Legal Age for Alcohol Consumption - Essay Example

?Areum Son Mrs. Woodard EH102-QMQ 4/17/13 Legal Age for Alcohol Consumption Alcohol is nothing special. It is a drink that needs to be regulated and consumed responsibly by a rational adult who is able to understand even simple instructions. On a personal viewpoint, gaining the rights as an adult at age 18 should earn one the privileges of deciding how to drink responsibly. There are, however, advocates of the Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA) who are concerned of the negative effects of exposure to alcohol consumption at an early age and of the possible accidents that could go along with it. The age of 18 earns one many political-, social-, business-, and even personal-related rights and privileges. The age of 18 earns one the badge of adulthood that makes him or her subject to trials in adult courts for any violation or crime committed, if any. Furthermore, several statistical data from NHTSA show the many inconsistencies regarding the supposed link of alcohol consumption to vehicular accidents and fatalities due to drunk driving. There are nations with more leniency in alcohol consumption that do not have the same vehicular accident concerns as the U.S. Unless the risks of alcohol consumption are lessened by maintaining the legal age for alcohol consumption at 21, the legal age for drinking alcohol should be lowered to 18. While there are many people and organizations who oppose the current MLDA, its advocates maintain that lowering the legal age for alcohol consumption would bring more risks than benefits. For one, it is said that consuming alcohol at an earlier age increases the possibilities of alcoholism in adulthood. Some say that brain development continues until age 20, and consuming alcohol prior to full brain growth can inhibit some of the brain’s development and potential. Some also argue that lowering the legal age for alcohol consumption will increase the number of irresponsible drinking binges in bars and clubs, which are considered unsafe locations especially for young people (Subbaraman and Kerr 291-2). On a personal stance, this logic has really no bearing because no one considered 18 too young for an unsafe environment such as the warfront. In addition, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) statistics on “Alcohol Impaired Driving,” the decrease in the fatalities due to drunk driving did not decrease in accordance with the MLDA (NHTSA “Alcohol Impaired Driving” & Voas, Tippetts, and Fell 581). Furthermore, the MLDA proves to be counterproductive and hinders the more effective strategy of teaching responsible consumption of alcohol (Gulliver and Begg 774). It is a fact that cannot be denied that almost all of the political-, social-, personal-, and business-related activities can be done at 18 years of age (Ferreira and Willoughby 15). Everyone knows that a person aged 18 can, and is allowed to vote for the leaders of the land. It is ridiculous that a person can be trusted to choose the political leaders for his or her country yet be untrusted in terms of alcohol consumption. Everyone knows too that getting married at 18 is legal. It is ridiculous that a person can be trusted to be another person’s life partner yet be untrusted in terms of alcoholic drinks. Voting and marriage are both greater and heavier responsibilities when compared to alcohol consumption. Another interesting fact here is the legality of being a foster parent at 18. A person who is 18 years is deemed adult enough to be entrusted with the care and well-being of a minor, yet is deemed too young to drink alcohol. These adults are even allowed to enter into legally binding contracts at 18. Furthermore, it seems awkward and illogical to prohibit newly married 20-year old couples from sipping champagne at their own weddings. 18 earns an individual the rights and privileges of adults, including the fact that the adult will be subject to trials in adult courts for any violation or crime committed, if any (Subbaraman and Kerr 293). When one is considered a minor, the individual is tried in juvenile courts because there are certain leniencies given to the population whose age bracket is considered to be still on the development stage physically, emotionally, mentally, and even financially. To get past through this stage means one is adult and fully answerable to the laws due to the common understanding that 18 means adulthood and responsibility and freedom. Furthermore, it does not seem right to be held accountable as adult for heinous crimes yet be considered minor in terms of alcohol consumption. This means that if the court would consider an 18-year old as fully responsible for crimes such as murder, then they are believed to have the mental capacities of adults that are able to identify right from wrong clearly. Otherwise, the courts will be more lenient to them, as they are with juvenile delinquents. If they are identified as individuals who have fully functioning mental capacities, they should be allowed to decide whether they will consume alcohol or not. There are also reports that state that other countries that have lower legal age for alcohol consumption do not have worse alcohol problems than the U.S. (NHTSA “Alcohol Impaired Driving”). For example, Italy, Greece, other European nations, and even the Chinese do not have the gravity of the alcohol-related problems hitting the U.S. even if their legal drinking age is lower than the U.S. (Voas, Tippetts, and Fell 583). According to a study on the perceptions and behaviors related to alcohol, if alcohol is not seen as a proof of maturity, it will not encourage abusive or excessive consumption (Gulliver and Begg 774-5). Personally, this argument hits home. There is something so appealing about forbidden things. While this is not a justifiable reason to violate MLDA, it sure is a logical basis in determining whether lowering the MLDA to 18 would really be more risky as according to MLDA proponents, or more beneficial as according to alcohol consumption advocates. Removing alcohol from its elevated status as a “rite of passage” to adulthood would lessen its appeal. Teenagers --- especially since 18-year-olds are mostly college students --- would no longer have to “prove” how “adult” they are to their 21 and above friends by consuming alcohol illegally. In fact, when the MLDA is lowered to 18, these 18-year-old individuals would no longer have to prove to their 21 and above colleagues that they are also adults. To sum everything up, this paper recognizes the dangers involved in consuming alcohol. However, such dangers do not really decrease by allowing only older people to consume it. It is true that those who support the current MLDA do have valid points in fearing the risks on lowering the MLDA to 18, because that definitely means giving license to more people to consume alcohol. However, as several studies shows, license to consume alcohol is not the only determinant for an individual to consume it. Alcohol has become the standard “rite of passage” into adulthood, and it cannot be denied the at least once in almost everyone’s life, stories of alcohol consumed illegally at college parties has been heard. However, this, too, does not mean that MLDA should be lowered merely because the MLDA 21 is being grossly violated. The point of this paper is to examine how effective this MLDA 21 is, and why MLDA 18 is more reasonable and acceptable, especially in today’s times. Once the law and the society accept an individual as adult, it should be absolute. If it cannot be absolute, then the exceptions should at least be reasonable. There is nothing reasonable in entrusting an 18 year old with the right and privilege to vote to take part in deciding the fate of the nation, to go to war and endanger one’s self for the love of country, to decide to get married and build a family, to look after an orphan or foster child legally, to be subject under the full force of the law in cases of offenses or crimes, or to sign even multi-million dollar contracts yet not be allowed to consume alcohol. Works Cited “Alcohol Impaired Driving.” National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Department of Transportation, 2009. Web. 15 Apr. 2013. Ferreira, Maria, and Darryn Willoughby. "Alcohol Consumption: the Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent." Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism. 33 (2008): 12-20. Print. Gulliver, P, and D Begg. “Influences During Adolescence on Perceptions and Behaviour Related to Alcohol Use and Unsafe Driving As Young Adults.” Accident Analysis and Prevention. 36.5 (2004): 773-781. Print. Subbaraman, MS, and WC Kerr. "State Panel Estimates of the Effects of the Minimum Legal Drinking Age on Alcohol Consumption for 1950 to 2002." Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research. 37 (2013): 291-6. Print. Voas, Robert B, A.Scott Tippetts, and James C. Fell. "Assessing the Effectiveness of Minimum Legal Drinking Age and Zero Tolerance Laws in the United States." Accident Analysis and Prevention. 35.4 (2003): 579-587. Print. Read More