Minimum Legal Drinking Age - Research Paper Example

Minimum Legal Drinking Age The minimum drinking age has been a topic of extensive critical debates over the last few decades. While the drinking age has increased over time from 18 years to 21 years in the majority of the United States, there are various social and political groups that support a lower minimum drinking age. Government and health experts are making several efforts to control the violations, deaths and misdemeanor accidents through alcohol controlling policies. Alcoholism among the younger generation has been reported to be a major factor in the high number of fatal accidents and deaths. Therefore, governments must be concerned to set countries to set suitable drinking ages to reduce these violations. Thus, a great deal of research has been conducted to determine the impacts that are associated with the drinking age and/or alcohol control policies. There is also a significant amount of research available which indicates a direct relationship between drinking age and poor social outcomes, including higher instances of driving under the influence of alcohol, motor vehicle accidents, poor behavioral traits, physical trauma and inclination towards substance abuse. In order to identify if a minimum drinking age should remain at 21 years, the following analysis will seek to analyze and discuss the current debates and weigh whether or not a reduction in the drinking age is a policy that well ultimately benefit society. Minimum legal drinking age laws (MLDAs) have shown variatied over the last century; however, in the late 1970s, the minimum drinking age was increased to 21 years in all fifty states (McCartt et al. 174). Research indicates that in the early 20th century, the drinking and manufacturing of alcohol-based beverages was completely forbidden. This was followed by the ratification of a litany of minimum legal drinking age laws and the subsequent delineation of the drinking age to 21. Later on, MLDAs showed variation for different levels and classes of alcohol. There has been significant research conducted to determine the relationship between MDLA and its impacts on violations. Through various studies it has been evident that MDLA have caused the accident levels among the youth to increase. Several states and countries have controlled the violation rate through various MDLA policies; some of which will be discussed at greater depth within this brief analysis. For instance, in 1995, the fatality rate among those between the ages of 21-30 decreased by a staggering 35%; further evidence of the fact that enforcement and advocacy of the legal drinking age can have a noticeable impact upon the rate of fatal accidents. However, after the Vietnam War, the minimum drinking age was lowered to 18 in a majority of states. Various other laws, to include the legal age for marriage and the age of voter eligibility showed similar trends. However, significant research showed increases in fatal accidents and deaths among young drivers under the influence of alcohol, and also negative behavior problems. A study conducted by Lovenheim and Slemord indicated that counties which were geographically proximal to a county that had a lower MLDA than 21, the reduction in traffic fatalities was minimal. Significant research and continuous lobbying by political and social groups forced states and central governments to raise the minimum drinking age to 21 years. The accidents reported were relatively lesser than the countries having their drinking age below 21. Furthermore, it has been determined that underage drinking costs more than $53 billion annually; including $19 billion from traffic accidents, $29 billion from violent crime, and inestimable losses in human potential (Reyna et al 380). The money that is associated with such a cost is with respect to the damages caused by drunk driving; to include: medical bills, damage to property, legal fees of representation and defense, and all other penalties or costs incurred by underage drinking. Significant research illustrates that alcohol consumption gives rise to attention deficit during routine activities (Carpenter 134). The onset of this deficit is more evident in young alcohol consumers. In order to evaluate the impacts of alcohol consumption on young consumers, various research has been performed examining fatalities faced by young consumers in their minor age. According to Smith and Geller, nearly one-third of youth deaths are associated with alcohol consumption in the United States and with increased marketing exposure, the minor youth are more vulnerable to increase their alcohol intake (359). The research further indicated that 50 percent of alcohol advertisements were on TV and/or radio programs whose targeted demographic were ultimately an underage population. Since it is evident that increased media exposure gives rise to the increased pattern of consumption, restrictions on such advertisement can reduce alcohol consumption in the younger population. There are also studies that have reported the increased rate of fatalities under the influence of alcohol. Spera et al. support the idea of implementing legal restrictions on early alcohol consumption. The study was based on examination of alcohol intoxication in young Air Force members in selected communities. Legal restrictions on the availability of alcohol to underage service members showed significant reductions in the rates of compliance check failures (outlets selling alcohol to minors), arrests for minors in possession and driving under the influence of alcohol for those under 21 (Spera et al. 515-516). The ultimate reason for the Air Force being concerned with the results of such a study and the determinants and understanding that could be drawn was of course the fact that the Air Force had a vested interest in seeking to curb underage drinking within its ranks. According to the American Medical Association, it has been evident that the lower drinking age resulted in more fatal accidents and injuries in the youth. Studies performed in 1979 and 1982 noted that fatalities within jurisdictions that allowed a drinking age lower than 21 were noticeably higher than those who ascribed to the standard age of 21 (Saylor 331). The research further claims that implications of legal restrictions on individuals 21 years and above reduced drinking habits and related fatalities were observed. The concept of influencing the early of alcohol in young consumers and minors enhances the existence of legal and social pressures and their impacts on reduced alcohol consumption. It can be inferred that the influence of legal barriers on alcohol consumption cannot be denied or ignored due to their significant impact. However, a question arises as to whether such barriers are effective enough to curtail alcoholism, substance abuse and related social evils in young consumers. Although there have been several arguments about the legitimacy of alcohol consumption in young age, there is little research available on positiveness of MLDA lower than 21. The advocates of a lower minimum drinking age are usually heavy consumers seeking to consume alcohol with low legal risks and more convenience. The argument is based on the notion that alcohol permissible to the 21 and over crowd makes other groups consumers more vulnerable; making them more susceptible to experiencing peer pressure. It is also important to note that most of the young alcohol consumers, especially under-age college students tend to behave in high risk activities which leaves them even more prone to injury and possible death (Reyna et al. 380). However, a critical analysis of this argument illustrates that it is merely based on philosophical grounds with no empirical research available to back up the argument (Martinez, Garcia and Sher 407). In other words, many of the researchers who have looked into this issue have merely accepted the fact that young adults are likely to engage in more risky behavior than their adult counterparts without demanding any proof of such a standpoint. Furthermore, this argument does not indicate that individuals not going to college would refrain from heavy alcohol consumption. They are also at risk as lower education levels are accompanied with increased risks of substance abuse. Further, easy access of alcohol through legal permissibility would alleviate risks of heavy alcoholism (Plunk et al. 467). Advocates of lowering the minimum drinking age further assert that other than peer pressure, strict laws further instigate violation of such laws in the young generation. This is done out of the belief that by denying otherwise fully adult individuals of the right to choice and self expression, the legislators and individuals responsible for enforcement have dangled before these societal stakeholders a “forbidden fruit” that begs to be plucked. Therefore, attaching personal responsibility to MLDAs further aggravates the situation. However, Reyna et al. provides evidence that support contradicting notions. Despite negative personal beliefs about laws, people under 21 follow a restrictive alcohol consumption pattern. Since alcohol provision cannot be completely reduced or eliminated in educational settings, legal prohibition induces effective decision making and self-regulation in junior college students and other adolescents under the influence of minimum drinking laws. Reduced alcohol consumption further reflected less high risk behavior in college students along with fewer onsets of physical or mental trauma. Furthermore, converting such laws into social norms can further reduce the risks of alcohol consumption induced by peer pressure (380). While most young consumers experience their first consumption on their 21st birthday, such exposure would take place at an earlier age under lower minimum drinking age laws which could cause significant impairment of the neuron-cognitive function. In addition, cross-sectional studies of European regions, such as France, Holland, and Belgium, have shown varied levels of alcohol consumption in regions having a lower minimum drinking age. Therefore, instead of just peer pressure, influence of aggressive marketing and other laws such as driving laws and blood alcohol concentration (BAC) laws cannot be undermined (Martinez, Garcia and Sher 410). Another important argument against lowering the minimum drinking age is the relation between the age of the first use of alcohol and related consumption in later life. Research has indicated that beginning the use of alcohol at an early age is followed by heavy consumption in adolescence and adulthood. While use of alcohol has its own demerits with regard to physical and mental health, such as the possibility for abuse, violence, and the augmentation of many different aspects of psychological disorders, risks related to heavy consumption in later life due to disturbed behavioral patterns cannot be undermined. Spera et al proffered the view that the point in time in which an individual starts drinking is a powerful predictor of lifetime alcohol dependency and interaction. Therefore, after controlling the impact of other social factors, reducing minimum drinking age would actually elevate the levels of future consumption. A similar notion is supported by Plunk et al. as they mentioned that MLDAs not only have an effect on the consumption in the short-term but also in the long-term as well. They found consumers experiencing earlier onsets of consumption tend to experience more binge episodes along with persistent habit of frequent drinking. Another important aspect of a low minimum drinking age is its impact on child birth rates and related infant age. A critical analysis of raising the minimum drinking age and its relation to child birth rates in teenage mothers indicate a decreasing trend. Furthermore, teenage onset of alcohol use correlated with pregnancy rate indicated that such mothers experienced high levels of premature birth along with low birth rates, having a significant impact on infants’ health. Therefore, increased MLDAs can be associated with increased infant health in the later part of 20th century. Research has indicated that weak drinking laws provide an understanding for early and unplanned pregnancies and risk occurrence of poor birth outcomes .Furthermore, increased risks of high school and college dropouts are also associated with lower minimum drinking age. In addition to that, drinking at an early age has also been correlated with a level of prescription drug misuse along with substance abuse (Hermos et al. 22-30). Studies with regards to individuals who began abusing alcohol prior to the age of 21 years of age indicate that a 30% elevation in the proclivity to use illicit substances was noted within this group as compared to those that abused alcohol only after they became of the legal drinking age. It is important to note that the studies referred to above explain the importance of the alcohol environment experienced by teenagers. Hence, it can be inferred that alcohol restrictions imposed in early life through MLDA have a significant impact on alcohol intake in adolescence and adulthood. This is due to the fact by placing a social stigma upon the drinking age, society is able to discourage many would-be abusers of alcohol. Risks associated with alcohol consumption include physical injuries of mild and severe nature which also may cause death. Hingson et al. argue that alcohol consumers are more likely to be involved in physical fights and car accidents when they are under the influence of alcohol. The psychological impacts of alcohol consumption further cause high violation rate among the youth, leading to fatal accidents, injuries and deaths. Early exposure to alcohol increases the risks of avoidable deaths in young consumers. According to Hingson et al, “Excessive Alcohol Consumption is the third leading contributor to preventable death in the United States. Of the 75,000 alcohol-attributable deaths annually in the United States, over 40,000 are acute, primarily injury deaths, which include: 13,600 traffic deaths; 12,474 other unintentional injury deaths; 7,600 homicides; and nearly 7,000 suicide deaths. Injuries are the leading cause of death in the United States (783)”. Studies have also indicated that young individuals are more likely to experience physical injuries after using alcohol; therefore the rate of preventable deaths is higher in this demographic segment. Research conducted by McCartt, Hellinga and Kirley, states that “Among fatally injured drivers ages 16–20, the percentage with positive BACs declined from 61% in 1982 to 31% in 1995, a bigger decline than for older age groups; declines occurred among the ages directly affected by raising MLDAs (ages 18–20) and among young teenagers not directly affected ages 16–17. Almost all studies designed specifically to gauge the effects of drinking age changes show MLDAs of 21 reduce drinking, problematic drinking, drinking and driving, and alcohol-related crashes among young people.” (173). Since this research contained a summarized analysis of various other elaborated studies, it indicated that decreasing the minimum drinking age to 18 years would lead to an increase in rates of road fatalities. Although there are various other measures that can be used by authorities such as strict driving laws, training programs and safer vehicles, however, no study provided evidences of these initiatives replacing MLDA-21. While minimum drinking age laws attached personal responsibility to drinking habits in teenagers and adolescents, it is important to note that such policies do not consider the impact of social factors that may instigate early and heavy use of alcohol. Poor mental health, compromised childhood and related adverse experiences including physical and mental trauma are some of the major causes behind substance abuse. In such cases, legal restriction would only make access to alcohol difficult instead of deterring the consumer effectively. Hence, alcohol dependence is greatly influenced by the social settings experienced by an individual. Therefore, legal permissibility has little impact on the choices made by such individuals regarding alcohol consumption when it comes to severe experiences (Hingson et al.788). The researchers conclude that MDLA and violation cases among the teens have a great impact. Therefore, a drinking age should be carefully determined and set as it immensely affects the violation rate. An important implication of MLDA is restricting the supply of alcohol to underage consumers through retail outlets. The unavailability of the alcohol contributes to regulate alcohol consumption. These types of restrictions should be enforced by the government and should be monitored through proper channels. In order to ensure non-availability of alcohol to people below drinking age the government should make considerable measure and policies. However, this type of enforcement requires substantial and continuous funding for it to be effective. Therefore, lack of government support can undermine the effects of such a policy. A critical analysis of the literature available the benefits and drawbacks of minimum drinking age laws indicate that there is greater evidence available which supports upholding the drinking age to 21 years of age. Further, it has been found that early alcohol consumption patterns in teenagers and adolescents gives rise to substance abuse and binge drinking in the later part of life. Since young consumers are more likely to experience fatalities under the influence of alcohol, the risks of avoidable deaths and severe injuries increase significantly. Although there are arguments available which indicate that strict minimum drinking age laws encourage adolescents and teenagers to break them however evidences have been found which indicate adherence of alcohol consumption to personal responsibility an effective approach to curtail alcoholism. Several researches and studies have concluded that the alcohol consumption impacts the sexual behaviors that further lead to unplanned pregnancies and premature births. The change in the behavior and mental patterns among the teenagers are higher as compared to the young people age 21. Therefore, it can be said that lowering minimum drinking age pose greater threats which endanger physical and mental wellbeing of young consumers. Therefore, it can be suggested that the drinking age should remain at 21 years and government should provide continuous support to ensure successful implementation of this law and related programs. Works Cited Carpenter, Christopher, and Carlos Dobkin. "The Minimum Legal Drinking Age And Public Health." Journal Of Economic Perspectives 25.2 (2011): 133-156. Business Source Complete. Web. 20 Sept. 2013. Hingson, Ralph W., Erika M. Edwards, Timothy Heeren, and David Rosenbloom. “Age of Drinking Onset and Injuries, Motor Vehicle Crashes, and Physical Fights After Drinking and When Not Drinking.” Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 33.5 (2009): 783-790. Hermos, John A., Michael R. Winter, Timothy C. Heeren and Ralph W. Hingson. “Early age-of-onset drinking predicts prescription drug misuse among teenagers and young adults: Results from a national Survey.” Journal of Addiction Medicine 2.1(2008): 22-30. Print. Martinez, Julia A., Miguel A. Muñoz García, Kenneth J. Sher. “A new minimum legal drinking age (MLDA)? Some findings to inform the debate.” Addictive Behaviors 34 (2009): 407–410.Print. McCartt, Anne T., Laurie A. Hellinga and Bevan B. Kirley. “The effects of minimum legal drinking age 21 laws on alcohol-related driving in the United States.” Journal of Safety Research 41 (2010): 173–181.Print. Lovenheim, Michael F. and Joel Slemord. “The fatal toll of driving to drink: The effect of minimum legal drinking age evasion on traffic fatalities.” Journal of Health Economics 29.1(2010): 62-77. Print. Plunk, Andrew D., Patricia Cavazaos-Rehg, Laura J. Bierut, and Richard A. Grucza. “The persistent effects of minimum legal drinking agelaws on drinking patterns later in life.” Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 37.3 (2013): 463-469. Print. Reyna et al. “Endorsement of a personal responsibility to adhere to the minimum drinking age law predicts consumption, risky behaviors, and alcohol-related harms.” Psychology, Public Policy, and Law 19.3 (2013): 380-394. Saylor, Drew, K. 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