The
Reasons We Should Lower Drinking Age
There are approximately
three hundred countries in the world, eighty-six percent of whom support a legal
drinking age of eighteen or under. The United States of America however falls
into the minority that continues to insist on maintaining a drinking age of
twenty-one. Prior to the National Minimum
Drinking Age Act of 1984, which set a nationwide drinking age of twenty-one,
thirty-eight of the fifty states had established a minimum drinking age of
eighteen. This act was created as an attempt to reduce the number of fatalities
caused by drunk driving among teenagers every year. Although this act may have slightly
decreased drunk driving related deaths in the years after it was established,
many people in today’s society argue that due to the modernization of our
country a limitation such as this would have little to no impact on the present
day United States. Some would even go as
far to say that by lowering the drinking age there would actually be a decrease
in the number of teenagers who die from alcohol poisoning and drunk driving each
year. My experiences have lead me to the conclusion that lowering the drinking
age would lead to a great number of benefits, and by reducing the minimum
drinking age to the rights of legal adults under the age of twenty one would no
longer be unjustly restricted.
By lowering the drinking age teenagers would learn
to become more responsible with alcohol from an earlier age, and it would greatly
reduce drinking related deaths among teenagers. There are a couple of reasons
teenagers are so irresponsible when it comes to alcohol. Many teenagers start
drinking in high school solely because it is illegal and due to their rebellious
nature, restricting them from doing something just causes them to want to do it
more. It is this kind of attitude that results in the extreme misuse of alcohol
in the form of binge drinking and driving home after drinking at a party. If
the drinking age was lowered to eighteen, or even sixteen, teenagers would be
more responsible with alcohol and abuse it less since it would no longer be
against the law, thus decreasing this appeal. Driving while intoxicated is not
only against the law but also extremely dangerous and reckless which is why
over the past decade police officers have become increasingly stricter in cracking
down on drunk drivers. Teenagers who decide to get behind the wheel while under
the influence of alcohol are going to most likely do so whether it is legal or
illegal for them to drink in the first place, but by lowering the drinking age,
hopefully they will learn to be more responsible and either walk or call
someone for a ride. Having more safe and legal experiences with alcohol at a
younger age would allow a great number of teenagers to learn the importance of not
misusing or abusing alcohol.
My
parents allowed me to try alcohol at a very young age. I was nine the first
time I tried alcohol and I absolutely hated it, but around thirteen I started
enjoying it and on occasion had a glass of wine with dinner. Since I didn’t
have to sneak around behind my parents back to try alcohol, I never felt pressure
or the need to drink anywhere but at my house with my family. Growing up this
way caused me to enjoy wine and beer solely for its taste and taught me to be responsible
by only drinking in moderation. During high school I became curious about drink
making after my dad bought a Margaritaville machine. I soon became quite skilled
at making drinks and ended up bartending some parties for my parents. It was
through my experience as a bartender that I gained the skill to accurately judge
how much people are able to handle. Now I always look out for people at parties
and make sure no one has more than they can handle, and if someone drinks I make
sure to confiscate their keys and to get them home safely. By not having a
drinking age growing up I learned how to handle alcohol appropriately, and I
became responsible with my own drinking as well as with the people drinking
around me.
When
a United States citizen reaches the age of eighteen they become recognized as an
adult by the legal system of our country and gain the right to vote. This is
known as reaching the age of majority. If at eighteen people are finally
considered adults why then are they not allowed to drink until the age of
twenty-one? Keeping the drinking age at twenty -one is an infringement of our
rights as free American adults. Lowering the drinking age to eighteen to match
the age you become an adult seems not only appropriate but necessary so that
our rights are not unjustly restricted.
The
National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 was created in order to help our
nation reduce intoxicated driving accidents among teenagers, but now it seems
we must reverse it to have the same desired effect for the modern day United States.
I understand the controversy behind making such a large change to society, but
the possibility for positive change far outweighs the negative. Personally, I
would have been a much different person than I am today if my parents hadn’t
treated alcohol the way they had, and for it I am a better, more responsible
man.
