Lowering the Drinking Age - Joseph Kwon

Joseph Kwon
Persuasive Writing
October 25, 2008
First Draft

There are many factors that contribute to why the drinking age has stayed at twenty-one and hasn’t changed for over thirty years, being the only country in the world that has a minimum age limit at twenty-one. Alcohol has always played a special role in the development of the American culture, especially with under aged drinking. America’s culture and relationship with alcohol greatly differs with other countries around the world especially when compared to European countries. Throughout time the cultural impact of alcohol has continued to change especially with young adults. With the changes that come along with time there should be changes to adapt to the modern times.
The current American culture is the main problem to the cause of alcohol abuse. Lowering the drinking age can change the current culture with underage drinking. European countries have less alcohol related problems and less number of people abusing alcohol than the U.S. It is due to their culture and their liberal perspective of the use of alcohol. Unlike European countries, binge drinking is common, which attributes to many of the accidents and deaths. Instead of going to bars or restaurants, where is it a controlled situation, with drink limitations, these young adults are binge drinking at keg parties, where there is no control, and people are encouraged, sometimes pressured, into large consumptions of alcohol. These parties are typically off campus, in rural areas, where a car is the only means to get to the destination. Many young adults start their drinking career in college, at these parties. College might possibly be the worst environment to experience alcohol for the first time. In Europe, alcohol isn’t treated as a “magic elixir”, but rather a common fixture during dinner and isn’t treated like a novelty as it is in the US. Many Europeans grew up watching their parents drink, which is an environment that doesn’t pressure and praise binge drinking. There should be more programs about awareness and responsibilities, that come along with alcohol, because parents usually are not there when underage drinking occurs, unlike in European counties. All European countries have a drinking age limit, ranging from 16 to 18, and several countries doesn’t have a minimum age for the purchase and consumption of alcohol. The European’s perspective of alcohol is of a liberal view, where the age limit is never enforced, unlike trying to purchase alcoholic beverages in the US.
One of the biggest arguments for changing the age limit is that when you turn eighteen you are allowed to go to war, register to vote, have consent for sex and many other new privileges and rights, but denied the right to purchase alcohol. Recently they have been discussing that the soldiers who fight for the US, in Iraq and Afghanistan, are responsible enough to purchase and consume alcohol. It was reported, recently in a USA Today article, “legislation introduced in Kentucky, Wisconsin and South Carolina would lower the drinking age for military personnel only.” In the same article Rep. Fletcher, a sponsor of the bill, was quoted, "If you can take a shot on the battlefield," he says, "you ought to be able to take a shot of beer legally." Discussion should not end with the soldiers, but extend to all young adults, under the age of twenty-one. The age limit at twenty-one is the highest in the world, with US the only country setting a limit that high. The change in age hasn’t changed the view on alcohol and its responsibilities, but created a culture that is revolved around alcohol and binge drinking.
There has been a lot of change since the increase in the age limit from eighteen to twenty-one. That is why it should be revisited, as the major concern for changing the age limit was because of drunk drinking accidents. There has been a significant change in the way the law enforcement handles drunk driving situations and also an increase in law enforcements to enforce the laws. Since the change of the age limit, many states has implemented new laws, such as the zero tolerance law and changed the Body Alcohol Content (BAC) from .10% to .08%, resulting in hundreds of lives saved. In a recent article, it reported a research conducted by NHTSA, which stated, “that when the .08 experience is translated to a national scale, it will result in a savings of approximately 490 to 890 lives.” There has also been a significant change in the culture that isn’t fully understood by the previous generation. The current generation understands the benefits of changing the age limit, that is why it was reported, “Over 120 presidents from various colleges and universities have been pushing to lower the drinking age from 21 down to 18. The Amethyst Initiative is the name of this new push, and has been approved so far by 128 presidents.”
Each state decides what age limit is appropriate, but there is also a federal influence to the current age limit. In an article, Drinking Age Limit, it states, ”The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 required all states to raise their minimum purchase and public possession of alcohol age to 21. States that did not comply faced a reduction in highway funds under the Federal Highway Aid Act.” Many states aren’t even considering the change in the age limit because of the funding they will lose, under the Federal Highway Aid Act. Rep. Chris DeLaForest reported, in a USA today article, “Proponents face opposition from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and a potentially costly obstacle: Congress voted in 1984 to penalize states that set the drinking age below 21 with forfeiture of 10% of their federal highway funds. That threat "may prove to be a deal-breaker" for his bill, says Minnesota state Rep. Chris DeLaForest.”
With the changes times there needs to put changes in laws that adapt to the modern times. Changes in laws have the power to change the mentality and culture of a new generation. There are many obstacles to over come, to bring about a change that is so desperately needed in American today. With a better understanding of the current culture and the drinking habits of young adults, we can see that a change is needed and that change is to lower the drinking age from twenty-one to eighteen.