Should the Drinking Age be Lowered?
Percentage of alcohol-related motor vehicle fatalities among young adults aged 16 to 24 years, by age group: United States, 1982–2007.
The legal drinking age refers to the age at which a person can consume or purchase alcohol. The US is one of only four nations worldwide with a drinking age as high as 21; the other three nations are Indonesia, Mongolia and Palau. There has been a long debate on whether the drinking age in the United States should be lowered from 21 to 18. People in favor of keeping the drinking age at 21 believe that there will be less alcohol related injuries and deaths from traffic accidents, and less alcohol abuse among teenagers. However, people in favor of lowering the drinking age to 18 believe that the highest drinking age has pushed young adult drinking more in private and less controlled environments, also adults turning 18 should have rights and responsibilities to drinking. Therefore, groups of holding opposite opinions have their own different facts and evidence.
Maintaining the current drinking age at 21
1. Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA) reduces traffic fatalities.
Since 1984 the national minimum legal drinking law has been implemented, overall in the United States, alcohol consumption, heavy drinking, and daily alcohol use have declined among 18-20-year-old young adults. Increases in binge drinking have been observed among young adults aged 21-24 years in the past decade, but drinking among those aged 18-20 years has remained stable. Also, consistent with declines in consumption, alcohol involved traffic accidents have been substantially declined from the early 1980s. (Wechsler) The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimated that MLDA 21 decreased the number of fatal traffic accidents for 18 to 20 year-old by 13% and saved approximately 27,000 lives from 1975. (NHTSA)
2. MLDA 21 protects development of young adults’ brains.
Human’s brain does not stop developing until mid-20s. So the brain is more seriously affected by alcohol when a person is under 21. (Hanson) The effects on bodies depend on personal physical difference among different groups of people. Some comparatively distinct effects we all can feel are slowed reaction times, difficulty of walking and speaking, impaired memory and vision. Some of these effects can resolve soon when drinking stops, but the extreme effect of drinking might be the alcohol abuse, or in other words, heavily drinking might lead people to get addicted in alcohol. All parts of the growing brain are impacted negatively by alcohol, but the memory function is especially hard hit.
3. MLDA 21 prevents teenagers from dangerous environments.
Bars and nightclubs are the places where always have a high crime rate. Lowering drinking age to 18 will allow a greater segment of the population to drink alcohol in bars and clubs. According to Wagenaar and Toomey’s article, 76% of bars have sold alcohol to obviously intoxicated customers, (2004) and about half of drivers arrested due to drunken driving.
However, many ”facts” about advantages of legal age 21 that people believe are myths. It is said legal age 21 keeps people under 21 from actually consuming alcohol, but the reality is always not that optimistic since on the basis of the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth 96% of the alcohol drunk is consumed by 15 to 20 year-old groups when the drinker is having 5 or more in a row. From 20s century, young adults have shown the largest increase in binge drinking. (MADD) The law of legal age 21 did derive a series of negative effects among community.
Lowering drinking age to 18
1. Under MLDA 21, fewer young people are drinking, but those who choose drink are drinking more.
Most of the underage drinkers might define the same definition of alcohol as “forbidden fruit”, which causes a state of psychology of trying every new thing that never done before. Teenagers get started with alcohol often out of curiosity since drinking by the teens is seen as a sign of maturity. The limitation and prohibition are more likely to become an exciting thrill for them. Teens got drunk in a situation that they thought this chance was rare so they tried to drink as much as possible.
2. Alcohol-related deaths among adolescents and young adults have increased in recent years.
This table shows that alcohol deaths rose among young adults aged 18-24 , and there is slightly higher increases among those aged 21-24. Most of the increase in deaths resulted from poisonings. But alcohol-poisoning deaths for young adults aged 18-20 remained constant, but Wechsler said, “these findings are consistent with an observed increase in the use of prescription drugs such as Vicodin and OxyContin among young adults.” (2010)
Maintaining the current drinking age at 21
1. Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA) reduces traffic fatalities.
Since 1984 the national minimum legal drinking law has been implemented, overall in the United States, alcohol consumption, heavy drinking, and daily alcohol use have declined among 18-20-year-old young adults. Increases in binge drinking have been observed among young adults aged 21-24 years in the past decade, but drinking among those aged 18-20 years has remained stable. Also, consistent with declines in consumption, alcohol involved traffic accidents have been substantially declined from the early 1980s. (Wechsler) The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimated that MLDA 21 decreased the number of fatal traffic accidents for 18 to 20 year-old by 13% and saved approximately 27,000 lives from 1975. (NHTSA)
2. MLDA 21 protects development of young adults’ brains.
Human’s brain does not stop developing until mid-20s. So the brain is more seriously affected by alcohol when a person is under 21. (Hanson) The effects on bodies depend on personal physical difference among different groups of people. Some comparatively distinct effects we all can feel are slowed reaction times, difficulty of walking and speaking, impaired memory and vision. Some of these effects can resolve soon when drinking stops, but the extreme effect of drinking might be the alcohol abuse, or in other words, heavily drinking might lead people to get addicted in alcohol. All parts of the growing brain are impacted negatively by alcohol, but the memory function is especially hard hit.
3. MLDA 21 prevents teenagers from dangerous environments.
Bars and nightclubs are the places where always have a high crime rate. Lowering drinking age to 18 will allow a greater segment of the population to drink alcohol in bars and clubs. According to Wagenaar and Toomey’s article, 76% of bars have sold alcohol to obviously intoxicated customers, (2004) and about half of drivers arrested due to drunken driving.
However, many ”facts” about advantages of legal age 21 that people believe are myths. It is said legal age 21 keeps people under 21 from actually consuming alcohol, but the reality is always not that optimistic since on the basis of the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth 96% of the alcohol drunk is consumed by 15 to 20 year-old groups when the drinker is having 5 or more in a row. From 20s century, young adults have shown the largest increase in binge drinking. (MADD) The law of legal age 21 did derive a series of negative effects among community.
Lowering drinking age to 18
1. Under MLDA 21, fewer young people are drinking, but those who choose drink are drinking more.
Most of the underage drinkers might define the same definition of alcohol as “forbidden fruit”, which causes a state of psychology of trying every new thing that never done before. Teenagers get started with alcohol often out of curiosity since drinking by the teens is seen as a sign of maturity. The limitation and prohibition are more likely to become an exciting thrill for them. Teens got drunk in a situation that they thought this chance was rare so they tried to drink as much as possible.
2. Alcohol-related deaths among adolescents and young adults have increased in recent years.
This table shows that alcohol deaths rose among young adults aged 18-24 , and there is slightly higher increases among those aged 21-24. Most of the increase in deaths resulted from poisonings. But alcohol-poisoning deaths for young adults aged 18-20 remained constant, but Wechsler said, “these findings are consistent with an observed increase in the use of prescription drugs such as Vicodin and OxyContin among young adults.” (2010)
3. MLDA 21 is not statistically associated with lower rates of suicide, homicide, or vandalism.
Despite claims that lowering the MLDA to 18 would increase suicide and criminal activities by adolescents, MLDA 21 is not statistically associated with lower rates of suicide, homicide, or vandalism. In a 2002 meta-study of legal drinking age and the health and social problems, 72% of the studies found no statistically significant relationship. (Wagenaar)
4. Adults turning 18 should have right to consume alcohol.
Many people may think turning 18 means it is the time for teenagers to have “rights” on consuming cigarettes, vote, joining the army, which could involve the death for this country, but cannot even have right to buy alcohol. In nearly all cultures, alcohol consumption is coincident with the legal age of adulthood. MLDA 21 is discordant with norm society’s culture.
Despite claims that lowering the MLDA to 18 would increase suicide and criminal activities by adolescents, MLDA 21 is not statistically associated with lower rates of suicide, homicide, or vandalism. In a 2002 meta-study of legal drinking age and the health and social problems, 72% of the studies found no statistically significant relationship. (Wagenaar)
4. Adults turning 18 should have right to consume alcohol.
Many people may think turning 18 means it is the time for teenagers to have “rights” on consuming cigarettes, vote, joining the army, which could involve the death for this country, but cannot even have right to buy alcohol. In nearly all cultures, alcohol consumption is coincident with the legal age of adulthood. MLDA 21 is discordant with norm society’s culture.