Lower Drinking Age to 18

Time for Change
Celebrating your eighteenth birthday is a memory that you’ll remember for an eternity. Turning eighteen provides so many opportunities because you are now considered an adult. This gives you the right for things such as being able to vote, serving for jury duty, smoking/buying cigarettes, buying lottery tickets, and serving in the military. However, despite everything that you can do on your eighteenth birthday, it does not include the legal consumption of alcohol. This is because in the United States the legal drinking age is twenty-one years old. The legal drinking age is an argument that is often debated and I believe that the legal drinking age should be lowered to eighteen years of age. In the United States, the legal drinking age has been debated for years. According to the United States, when a child turns eighteen they are considered an adult in this country. They have all of the rights of making their own decisions with voting, smoke/buy cigarettes, buying lottery tickets, getting married, doing jury duty, being tried as an adult, etc. Some of these rights could lead to consequences if they are not responsible. For example, someone who is eighteen can choose to buy cigarettes and smoke, which is damaging to the lungs. This could lead them to a serious consequence of cancer and death. In the same manner, someone who is now 18 and considered an adult, should also have the right to consume alcohol. Alcohol is a depressant and can potentially cause harm if not responsible with it. Therefore, if someone is allowed to buy cigarettes, something that can cause health problems just like alcohol, than they should be able to make the decision themselves as well. Also, being eighteen and an adult in the United States gives us the right to serve in the military. This is problematic because if we can risk our own life for our country, we should be given the rights to make the decision about consuming alcohol (ProCon.org.)
It is discussed that with the drinking age being twenty-one years of age, it creates more problems for youth. For example, it is conversed that problems on college campuses with alcohol tend to arise. According to Wagenaar, “Some college administrators argue that the age-21 law has caused more problems on college campuses, not less” (Lonnstrom, 1985). Lowering the drinking age to eighteen allows for college students to exhibit safe consumption of alcohol. This would eliminate underage drinking in bars, restaurants, fraternities or house parties, etc. With the drinking age lower, it can also eliminate students from binge drinking as well (ProCon.org). The Center for Disease Control and Prevention states, “About 90% of the alcohol consumed by youth under the age of 21 in the United States is in the form of binge drinks.” Also, it is shown that drinkers, ranging in the 18-20 year olds, have the highest percentage of binge drinking (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). This shows that college student’s underage are very likely to engage in unsafe alcoholic binges. Although, if the legal drinking age was changed to the age of eighteen, it could eliminate binge drinking and other unsafe drinking for college students due to people’s excitement of breaking the law.
College students, especially those underage find a thrill in breaking the law when entering their college years. With the legal drinking age being lowered to eighteen it would take away that thrill as well as create a stronger working environment for college students, by limiting the pressure if drinking in college. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a survey conducted showed “In 2005, about 10.8 million persons ages 12-20 (28.2% of this age group) reported drinking alcohol in the past month. Nearly 7.2 million (18.8%) were binge drinkers, and 2.3 million (6.0%) were heavy drinkers.” The thrill of drinking underage is very apparent through studies. However, if the legal drinking age was lowered to eighteen, the thrill would be limited and alcohol consumption would be considered a more normal activity and it would limit the amount of consumption as well (ProCon.org).
Underage drinking is very common in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that 11% of all alcohol is consumed by people 12-20 years of age. Also, underage drinkers consume more drinks during a night of drinking than people over twenty-one. It is shown that “In 2010, there were approximately 189,000 emergency rooms visits by persons under age 21 for injuries and other conditions linked to alcohol” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). These statistics show again how prevalent the thrill of drinking is for people underage. Having the legal drinking age at twenty-one is hopeless due to the fact that teens are continuing to drink alcohol and drinking it dangerously. According to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, “underage drinking accounts for 17.5% ($22.5 billion) of consumer spending for alcohol in the United States” (ProCon.org). Changing the legal drinking age would help solve these drastic measures taken by college students to drink.
The legal drinking age in other countries is eighteen instead of twenty-one. With these laws, they have fewer alcohol problems (Toomey). Many countries that have the drinking age at eighteen seem to have better drunk driving statistics than the United States. Although, due to inexperienced and new drivers tend to have higher traffic accident rates during the first few years regardless of the drinking age. However, it is shown that in 2009, 35% of traffic accidents occurred by 21-24 years olds where they had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level of .08 and higher (ProCon.org). This shows that more traffic accidents in the United States actually occurred from people who were of the legal age made an irresponsible decision about drinking and driving.
Fake Identifications have aroused from the drinking age of twenty-one. This causes major concern in the United States. With people failing to respect the drinking age of twenty-one, it doesn’t prevent underage drinking from occurring. It simply makes them find other ways to get around the system. With all of the national security concerns in the United States, it is better for our nation to have fewer fake IDs around (ProCon.org).False identifications only causes more problems and if the drinking age was eighteen, there would be a less need to lie and cheat in our nation about drinking.
Another way that underage teens get around the system is by lying to their parents. This is another huge problem associated with the drinking age being twenty-one. Due to the thrill of not only breaking the law but fear of getting in trouble doing it, they continually lie to their parents about drinking or what they are doing. Usually the teens have curfews they have to abide by and this causes teens to drive home drunk because they rather get home on time than call their parent and tell them they’ve been drinking. In these teenagers minds, the thought of getting in trouble for curfew and/or for drinking can be way worse than telling the truth. This ultimately can lead to bad results with drunk driving and continuously lying and doing it over again.
Besides the fear of getting in trouble with parents, there is also a fear of getting in trouble with the law. This brings fear to underage drinkers when there is a need for medical attention. Alcohol-related injuries tend to occur because they are afraid to reach out and get help. They feel that they will get in trouble for drinking with real consequences. If the drinking age was lowered from twenty-one to eighteen, it would help reduce alcohol-related injuries because there wouldn’t be the fear of getting in trouble. Also, they would understand the importance of seeking medical attention as well (ProCon.org).
There are many claims that suicide and criminal acts are more likely to occur with the drinking age being eighteen year old. However, in reality the statistics associated with the drinking age being twenty-one year old, doesn’t show lower rates or suicide, homicide, or vandalism. A recent study was done in 2002, where they tested the legal drinking age and if it connected to health and social problems. The results showed that 72% found no significant connection between the two.
Lastly, the economy can be helped in this circumstance if the legal age was eighteen. This is because there would be more people drinking in bars, restaurants, and other environments with a license. According to ProCon.org, “Revenue would increase for private business owners, and greater amounts of tax revenue would be collected by the government.” Having the legal drinking age at eighteen helps for more people to buy and consume alcohol. This will help circulate more money and help boost our economy.
Many people in the United States tend to question whether an eighteen year old can appropriately handle the consumption of alcohol. However, it is reasonable for the eighteen year old to be confused as to why this is. It is unfair to consider them an adult and to allow them so many other rights, but not the responsibility of having a drink. They are given so much responsibility with the government and with war, but are unable to purchase alcohol. This nation needs to realize and learn to trust these adults. We need to show them same trust with consuming alcohol that we do when giving them the trust to fight for our country and carry a gun. These adults are more than capable of making responsible decisions dealing with alcohol. Binge drinking and other harmful ways of drinking occurs because of the way this nation has put alcohol in a different category of responsibility. Instead, if the drinking age was eighteen, people would feel like they could ask for help more when necessary than to be afraid of the law. Overtime, making the legal drinking age eighteen instead of twenty-one can help eliminate the negative views people have on alcohol to this day.

References: http://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/supportingresearch/journal/wagenaar.aspx
ProCon.org. (2012, August 10). Drinking Age ProCon.org. DrinkingAge.ProCon.org. Retrieved from http://drinkingage.procon.org/ http://www.udetc.org/documents/Examination_of_MLDA_Laws_NHTSA_Pub_11_6_08.pdf http://content.ebscohost.com/pdf23_24/pdf/2009/AIO/01Dec09/45065963.pdf?T=P&P=AN&K=45065963&S=R&D=aph&EbscoContent=dGJyMNHr7ESep7Q40dvuOLCmr0qep7JSrqi4SbCWxWXS&ContentCustomer=dGJyMPGssk2xqLJNuePfgeyx44Hy

References: http://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/supportingresearch/journal/wagenaar.aspx ProCon.org. (2012, August 10). Drinking Age ProCon.org. DrinkingAge.ProCon.org. Retrieved from http://drinkingage.procon.org/ http://www.udetc.org/documents/Examination_of_MLDA_Laws_NHTSA_Pub_11_6_08.pdf http://content.ebscohost.com/pdf23_24/pdf/2009/AIO/01Dec09/45065963.pdf?T=P&P=AN&K=45065963&S=R&D=aph&EbscoContent=dGJyMNHr7ESep7Q40dvuOLCmr0qep7JSrqi4SbCWxWXS&ContentCustomer=dGJyMPGssk2xqLJNuePfgeyx44Hy