Minimum Legal Drinking Age Debate Why we should lower it down to 18 and older? Being eighteen opens up the gate to adulthood so if someone can fight for his or her country and die in the battle, he or she should be able to have a drink. [1] Increasing the age limit to above 18 creates something called “forbidden fruit” syndrome where young adults view drinking while underage is some sorts of rebellion against authority and it is satisfied doing it. [2] Lowering the MLDA to 18 would make young adults less likely to feel they have to drink their hearts out every time they have the opportunity and that the next time they can drink will be a while. Thus, decreasing binge drinking, especially in college/universities campuses. [3] Why we should keep it at 21 and older? Alcohol proves to have more negative effects on young adults. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration reported that the number of fatal crashes involving drunken drivers under 21 decreased by 61% after the new Minimum Legal Drinking Age was raised. [4] The CDC stated that in 2009, about 42% of high school students had drunk at last some alcohol within 30 days of taking the survey. This means that people as young as 14 can have access to alcohol. However, they cannot buy alcohol at 14 so most often time they would ask their friends or older siblings to buy them alcohol. Lowering the MLDA would only make it that much easier for young teenagers to get alcohol. [5] The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated that MLDA 21 actually decreased the number of fatal traffic accidents for 18-to 20-year olds by 13% from 19752008. [6] According to the CDC, underage drinking costs the US economy $24 billion in 2010. Government paid for $100.7 billion (40.4%) of these costs. Binge drinking accounted for $191.1 billion (76.7%) of costs; underage drinking $24.3 billion (9.7%) of costs; and drinking while pregnant $5.5 billion (2.2%) of costs. [7] MLDA 18 is not a right according to a ruling on December 22, 1987 by a US district court. The ruling stated that MLDA 21 is “‘reasonably related to a state objective of reducing highway crashes,’ and that MLDA 21 withstands a constitutional challenge on 3 key legal issues: (1) drinking alcohol is not a "fundamental" right guaranteed by the Constitution, (2) age is not inherently a "suspect" criteria for discrimination (in contrast to race or ethnicity, for example) and (3) using the drinking age to prevent highway crashes has a "rational basis" in available scientific evidence.” [8] MLDA 21 actually reduces alcohol consumption. In a 2002 meta-study, 87% of the analyses found higher drinking ages associated with lower alcohol consumption. [9] Why we should increase it to 25 and older? Scientists believe that our brains do not fully develop until the age of 25 or so. In teen’s brains, the connections between the emotional part and the decision-making center are still developing. [10] According to the Core Institute, almost 73% of college students drink at least sometimes, and the average male freshman in college drinks an average of 7.4 alcoholic beverages per week. Almost 90% of sexual assaults on college campuses involve alcohol. Increasing the MLDA to 25 would make most college students underage and with strict enforcement could reduce negative consequences. [11] According to a report by David J. Hanson, Ph.D., who has studied alcohol and drinking for over 40 years, despite the fact that fewer 18 to 20-year-olds might be drinking, but when they do, they are binge drinking. [12] Works Cited [1].http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/02/lawmaker_wants_to_lower_nj_drinking_age_t o_18.html [2] http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/16/us/legal-drinking-age/index.html [3] http://wtnh.com/2015/09/28/study-lowering-drinking-age-may-stop-binge-drinking-incollege/ [4] http://www.startribune.com/state-s-drinking-age-should-remain-21/17310184/ [5] https://jcpatriot.com/perspectives/2011/04/27/con-lowering-the-drinking-age-would-increaseaccessibility/ [6] National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, "Traffic Safety Facts," nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov, 2008 [7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26477807 [8] Honorable Ralph Guy Jr., "Ref. Civil No. 8-73015 and Civil No. 8-73159," US District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, Southem Division, Detroit, Michigan, Dec. 22, 1978 [9] Alexander C. Wagenaar and Traci L. Toomey, "Effects of Minimum Drinking Age Laws: Review and Analyses of the Literature from 1960 to 2000," Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 2002 [10].https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=1&ContentID= 3051 [11] https://www.elementsbehavioralhealth.com/adolescent-issues/legal-drinking-age/ [12] https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/reading-between-the-headlines/201207/the-prosand-cons-drinking-18
