The Permitted Age Of Alcohol Consumption In The United States - Essay Example

Lower the Drinking Age from 21 to 18 years-old When I arrived in California in November 2012, I was surprised I could not buy any alcoholic drinks. At the time, I was 19 years-old, and back in China, we drunk with my family when we had meetings, or when celebrating special events like the Chinese New Year. Since my arrival was close to the new year, it was also the first time I would drink and celebrate with my friends, and not my family – indeed, the experience, I anticipated, would be different. Unfortunately, I could not purchase a beer because I was below the legal drinking age of 21-year-old. Even so, an older friend bought me a beer, simple. So, the law barely served its purpose of barring underage (below 21-year-old) drinking. Moreover, students like me, arriving from countries with lower drinking age are affected by this law. I want to propose that the age should be lowered, and this paper will apply three core principles in that course. It will use ethos to appeal to ethics, by my credibility as a Chinese who began drinking at age 18 according to the Chinese Law. It will also apply pathos to appeal to the emotion of the audience. In this approach, the paper will convince the audience why the alcohol age should be lowered down to 18 years-old, and not any further below that age. Moreover, the use of logos will ensure the proposal appeals to the audience through logic, persuading them by reason in a situation experienced by former US President Bush's daughter. The legal drinking age should be lowered to 18-year-old, but augmented with stricter policies. Proposal Discussion Dwight B. Heath, a professor at the Brown University was asked about the what the minimum legal age of drinking should be in the US – "8, or maybe even 6," was his response (Griggs). According to Heath, a professor of anthropology, he was not advocating for children to get drunk. Conversely, his response was favoring a cultural model upheld by common countries such as Italy or France, where after family meals, children were served with small wine amounts. By so doing, children are educated about alcohol, eliminating the numerous taboo about alcohol that makes teenagers sneak out to drink away from the supervision of an adult (Griggs). Though I do not support the drinking age he proposes – because alcohol could put children at risk of depression, memory loss, or brain damage (Martin), I endorse the lowering the age of drinking from 21 years-old to 18-year-old. Alcohol for kids would also put them at risk of accidents, impaired judgment, distorted vision, coordination, and hearing. Other long-term side effects include the development of liver cirrhosis, serious vitamin deficiency, and damage to the central nervous system (KidsHealth). I reinforce my argument with Heath's position that "... the younger people start to drink, the safer they are." (Griggs). Indeed, alcohol is not a mystic and not a big deal, but banning it until the age of 21 only instigates the forbidden fruit syndrome according to the professor. It is unfair, especially for international students, that one cannot drink under the age of 21 years old. Under the US law, citizens can acquire a driving license at between 16 and 21 years-old – different states have varying laws. In Idaho, the full license is acquired at 16 years-old, in Colorado at 17, in Florida at 18, and in the District of Columbia at 21 (Witmer). During the 1980s, underage drinking was a social problem in the US. There was the need to control drinking by making rules to allow the drinking age to range between 18 and 21 years-old. Considering that the drinking age was relatively wide, most young people became alcohol dependent, creating and maintaining the phenomenon of drunk driving and crime. In 1984, the US passed the minimum drinking age act, signed into the bill by President Ronald Reagan. The Congress, further, saw the bill attached to the Highway Federal Money Act, which stated that the to access Federal funding to build a highway, the minimum drinking age should be limited to 21-year-old and above. Failure to which, access to Federal funding will be curtailed by 10 percent. This has not solved the problem of highway accidents by underage drinking. Even so, the law has not managed to prevent fatal accidents, especially for the underage drinkers. According to CDC, approximately 2,650 teenagers aged between 16 and 19 died while approximately 292,000 received treatment in emergency departments for injuries suffered from motor vehicle accidents in 2011 (CDC). Meaning that 7 teenagers of this age bracket die every day from motor vehicle accidents. In 2001, Barbara, one of President Bush's twin daughters aged 19, was charged for defying the law of Texas, which prohibits individuals from buying or drinking alcohol under the age of 21 (BBC). She allegedly used another person's identity card to purchase alcohol. Consequently, Barbara received a sentence of 8 hours of community service, put in a three-months probation, ordered to attend a course on alcohol awareness, besides paying US$ 100 in court costs. This incident, further, highlights that the provision of 21 years-old as the minimum drinking age has barely eliminated incidents of minors drinking because of two reasons. First, just like in my case and Barbara's, anyone under 21 years-old can use a friend or their ID to buy alcohol. Secondly, they can find alcohol at home or a friend's house. The law should, therefore, allow the drinking age at 18 years-old. This suggestion will be opposed by Contra, whose article holds that teenagers are barely mature to handle the consequences of drinking. She adds that teens would do crazy things when drunk, especially because they do crazy things when they are young (Contra). Even so, according to Busby, 18 year-olds are already considered mature to battle in wars, and even mature enough to vote for the same politicians that call for the wars. Unfortunately, even in the military, people are only allowed to drink at 21 years-old. If they are old enough to make those choices, indeed, it would substantiate that they are old and mature enough to go to a bar and choose a bottle of beer for themselves. What is more, in light of Heath's assertions, earlier consumption of alcohol can eliminate the misconception about alcohol and train young people on responsible drinking. Miniature prohibitions on alcohol for young adults is more of destructive than corrective and can create the forbidden fruit syndrome (Busby; Griggs). Even so, to augment this proposal, stricter policies should be implemented in this age to make as many young people from drinking. First, the alcohol limit should be recorded (say three wine glasses), and when one has drunk to that limit, no alcohol should be sold or served to them in bars or parties. To monitor this closely, beer should only be bought at specific hours, probably between 4 pm and 10 pm to avoid uncontrolled and late-night drinking. Additionally, adults who help the underage to access alcohol should be accountable as well. More so, education and public awareness should be facilitated to address the problem of teenage drinking and how to mitigate them. Conclusion A Christian proverb maintains that a youth should be taught about the way he/she should go, and when he/she becomes old, he/she will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6). In light of the efforts to reduce the risks of underage drinking, barely have the laws managed to achieve their intended purpose. In fact, the laws only bar even potentially responsible people from enjoying a drink. Traveling from China to study in the US, is that not responsible enough? Training of the young people through Heath's way or my proposed policy should be the main focus in controlling underage drinking. Ideally, the legal drinking age should be lowered to 18-year-old, but augmented with the stricter individual, community, state, and federal policies. Work Cited Alcantara, Joyce. Keep Drinking Age at 21: Teens aren't Mature Enough to Handle the Consequences. Mercury News, May 23, 2011. Retrieved on 6/12/14 from BBC. Alcohol Sentence for Bush Daughter. BBC News, June 8, 2001. Retrieved on 6/12/14 from Busby, Chris. The Freedom to Drink Should Start at 18. Bangor Daily News, July 4, 2013. Retrieved on 6/12/14 from CDC. Injury Prevention and Control: Motor Vehicle Safety. Retrieved on 6/12/14 from Griggs, Brandon. Should the US Lower its Drinking Age? CNN, June 16, 2014. Retrieved on 6/12/14 from KidsHealth. Kids and Alcohol. Retrieved on 6/12/14 from Martin, Daniel. Children Under 15 Should Never Drink Alcohol, Government to Advise Parents. Mail News, 30 January 2009. Retrieved on 6/12/14 from Proverbs 22:6. The Holman Christian Bible. Retrieved on 6/12/14 from Witmer, Denise. Driving Age By State. About Parenting. Retrieved on 6/12/14 from Read More