed then there can be long-term. A lower drinking age will make teenagers more susceptible to brain damage in their underdeveloped brains both at the moment of intoxication and long-term.

According to Carla Main, “Underage Drinking and the Drinking age”, explains the side of the argument that states that the drinking age in the United States should remain at twenty-one. Since the 1970’s to the early 1980’s the use of alcohol in younger people have increased. In the early 1980’s, the percentage of the use of alcohol was relatively low in young adults, due to the fact that availability of alcohol was limited. While this was a major reason why the use of alcohol was low, the social norms in the 1980’s were not nearly as focused on drinking alcohol as our social norms that are portrayed today. (Main,2009). Our social norms have become centered around young adults and underage drinking can be the reason of why the young people of this current generation have increased the amount of alcohol they drink.

In order to understand the matter at hand ,lowering the drinking age, we need to first understand how the drinking age of 21 was first put into place. The repeal of alcohol prohibition on December 5th, 1933, the 21st Amendment, allowed every state to arrange their own alcohol consumption laws. Then when the US passed the 26th Amendment on July 1st, 1971, which reduced the voting age to 18, multiple states lowered their minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) to 18, 19, or 20. While on the other hand 14 states kept their legal drinking age to 21. Lastly, The United States established the drinking age that stands today with the National Minimum Drinking Age Act approved by President Ronald Reagan in 1984. Although other countries have lower drinking ages, the American government should not lower the legal drinking age to 18 because young adults are not fully developed mentally and physical for the effects alcohol has on the body. Also high schoolers as well as middle school students will have more access to alcohol which depends mainly responsibility. Finally, MDLA 21 prevents underaged binge drinking and drunk driving because 21 year olds tend to be more mature than 18 year olds.

The primary statistic that stands out when comparing America to countries with a lower drinking age is the rate of drinking related crimes. Alcohol inhibits a person from

The legal drinking age in the United States has been the same since 1984. Congress passed the National Minimum Drinking Act and lost their federal highway funds. By the age 15 and 18, many of the young adults have had at least one alcohol drink (Underage Drinking). Most of the young adults are in high school binge drinking. Many of the young adults want the legal age to be lower. They think if they can purchase a gun at 18, vote, kill someone legally, or be charged as an adult. Then they can drink at 18 and take full reasonability at 18 and purchase or consume alcohol. About 40% of the young adults decline the age to change in legally drinking. Many other countries legal age is under 21, but have the same problems as the United Sates (Is It Time to Lower The Drinking Age To 18?). Keeping the legal drinking age can help younger adults to focus on their future. Focusing on their future will