LOWERING THE DRINKING AGE IN AMERICA
Lowering the drinking age in America and
Why it Would be Beneficial to Society and the Economy
Brian S. Vogel
Miami University (Oxford)
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LOWERING THE DRINKING AGE IN AMERICA
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Lowering the drinking age in America and
Why it Would be Beneficial to Society and the Economy
One of the most debated topics since the 1970’s has been the legal drinking age?
Should it be 21 or 18? College and University students all across the country constantly
question this law. Currently there is no federal law stating what the drinking age should
be. Contrary to popular belief, drinking laws are mandated by each individual state. Prior
to 1977 all states had different drinking ages; however, in 1977 congress created a law
that required states to raise the minimum drinking age or they would loose 10% off their
federal highway funding. The government should allow states to lower the drinking age
without repercussions because, keeping the drinking age where it is now suppresses civil
liberties, and takes away the “forbidden fruit” effect. Also, underage drinking laws are
very difficult to enforce, and lowering the drinking age would be beneficial for the
economy. There are a lot of pros for lowering the drinking age, but not many cons.
Turning eighteen Years old is more than just being able to vote or live on your
own. Turning eighteen signifies becoming a man in American Society. As eighteen year
olds, people are given a lot of rights including the right to fight for your country.
Eighteen year olds are adults and should be given the right to consume/purchase alcohol.
The most obvious reasons for lowering the drinking age involve basic civil
liberty issues. Proponents for lowering the drinking age maintain that if
you're old enough to vote and go to war, then you should be old enough to
consume alcohol. (Glassman, T, 2008)
Every citizen should be granted equal rights at eighteen. Every other country in the world
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has a drinking lower than 21 and they do not have nearly as many problems associated
with alcohol. Having a drinking age of 21 doesn’t even make sense, and is an idea that is
obsolete:
It's true that for the average college student who is underage, it is not
terribly difficult to obtain alcohol. Many underage college students are
able to acquire alcohol from their older friends. Indeed, over half (57.8%)
of all underage college students reported consuming alcohol within the
previous 30 days. (Glassman, T, 2008)
Why is there a law prohibiting citizens under the age of twenty-one from consuming
alcohol when alcohol is so easy to get. Obtaining alcohol from people over twenty-one
has proved no problem for minors over the past thirty to forty years, and the fact that
alcohol is so easy for minors to obtain makes underage drinking laws fruitless. In
addition laws from other states allow drinking under the age of twenty-one in a controlled
environment under supervision. Most laws only prevent purchasing alcohol, not
consuming it.
Why do minors feel the need to binge drink, or even consume alcohol at all?
American society has always loved its rebels, and underdogs. For example: when
watching the Rocky movies, no one roots for Apollo Creed, Clubber Lang, Ivan
Drago, or Tommy Gun; everyone roots for Rocky because what he stands for goes
against popular opinion. The same theory applies to minors who drink alcohol.
Teenagers want to feel like the rebel, the bad guy; they are essentially taught to be a
rebel because that is what is acceptable in American society. Lowering the drinking
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age would take away the main reason for kids wanting to drink, “the forbidden fruit”
effect.
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.
(Engs, Ruth C, 1998)
A lot of people who argue against lowering the drinking age think the “forbidden fruit”
effect is overplayed, and is not a main reason why people drink; I respectively disagree,
especially when minors who consume alcohol live in a society that promotes
disobedience and nonconformity. In addition:
Excessive alcohol use is associated with unintentional injury (e.g., motor
vehicle crashes, falls, and drowning’s), sexually transmitted diseases,
unintended pregnancy, and violence including sexual assault. Further,
based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th
Edition, nearly one-third of college students meet the criteria for a formal
diagnosis of alcohol abuse. One in 17 could be classified as alcohol
dependent. (Glassman, T, 2008)
By lowering the drinking age, minors would be drinking alcohol with more control, and
less people will feel the need to drink, which in turn will lower the statistic that one-third
of college students meet the criteria for a formal diagnosis of alcohol abuse.
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Perhaps the strongest argument of why the drinking age should be lowered, is that
the drinking is widely ignored, and not a priority for police officers, which promotes
general disrespect and non-compliance with other laws, not just underage drinking laws.
Police officers realize "The 21-year-old drinking age is not working" and "has created a
culture of dangerous binge drinking (Engs, Ruth C, 1998);” in addition, police officers
are often unable to stop this from occurring. It is very difficult to catch someone, who is a
minor, purchasing alcohol. Police officers just don’t have the time or resources to put that
much effort into a crime that is considered a misdemeanor. These laws just cause more
problems because of hard they are to enforce:
John McCardell, a history professor and former president of Middlebury
College in Vermont says current laws drive drinking underground, causing
more problems than they solve.
(Hechinger, John, 2008)
This is one of the problems McCardell was talking about. It is an unnecessary law
that causes problems for police officers, they should be focusing less on trying to
catch eighteen and nineteen year olds who drink, and turn their attention to something
that is more harmful to people, such as drugs.
One thing that a lot of people fail to consider is that lowering the drinking age
would be good for the economy. Currently there are thousands and thousands of people
under the age of 21 that attend college. If the drinking age were lowered the bars and
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liquor stores near college campuses could potentially make a lot of money. In addition,
the government could make a killing off the taxes of alcohol. Ohio law currently states,
“Persons under twenty-one years of age, are prohibited from ordering, attempting to
purchase, paying for, or even sharing in the cost of any beer or intoxicating liquor.
(Gehring D. D, & C. Geraci.1989 p 137)” This quote appeared in a book that contains the
law regarding alcohol consumption in the state of Ohio; it says nothing about
consumption, just the purchasing of intoxicating liquors. College teenagers are going to
drink anyway, so the economy might as well benefit from it.
Raising the drinking age benefits society in many ways. It will help improve the
economy, and gives young adults the rights they deserve. In addition, lowering the
drinking age will allow police officers to focus their attention on crimes that actually
harm people, rather than minor misdemeanors like purchasing alcohol. The law doesn’t
even state that minors aren’t allowed to consume alcohol; it just states that minors aren’t
allowed to purchase alcohol. The main argument for keeping the drinking age at twentyone is because there are statistics saying that it decreased the number of lives saved from
drunk drivers; however the decrease in this statistic isn’t just due to the fact the drinking
age was raised:
The decrease in drinking and driving problems are the result of many
factors and not just the rise in purchase age or the decreased per capita
consumption. These include: education concerning drunk driving,
designated driver programs, increased seat belt and air bag usage, safer
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automobiles, lower speed limits, free taxi services from drinking
establishments, etc. (Engs, Ruth C, 1998)
The reason lives have been saved is not just because the drinking age was made higher,
but because of advances in technology, and educating the public on the dangers of drunk
driving. It is true that the raising of the drinking age might save a few lives, but the
advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The most effective way to truly eradicate binge
drinking, and alcohol abuse is through education, and teaching youths through
supervision and other methods. The more the people know the easier it is to solve a
problem.
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Bibliography
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Gehring D. D, & C. Geraci. (1989). Alcohol on Campus: A Compendium of the
law and a Guide to Campus Policy Asheville, NC: College Administration
Publications.
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Ford, Gene. (2013). In Why we Should Lower the Drinking age to 19. Retrieved
Oct. 21, 2013, from
http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/YouthIssues/1046348192.html#.UmWTnhaT
PUQ
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Glassman, Travis. (2010). In Is the Glass Half Empty, Half Full, or Dry.
Retrieved Oct. 20, 2013, from
http://www.globaldrugpolicy.com/Issues/Vol%202%20Issue%204/Is%20The%20
Glass%20Half%20Empty.pdf
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Engs, Ruth. C. (1998, Mar. 20). In Why the drinking age should be lowered: An
opinion based upon research. Retrieved Oct. 20, 2013, from
http://www.indiana.edu/~engs/articles/cqoped.html
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Writers Reflection
Why did I write this piece? Where did I get my ideas?
I wrote this piece because I have an interest in lowering the drinking age because I
feel it could benefit many people. A lot of people are misinformed when it comes to
laws regarding alcohol. I have always wanted to write a paper on this subject.
Who is the audience and how did it affect this piece?
The audience of my paper is anyone who supports lowering the drinking age. I guess
you could say I could be writing to a University administrator because I am in
college, and my paper does discuss ways in which lowering the drinking age would
benefit college students.
Was this piece easy or difficult to write? Why?
This piece was relatively easy to write because I am well informed on the topic, and
it is a topic I am passionate about. I found I had to make little revisions from my first
draft; there were just some holes I had to fill.
What parts did I rework? What were my revisions?
I just had to connect some ideas, most of my paper was complete in the first draft, a
lot of work I did was in formatting and citing different sources.
Did I try something new?
In this piece I tried using information from sources that dispute lowering the
drinking age. Usually I just use sources that support my facts because it is easier. I
tried to strengthen my argument by weakening the other side.
What skills did I work on in this piece?
I worked on APA formatting because I have never done it before and it was a little
confusing at first but I think I did a pretty good job following the example on the
PDF.
What elements of writer’s craft enhanced my story?
I didn’t really use much writer’s craft because this paper was more of an article. I
tried to be as straight as possible. I wanted to deliver the facts in a concise,
organized manner.
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What might I change?
If I had to change anything it would be my sources. I would have used more studies
and more current articles. The book on law I used was written in 1980. The law is
dynamic, and is always changing.
Did something I read influence my writing?
At first I was going to argue against lowering the drinking age because there is a
stronger argument; however, when I read the IU academic journal by Professor Engs
I changed my mind because he threw out some thing I hadn’t considered.
What did I learn or what I did I expect the reader to learn?
I learned more about statistics regarding drinking and driving and how they are
related to more than just raising the drinking age. I expect the reader to just be more
informed about the laws regarding alcohol consumption, and how there isn’t a law
of consumption, just purchasing.
Where will I go from here?
I intend to improve my research paper writing skills, and I believe this paper is a
good step in the right direction.
Will I publish it? Share it?
I will share it with my friend, who constantly plays devil’s advocate on every topic I
have an opinion on, maybe he will see some of my points.
Expand it? Toss it? File it?
I will file this paper because it might help with future papers, whether it’s a paper
on a similar topic or just to view APA formatting you never know when it might be
useful.