FREE ESSAY ON LOWERING THE DRINKING AGE

LOWERING THE DRINKING AGE

Everyone knows that it is illegal to consume alcohol until the age of 21. Many people are
in agreement with this legal restriction. Some would even say that it should be raised.
However, the legal drinking age sometimes causes more problems than it prevents. 
First, it is necessary to question this law. Why is 21 the magical age that makes one
intelligent and mature enough to consume alcohol? In an alcohol summit held in Boulder
Colorado, Boulder County Sheriff George Epp said There's a general belief that immature
people are less likely to handle the effects of alcohol, so our Congress has chosen to
set an arbitrary limit (at age 21). We all know some people under 21 who can drink
responsibly, and some over 21 with no hope of ever drinking responsibly,. Why isn't the
limit 18 or 35 or 40? This seemingly arbitrary number is associated with adulthood, as if
the day a person turns 21 they know everything and are mature. 
The drinking age used to be 18 in some states. Many parents of today's teenagers were
legally allowed to drink at 18. Today's teenagers face more responsibility and are
treated more like adults than their parents were. This makes the 21 restriction seem out
of date. At 18, people are considered adults. It is the opinion of many people whose
sites I visited that if it is legal for 18 year olds to drive cars, fly planes, vote,
marry, pay taxes, take out loans and risk their lives in the armed forces then it should
be legal for them to drink alcohol. I also am in agreement with this statement.
Today's legal drinking age is unrealistic. Prohibiting the sale of liquor to young adults
creates an atmosphere where binge drinking and alcohol abuse have become a problem.
Banning drinking for young people makes alcohol a tantalizing forbidden fruit. Teenagers
look at drinking as something glamorous. It is viewed as an adult activity; and teenagers
want to be adults as soon as possible. In order to get a drink, teenagers will carry fake
I.D.s ask legal drinkers to buy for them or sneak drinks from their parents' liquor
cabinets. This kind of devious attitude does not encourage responsible drinking.
Furthermore, when the opportunity to drink arises, there is a kind of Let's make up for
lost time attitude. The result is binge drinking. 
The drinking age should be lowered to 18. With the focus on education about safe drinking
instead of restriction, many problems would be averted. American teenagers, unlike
European teens, do not learn how to drink gradually, safely and in moderation. There
alcohol abuse isn't as big of a problem. This comes from educated and gradual drinking. 
Young people learn to regard moderate drinking as an enjoyable social activity rather
than as something they have to sneak around to do. Without this kind of system, college
is viewed as a kind of liberation. If 18 year olds do not have legal access to even a
beer in a public place, they are ill equipped to deal with the responsibilities that come
with drinking when they do have the right. 
The drinking age should be lowered because the current age has no real basis. With a
lowered drinking age, fewer problems will be present. The Boulder County Alcohol Summit
came up with no concrete action plan but they seemed to agree that we need to teach
responsible drinking, not forbid teens from drinking. The problems, which make a drinking
age limit necessary, are better solved through a lowered drinking level and more
education on responsible drinking. So the next time the issue is put to a vote be sure to
vote for lowering this arbitrary drinking age.