One of the many controversial issues today is the movement to lower the drinking age in the United States to eighteen. Only four countries in the entire world have a drinking age of twenty-one: Ukraine, South Korea, Malaysia, and of course the United States. All other countries have a lower drinking age, and some don't even have a legal age. Some argue that lowering the drinking age would result in more drinking and driving deaths. I don't believe this would occur. Instead, I believe the number of deaths would remain approximately the same, with more deaths in the 21-24 age group than in the 18-20 age group. Another argument against lowering the drinking age is that eighteen year olds aren't mature enough to drink alcohol. However, when you are eighteen, you are eligible to vote, serve on juries, fly an airplane, and even old enough to join the military. I don't see how an eighteen year old can be mature enough to make the decision to serve his or her country at war, but not mature enough to drink a beer. Also, who says that twenty-one is the magical age where you're all of a sudden mature enough to drink? Gradually introducing the concept of responsible conception at an earlier age would lead to less alcohol-related incidents later on when young adults move out on their own and are no longer supervised. A possible way to gradually introduce alcohol to eighteen year olds would be to only allow them to drink beer or wine at eighteen, then allow hard liquor consumption when they turn twenty-one. However, I do understand that this could be a hard law to enforce, since it would be dificult to distinguish if an eighteen year old had consumed beer/wine or hard liquor. Placing the drinking age at an age extremely higher than the world average has not kept minors from being able to obtain alcohol. There have been many studies and surveys taken that show it has still been relatively easy for minors to obtain alcohol despite the high age requirement. Also, during your college years, it puts a bind on friendships with those friends who are of age when you are underage, and vice versa, because many times you are unable to go to the same places together. It is time to join the rest of the world and lower our country's drinking age to eighteen.
Corey Inboden
I honestly do agree with you, and not just because I'm not 21 but because I do believe you made very good points. How is someone mature enough to vote and make the decision to fight for their country and not be mature enough to have a beer? It really makes no sense to me. I feel that if they did lower the drinking age I think that there would be less problems; people wouldn't be trying to sneak around and try to get alcohol or whatever. It's not like people under 21 can't get alcohol anyway... I do not believe problems would arise if we lowered the drinking age, I think that things would run a lot smoother.
ReplyDelete-Meagan Madere
I agree that the drinking age should be lowered. Like you stated if were old enough to vote about things that affect our contry and even fight for our country how are we not mature enough to drink. There is always going to be that person that is not mature enough to handle their alcohol but that happens at 21 also. If the drinking age was lowered kids would not feel as much of a need to sneak around and in most cases drive after consuming alcohol. I know from personal experience that it makes it twice as hard for someone to hang out with their friends when they're not 21 and feel like you have to sneak around to be able to do so.
ReplyDeleteShae N.
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ReplyDeleteI liked this article because it appealed to me. This summer when I was in Scotland, I was around 18 year olds that were legal to drink. I saw a huge difference in maturity. Everyone wasn't going insane acting like it was the first time they had a beer. I agree they should lower the drinking age and didn't know only four other countries have their drinking laws set at age 21. I thought this was a strong arguement expect for the part "Also, during your college years, it puts a bind on friendships with those friends who are of age when you are underage, and vice versa, because many times you are unable to go to the same places together." I think this is irreverent because no matter what age you set the age at this will happen. Plus, I think it's a little DRAMATIC to say it puts a bind on friendships. All in all it was a good post!
ReplyDeletechloe goodwin
I agree with this in the sense that since we are given other rights, we should be able to drink as well. However, when the Reagan administration raised the drinking age to 21 in the 1980's, any state that did not subsequently raise the drinking age was cut off from federal funding for roads. Louisiana was the last state to raise the drinking age to 21, thus they have pretty bad roads.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, the right to drink is not something as fundamental as the right to drive or vote. Drinking impairs judgment and when consuming too much, can kill a person.
Also, a counterargument is that since the raising of the drinking age, there have been less fatalities involving drunk drivers. Isn't the fact that this raise in drinking age has saved lives more important than someone under 21 being able to booze all they want?