Legal Drinking age in the U.S. vs in Panama - Research Paper Example

Sadly, alcohol addiction among teenagers is increasing rapidly. Though there are certain legal provisions regarding the legal drinking age in all nations, they are hardly being enforced. While comparing the US and Panama, we can see that the legal drinking age in the US is 21 though there certain exemptions with this regard in some states and the legal drinking age in Panama is 18. A study by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that ‘higher drinking ages could save approximately 22,798 lives on American roadways from 1975 to 2003.’ (qtd. Johnson).

As Ritcher, Vaughan, and Foster point out many people forcefully argue that teenagers who are permitted to vote and bleed for their country must also be allowed to enjoy one or two beers (59). At the same time, opponents point to a reported increase in binge drinking among adolescents as an obvious cause for not reducing the MLDA. A case study conducted by Vermont Department of Health as part of their alcohol and drug abuse programs (qtd. In Searles ) shows that US stands in the first 20 in per capita alcohol consumption among the world countries. . The prevalence of such a condition is the sole key in keeping US away from the status of a ‘drunkards’ territory’.

But it must be mentioned that the craziness of teenagers and youth towards alcohol has increased exorbitantly in the recent past. Legally, one’s minimum age requirement to consume alcohol is 21. The National Medical Library portal of the US says that ‘most of the senior students of American high schools’ have had an alcohol intake in the past one month (“Alcohol use and safe drinking.”). This describes how badly the outbreak of this scenario is taking place. It is a hard truth that US is the country where most number of celebrities are charged for alcohol abuse.

When public figures like film actors and politicians whom people admire as their models become alcoholic, the people also tend to follow them through these wrong ways. In the view of Wagenaar and Wolfson, some unfavourable factors like this exist in the US and alcohol consumption among minors has become a serious societal issue that requires immediate action though ‘alcohol-made’ menaces are comparatively low in the US (38-39). In Panama, which stands in the bottom in terms of economic and industrial development, the legal drinking age is 18, which means people in Panama can start drinking at an age lower than that in the US.

A common opinion has arisen around the world that providing the right to consume alcohol at 18 is not good and providing this at the age of 21 will be beneficial as it is by that age a person attains enough maturity. As per the data of the United Nations Organization, the literacy rate in Panama is 91 percent. Alcohol is the most consumed drug in Panama. Although 18 is the minimum age requirement for alcohol consumption in the