Lower the Legal Drinking Age

The scene is a house near Rider University. Freshmen, Gary DeVercelly is partying with friends one night. Gary is 18 years old. He drinks three-quarters of a fifth (bottle) of vodka. His body goes into cardiac arrest. He is revived luckily, but dies two days later dies in the hospital.

At the moment, the current legal drinking age of twenty one is based on the motive of complete prohibition of any drinking. This has caused dramatic consequences in the line of binge and underage drinking habits across America. To me the current law is based on an ideology of perfection rather than reality, proofs and facts, which has lead to the rise of binge drinking and outnumbering of underage binge drinkers to legal binge drinkers. People tend to claim that the decrease in vehicle and alcohol related accidents are due to the change of legal age in 1987 when in fact the decrease has occurred since the late 1970’s. In factual terms the annihilation of underage drinking has brought about quite opposite of what it was meant to do. This counter-productive law has lead to nothing but greater abuse, a wanting to disobey the law as a sign of rebellion against authority and a symbol of maturity. A solution to these problems has yet to been made until now.

For every problem there is a solution and although America may not be ready to apply moderate drinking at a very early age such as many southern European countries we should start at responsible age of 18. In such societies and countries as Italy, Israel, Greece, Portogul, France, Germany, and Spain, there is no proof of brain impairment compared to those societies that prohibit underage drinking. These cultures supply responsibility along with alcohol. There in all truth is little to no social and peer pressure to drink. People learn from their youth how to handle it responsibly with their parents because it is so common among meals and feasts.

Our nation has a failed history with the prohibition of alcohol. It failed because such laws were dreadfully unenforceable. Much of what it is like today because no one can deny that underage drinking occurs on a regular level starting in the years of high school and elevating into college sometimes even before this. For example, 22% of all students under twenty-one compared to 18% over twenty-one years of age are heavy drinkers. Among drinkers only, 32% of under age compared to 24% of legal age are heavy drinkers.

For those that continue to argue that the per capita consumption and car related problems is very heavily related to the law change they are still mistaken. The majority of the decrease today is accredited to such factors as education concerning drunk driving among students and parents, designated driver programs and volunteers, increased seat belt and air bag usage, safer vehicles, lowered speed limits, free taxi services from drinking establishments, and other programs of the sort.

Though car accidents are the major insinuating problems related to alcohol many other increases in such variables as skipping classes after or for drinking, missing school because of hangovers, and getting in drunken fights have increased. These are all related to underage drinkers showing their overall increase in heavy drinking. Such experiments as a short-term increase in drinking age in other parts of the world has resulted in a minute affect on the underage drinkers. Yet where there was a reduced drinking age results showed a dramatic increase in drinking related problems.

A survey of students at East Carolina University after the legal age change in 1987 revealed that 6% planned to stop all together, 70% planned to change where they drink, 21% planned to get a fake ID, and 22% planned to use other drugs saying that it would be easier to hide some mary jane in their room rather than a six pack of cold ones.

An interviewed Harvard student told the Conservative Chronicle that it was much easier to gain access to weed than beer in Cambridge because of the fear of vendors to sell to underage persons which if witnessed results in the loss of their license, bar, and stock.

Then there is the point that drinking before a person’s brain is fully developed, around age 21 or 22, can cause brain damage and impairment. In fact these tests and experiments behind this reasoning consist of two types of experiments. The first test is on young rats given large doses of alcohol over a period of time enough to induce yes, brain damage. Go figure. Not to mention the physical and chemical differences in rats and humans are very inconsistent. The second test is on humans though it is widely unknown that the subjects are virtually always alcohol dependent individuals resulting in biased and invalid conclusions. It would be expected that large amounts of alcohol over a lifetime would result in brain impairment in mental tests.

When one turns 18, also known as adulthood, they are now free to participate in many new things such as buy property, smoke cigarettes, make contracts, get a loan, vote, go to jail, hold office, own a firearm, and even adopt a child. There is one other thing that you can do at 18. Enlist. This means you are able to serve your country, with incredible courage and devotion. You are putting your life on the line for the achievements of America and all that this country stands for. So when you get back from what is one of the most eye-opening experiences you want to relax. Too bad all that you just fought for won’t even let you sip a beer. It’s hypocritical that at 18 you are potentially able to die for your country yet the country still doesn’t deem you “adult enough” to drink alcohol.

By and large, the result in leniency, a drop in the legal age to 18, and parent guided knowledge can by all scientific and societal proof produce responsibility for actions, reduced heay drinking and smarter decisions with alcohol by teens. America is one of four countries that’s drinking age is as high as 21, yet the adults that are considered underage are equal in their experience with alcohol as all the countries with lowered drinking ages. This system brings about a dangerous underground of drinking that results in the abuse of alcohol and is the heart of the problem. Do we not teach our kids how to drive, and then give them a license and put them on the road. This would be a disaster yet this is exactly what we do with alcohol and exactly why this current law is a failure.

Sources Cited

Buckley, William F., Jr. "Minimum Drinking-Age Laws Are Ineffective." Opposing Viewpoints: Alcohol. Ed. Scott Barbour. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1998. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. LEXINGTON CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL. 13 Dec. 2009 &contentSet=GSRC&type=retrieve&tabID=T010&prodId=OVRC&docId=EJ3010217228&source=gale&srcprod=OVRC&userGroupName=lexi90261&version=1.0>.

"College Presidents Urge Rethink On Drinking Age.(21:00-22:00 PM)(Broadcast transcript)(Audio file)."All Things Considered. National Public Radio, 2008. NA. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. LEXINGTON CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL. 13 Dec. 2009 &contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T005&prodId=OVRC&docId=A183341850&source=gale&srcprod=OVRC&userGroupName=lexi90261&version=1.0>.

"Table: Age of First Alcohol Use." Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. LEXINGTON CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL. 13 Dec. 2009 &contentSet=GSRC&type=retrieve&tabID=T007&prodId=OVRC&docId=EJ2210085037&source=gale&srcprod=OVRC&userGroupName=lexi90261&version=1.0>.

"Table: Youth Under 21 Alcohol-Related Traffic Fatalities Decline." Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. LEXINGTON CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL. 13 Dec. 2009 &contentSet=GSRC&type=retrieve&tabID=T007&prodId=OVRC&docId=EJ2210085039&source=gale&srcprod=OVRC&userGroupName=lexi90261&version=1.0>.

Responsibility, Choose. "The Minimum Legal Drinking Age Should Be Lowered." Opposing Viewpoints: Teens at Risk. Ed. Christine Watkins. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2009. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. LEXINGTON CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL. 13 Dec. 2009 &contentSet=GSRC&type=retrieve&tabID=T010&prodId=OVRC&docId=EJ3010167286&source=gale&srcprod=OVRC&userGroupName=lexi90261&version=1.0>.

"'Well—aren't you going to ask me if I'm over eighteen?'." ("Well—aren't you going to ask me if I'm over eighteen?" Cartoon by Dave Parker. www.CartoonStock.com. ).Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. LEXINGTON CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL. 13 Dec. 2009 &contentSet=GSRC&type=retrieve&tabID=T005&prodId=OVRC&docId=EJ2210098426&source=gale&srcprod=OVRC&userGroupName=lexi90261&version=1.0>.