Should the legal drinking age in the US be reduced to 18 - Essay Example

 Should the legal drinking age in the US be reduced to 18? In the United States, the legal drinking age has been set at 21 as per the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984. The Act states that it is illegal for an individual below the age of 21 years to purchase or possess any form of alcoholic beverage in public. The aim of the Act was to reduce the number of highway fatalities caused by drunk driving as alcohol was and still is the leading cause of death among teenagers in highway crashes. Congress mandated in 1984 that states establish 21 as the drinking age in return for federal highway funding. The legal drinking age has always been a contentious issue which has generated much comment. Proponents of lowering the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) from 21 argue that it has not stopped teen drinking but has instead pushed underage drinking into private and less controlled environments thus leading to life-endangering behavior by adolescents. The continued incidents of alcohol abuse among adolescents especially on college campuses have fueled debate on whether or not setting the MLDA at 21 is smart and effective. Opponents of lowering the minimum legal age from 21, on the other hand, are of the opinion that by 18 or even 19, teens have not yet reached an age where they are capable of handling alcohol responsibility and therefore when they abuse alcohol, they are more likely to harm themselves and others. Personally, I agree that the cons of lowering the minimum legal drinking age outweigh the pros. Lowering the MLDA not only increases a teenager’s risk of being involved in traffic accidents, it is also associated with violence, suicide, educational failure and other problem behaviors. In her article, Why the drinking age should be lowered: An Opinion based upon research Professor Ruth C. Engs argues that “the legal drinking age should be lowered to about 18 or 19 and young adults allowed to drink in controlled environments such as restaurants, taverns, pubs and official school and university functions”. This, she says, will teach them mature and sensible drinking behavior. However, there is no reason to think that these young adults will suddenly become better role models if the MLDA is lowered. In fact, the Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking claim that a higher percentage of young Americans between the ages 12 and 20 use alcohol more than they use tobacco or illicit drugs. It further claims that “by age 15, approximately one-half of America’s boys and girls have had a whole drink of alcohol, not just a few sips”. Since alcohol consumption starts as young as at 12, there is no reason to think that lowering the minimum legal drinking age will teach young Americans responsible and sensible drinking behavior. Professor Ruth further asserts that “Although the legal purchase age is 21 years of age, a majority of college students under this age consume alcohol but in an irresponsible manner. This is because drinking by these youth is seen as an enticing “forbidden fruit,” a “badge of rebellion against authority” and a symbol of “adulthood.” Thus, lowering the drinking age to 18reduces the thrill factor and encourages teenagers to consume alcohol in moderation. However, the American Medical Association says that lowering the drinking age will make alcohol more available to an even younger population, replacing “forbidden fruit” with “low hanging fruit (Minimum Legal Drinking Age in College Communities). When 18 year olds have legal access to alcohol, they will provide more opportunities for younger teens to obtain it. Professor Ruth’s final argument is that because the present minimum legal drinking age is “not working and is counterproductive”, we should change it. This argument, too, does not hold water. The present minimum legal drinking age is not working because enforcement is lax. Stricter enforcement of these laws will certainly make these laws more effective in prohibiting the sale of alcohol to minors and also at reducing youth’s access to alcohol. Another common argument is that at 18, a person in the United States is legally an adult. As adults, they can vote, be tried in a court of law, be eligible for jury duty, be drafted into the armed forces, sign legal documents and even own their own homes. Therefore, they should be allowed to drink. Although they are considered adults, most 18 year olds are still living at home or studying in college. Since they are still not independent, they may not be mature enough to realize the impact alcohol has on their lives. In addition, they are far more vulnerable to peer pressure and therefore have a tendency to drink to access than older people aged 21 and above. Besides, alcohol intoxicates a person and reduces one’s ability to make rational choices and given that a person who is drunk may do something he regrets, there should be a barrier to prevent young people from consuming alcohol and this barrier can be in the form of a higher age limit. In the book, Reducing Underage Drinking: A Collective Responsibility, it is claimed that underage alcohol use is associated with “traffic fatalities, violence, unsafe sex, suicide, educational failure, and other problem behaviors that diminish the prospects of future success, as well as health risks” (Bonnie and O’Connell). Traffic crashes are perhaps the most visible of these dangers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that increasing the drinking age to 21 has reduced traffic fatalities involving 18-20 year old drivers by 13 percent and saves approximately 900 lives a year. Since American teens generally start driving earlier compared to their peers in European countries, they will more likely to drive under the influence of alcohol if the drinking age was lowered in the U.S. Does increasing the MLDA really reduce the rate of accident fatalities? A look at our past will provide the answer. In the 1960s and 70s, in the context of the Vietnam War and lowering the voting age to 18, many states also lowered the drinking age from 21 to 18. The number of 15-20 year-olds involved in fatal crashes in these states increased in this period. Subsequently, when states began increasing drinking ages in the late 1970’s, fatal crash rates declined. The cause and effect relationship is clear: if we lower the drinking age, more teens will be killed on our highways. Congress, then, put pressure on the states to raise the drinking age because of this startling increase in traffic fatalities. The 21-year-old drinking age is clearly saving lives. Binge drinking and associated health risk behaviors among high school students outlines the harmful health and social consequences of underage drinking such as neglecting responsibilities, getting into fights or arguments, missing school, driving after drinking, engaging in suicidal behavior, engaging in risky sexual behavior, using illicit drugs, having unprotected sexual activity, risk of alcohol dependence, learning impairments and memory impairments (Miller and Naimi, etal). Thus, American adolescents who drink face social problems such as fighting, school problems such as higher absence and falling grades, physical problems such as hangovers, legal problems such as arrest for drunken driving and causing accidents and memory problems such as memory impairments. Moreover, the Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking claims that underage drinking “can cause alterations in the structure and function of the developing brain, which continues to mature into the mid to late twenties”. It is obvious that underage drinking causes a range of problems. Delaying the age of first drink will contribute to reductions in future health problems. The article also claimed that underage drinking has adverse effects on school performance. Since teenagers who consume alcohol have a higher chance of academic failure, the MLDA should not be lowered. Today, alcohol is readily available and aggressively promoted in the U.S. Alcohol use is regarded as a normal part of growing up. The minimum drinking age still continues to stir controversy with recent proposals to reduce the minimum age for drinking. Yet, the preponderance of evidence indicates that underage drinking is dangerous, not only for the drinker but also for society. No one contends that alcohol consumption should be free of controls. The question is not whether there should be controls, but what type of controls work best. Young Americans who begin drinking early in life run the risk of developing serious alcohol problems later in life. For this reason, the minimum drinking age should remain at 21. Despite some occasional challenges, the MLDA continues to enjoy strong public support. The majority of adults and teens think that lowering the drinking age will make alcohol accessible to teenagers. The 2001 Associated Press poll found that 68% of teens and adults supported keeping the drinking age at 21, while 16% of teens and 15% of adults supported raising it. Reducing underage drinking will require actions on the local, state and national levels. Prevention strategies such as the enforcement of minimum drinking age laws, national media campaigns targeting youth, increasing alcohol taxes, reducing teens’ exposure to alcohol advertising and increasing enforcement of and penalties for youth who violate the minimum drinking age and for retailers who sell alcohol to teens will, no doubt, be effective in upholding the age 21 law. Teenage drinking is a problem but lowering the minimum drinking age is not a solution. The Surgeon General of the U.S. reminds us that underage alcohol use is everybody’s problem and its solution is everybody’s responsibility. Let us assume this responsibility and strive towards preventing and reducing underage alcohol consumption. Works Cited Bonnie, Richard J. and O’Connell M.E. editors. Reducing Underage Drinking: A Collective Responsibility. Washington D.C.: The National Academies Press, 2004. Print. Miller, JW, Naimi TS, etal. Binge drinking and associated health risk behaviors among high school students. Pediatrics 2007. pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/119/1/76.full.pdf Web. 18 Nov. 2011. Engs, Ruth C. Why the drinking age should be lowered: An Opinion based upon research www.indiana.edu/~engs/articles/cqoped.html. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. Minimum Legal Drinking Age in College Communities www.alcoholpolicymd.com/alcohol_and.../study_legal_age.htm. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General, 2007. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. Annotated Bibliography Bonnie, Richard J. and O’Connell M.E. editors. Reducing Underage Drinking: A Collective Responsibility. Washington D.C.: The National Academies Press, 2004. Print. This book explores the problem of underage alcohol use, the dangers it is associated with and what can be done to prevent it. It also explores the ways in which different individuals and groups contribute to the problem and how they can be listed to prevent it. It further asserts that preventing underage drinking is society’s responsibility and that everyone has a role to play in preventing alcohol abuse by teens. This book is useful because it analyzes the most recent data, provides evidence that underage drinking is harmful and identifies the best strategies for preventing youth from using and abusing alcohol. Miller, JW, Naimi TS, etal. Binge drinking and associated health risk behaviors among high school students. Pediatrics 2007. pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/119/1/76.full.pdf This article discusses the characteristics of high school students who drink, the drinking patterns of these students and the association between binge drinking and health risk behaviors. The article covers a range of health risk behaviors among high school students who consume alcohol. This article is useful as it discusses health risk behaviors such as drinking and driving, risky sexual behavior, tobacco use, violence and other drug use for both the individuals who engage in binge drinking and for those around them. It also examines the effects of binge drinking on school performance. Engs, Ruth C. Why the drinking age should be lowered: An Opinion based upon research www.indiana.edu/~engs/articles/cqoped.html. In this article, Professor Ruth maintains that mature and responsible drinking behavior should be taught through role modeling and educational programs. She further asserts that lowering the drinking age will provide an opportunity to teach responsible drinking behavior. She opines that when the drinking age is 21, many college students under this age consider alcohol as the “forbidden fruit” and this eventually leads them to consume alcohol in an irresponsible manner. This article is useful for me because it presents counter arguments against maintaining the present drinking age. Minimum Legal Drinking Age in College Communities www.alcoholpolicymd.com/alcohol_and.../study_legal_age.htm. This article examines the rationale for setting the minimum legal drinking age at 21, the success of such a policy and the challenges that remain. This article is useful because it provides the common arguments that attack MLDA laws and policies and the benefits of sticking to the age-21 law. It also deals with the policies and practices by college administrators aimed at discouraging underage drinking. The article maintains that the most compelling reason against lowering the drinking age is the concern about public health and safety and concludes by asserting that MLDA continues to garner strong support among both adults and teens. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General, 2007. This science-based report is organized into four sections. While Section 1 provides an overview of the scope of the underage drinking problem in the U.S, Section 2 describes alcohol use and its impact on adolescent development. The third section describes a framework for preventing and reducing alcohol use and the last section proposes strategies for preventing and reducing underage drinking. This report is useful for me because it highlights the nature and extent of underage drinking and its consequences. Read More