Drinking age should be lower
Many rights given at 18, why is drinking not one?
Issue date: 10/23/07 Section: Editorial
For a group of young students at the Middlebury College in Vermont, lowering the legal drinking age has become their new mission.
Choose Responsibility, the group's official name, has been facing some harsh criticism from groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving because their plan of action is to lower the drinking age from 21 to 18.
While we understand the criticisms groups like MADD voice, we feel that lowering the drinking age is a step in the right direction. Having a lower drinking age could be used as a chance to educate the younger generation about the dangers of alcohol sooner.
For instance, if the drinking age was lowered to 19, alcohol-awareness classes could be taught more thoroughly through high schools, something similar to drivers education. This way, students have to attend the class and pass before they have their first drink
Another reason the drinking age should be lowered is that right now we set it apart from all other responsibilities. At the age of 18, one can buy cigarettes, drive a car, rent a hotel room and fight for their country in a foreign land during a war, but they cannot legally have a drink with their family.
By making people wait until 21, we set alcohol apart from everything and give it the feeling that it is that much worse than other adult actions or potential vices.
For example, according to Whudafxup.com, cigarettes contribute to approximately 4.8 million deaths per year, whereas alcohol contributes to approximately 100,000 per year due to excessive alcohol drinking.
Not that either of these things are good, but the fact that you only have to be 18 to buy cigarettes, but any age to smoke them, makes it seem like they may be less frowned upon than drinking.
Also, by having the age at 21, we set the forbidden fruit ideal of alcohol. One reason why kids start drinking at such a young age is because they are continuously told not to drink.
The age of 19 is the right age to allow people to have a drink. At this point in their life they are, for the most part, out of high school and entering into either the real world or college. This is the time when most kids are expected to start acting like adults, why not allow them to have a drink like one.
Choose Responsibility, the group's official name, has been facing some harsh criticism from groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving because their plan of action is to lower the drinking age from 21 to 18.
While we understand the criticisms groups like MADD voice, we feel that lowering the drinking age is a step in the right direction. Having a lower drinking age could be used as a chance to educate the younger generation about the dangers of alcohol sooner.
For instance, if the drinking age was lowered to 19, alcohol-awareness classes could be taught more thoroughly through high schools, something similar to drivers education. This way, students have to attend the class and pass before they have their first drink
Another reason the drinking age should be lowered is that right now we set it apart from all other responsibilities. At the age of 18, one can buy cigarettes, drive a car, rent a hotel room and fight for their country in a foreign land during a war, but they cannot legally have a drink with their family.
By making people wait until 21, we set alcohol apart from everything and give it the feeling that it is that much worse than other adult actions or potential vices.
For example, according to Whudafxup.com, cigarettes contribute to approximately 4.8 million deaths per year, whereas alcohol contributes to approximately 100,000 per year due to excessive alcohol drinking.
Not that either of these things are good, but the fact that you only have to be 18 to buy cigarettes, but any age to smoke them, makes it seem like they may be less frowned upon than drinking.
Also, by having the age at 21, we set the forbidden fruit ideal of alcohol. One reason why kids start drinking at such a young age is because they are continuously told not to drink.
The age of 19 is the right age to allow people to have a drink. At this point in their life they are, for the most part, out of high school and entering into either the real world or college. This is the time when most kids are expected to start acting like adults, why not allow them to have a drink like one.
Viewing Comments 1 - 5 of 5
Dan
posted 1/07/08 @ 10:02 AM EST
I think that this story is absolutly right if 18 year olds where trusted more in this country or even the state of Pennsylvania then maybe they will start acting more like adults. (Continued…)
drug and alcoholic treatment center
posted 4/21/08 @ 9:28 AM EST
Indeed, 21 is way too strict, in most European countries the legal age is 18, which I think it's just appropriate even though the 18 years-old are not mature enough. (Continued…)
famtree
Michael Gallagher
posted 4/22/08 @ 1:01 PM EST
The issue is high school kids getting alcohol- which some say will happen anyway. Development is hampered by alcohol. Europe has a different culture toward alcohol, although in French class (college?) I read about French problems with overdrinking by highschoolers (drinking age at least for beer & wine is 14). (Continued…)
Brianne
posted 5/10/08 @ 2:16 AM EST
I honestly don't think there is a problem with lowering the drinking age to 19. 18, yes because most 18 year olds are still in high school. By age 19 they are graduated and off to college. (Continued…)
Rey
posted 5/13/08 @ 11:21 AM EST
I Agree that Drinking age should be lower because drinking is every form of addiction is bad, no matter whether the narcotic be alcohol or morphine or idealism. (Continued…)
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