Tyler Hall
Mrs. Cowan
English 111-353
November 20, 2014
Should The Drinking Age Be Lowered?
The drinking age should be lowered in the United States; because in the legal system at
eighteen you are tried as an adult and have every responsibility as any other adult. Young men
and women age eighteen-twenty are enlisting in the military and going over sea’s and fighting
for a freedom and when they get home they can’t drink alcohol. This is the one of the biggest
problems I have with this law and is why I’m on the side against the current age minimum and
want to see the age minimum lowered. I feel slightly bias to the side of lowering the drinking age
because I’m 19. Although I am open to hear the arguments of both sides.
There are many benefits that would come with lowering the drinking age. One of them
being the economy would be doing better with more adults being allowed to drink. It has also
been shown that countries with a Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA) lower than twenty-one
have fewer alcohol involved traffic accidents, and fatalities. (Minimum Legal Drinking Age)
Dwight B. Heath the Brown University anthropology professor explains it best. He says when
introduced early in a child’s life "Alcohol has no mystique. It's no big deal. By contrast, where
it's banned until age 21, there's something of the 'forbidden fruit' syndrome." (Griggs) This is
why young adults aged eighteen to twenty will be more likely to go binge drink without any
super vision in private locations, which can lead to poor decisions, because of lack of super
vision. One big fear people have is that young adults won’t seek out medical attention when
needed, because of the fear of getting into trouble. Two years ago a couple of wrestlers were out
on the lake drinking when one jumped in head first into the shallow water. Not realizing the
water was shallow, he hit his head on the bottom and was knocked unconscious. His friend
jumped in pulled him out and performed CPR until paramedics arrived. He saved his friend’s life
and then was charged for underaged drinking. Although the boy who jumped in to save his friend
was charged, he did the right thing. The problem is that some kids may in a similar situation get
scared and fear getting into trouble more than their friends safety. Although 17 other states have
a new law that allows underage kids to call for medical help and not get in trouble for being
under the influence, I believe North Carolina should adopt a law like this one. “Alcohol should
never be the reason medical help is not obtained but in 17 states even if you are too young to
drink getting help for someone will not get you in trouble even if you were illegally drinking
also” (Reddit). This law should be passed in all states no matter if you’re for or against underage
drinking, because young adults are going to drink either way. This law could save many young
adults lives.
Cons to lowering the drinking age are also reasonable. One of cons to lowering the
drinking age is with the age lowered it would allow high school and even middle school
student’s easier access to alcohol. (Minimum Legal Drinking Age) Then after it gets lowered
what is to stop them from lowering it again and again until there is no limit? Statistically
speaking, if America lowers the drinking age that means that there will be more drunk drivers on
the roads, which is the main purpose for a drinking age minimum: to keep drunk drivers off the
road. Also to determine at what age you are mature enough to handle the responsibility of
alcohol consumption. When Vermont voted to increase the age in 1985, alcohol-related traffic
fatalities reportedly dropped by 40 percent, according to Vermont State Police. (Underage
Drinking) This is a good enough reason to keep the drinking age up at twenty-one. The National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration says laws setting the drinking age at twenty-one have cut
traffic fatalities involving drivers ages eighteen-twenty by 13 percent and have saved an
estimated 19,121 lives since 1975. (Underage Drinking) Another con is that most kids are not
mature enough to be trusted with alcohol without supervision. Young adults do not know all the
other real dangers of alcohol consumption, like being killed by alcohol poisoning. Young adults
that drink alcohol before legal age are also known to be more likely to try other illegal drugs.
After researching both side I feel like both sides have very good points. On one hand,
once you’re eighteen you are considered an adult and are able to smoke, vote, and get drafted to
fight in a war. Although your country trusts you to go to war to kill for your country, and even to
die for your country, you don’t have the right to drink alcohol. I think is very wrong and also the
main problem I have with this law. If the law says at eighteen were adults then we eighteen and
up should be treated as adults and be allowed to drink alcohol. Let us drink alcohol; at eighteen
most of us are already anyways. This is one of the most ignored laws in the
United States; in my opinion, it’s because it makes the least sense out of all the laws. Also by
lowering the age to eighteen it would take away the excitement and rebelliousness of eighteentwenty year olds drinking alcohol. Alcohol would become a norm in society and it wouldn’t be
as big of a deal. The law that kept alcohol from young adults is what made the problem we have
today. Because were considered adults and we want to act like them, so many young adults
ignore the law a drink alcohol. Although its illegal most do it in private away from proper
supervision, Which makes it more likely for young adults to binge drink. That’s when the
problems start to happen. That is why I have taken up the side to lower the drinking age. I am
also open to not allowing young adults to not be able to purchase alcohol in large quantities or at
stores. I would feel better if we could at least drink in restaurants so we can be supervised and
allowed to drink, just maybe not be allowed to get drunk. Or, the United States could set up some
type of drinking license from age eighteen-twenty that if you are ever caught drunk to the point
where you blackout or lose self-control that then you should be banned until twenty-one. With
that being said, I still believe we deserve a chance to show that as young adults we can be trusted
with alcohol consumption. I mean after all everyone matures at different speeds; for example I
know 40 year olds that are still not mature enough to drink.
Work Cited
"Drinking Age ProCon.org." ProConorg Headlines. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2014.
<http://drinkingage.procon.org/>
(Griggs), Brandon. "Should the U.S. Lower Its Drinking Age?" CNN. Cable News Network, 01
Jan. 1970. Web. 20 Nov. 2014. <http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/16/us/legal-drinking-age/>
"YSK That Underage Drinking Will Not Be Penalized in 17 States If Reporting a Medical
Emergency. • /r/YouShouldKnow." Reddit. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2014.
"Cons of Lowering Drinking Age." Underage Drinking. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2014.
<http://2mikejohn.wordpress.com/cons-of-lowering-drinking-age/>