Drinking Age

Drinking Age

Introduction

In the 21^st century, there is undisputable support of pieces of scientific evidence that show introduction to early drinking as the safest way to reduce abuse of alcohol by teens. This evidence nevertheless estimate these teenagers’ current behavior and future harm. These theories also predict how these youths will feel regarding their choices in the future (Erickson and Peterson). Assuming this is the case, then even the direct risks that are borne by youths who drink do not entirely consider the amount of alcohol to consume. Besides, there are costs that young adults impose on their colleagues that most administrations perhaps do not consider when prohibiting teenagers from alcohol consumption (Gever and Savage).  This paper proposes that the legal minimum and right drinking age should be 18. In many countries and states across the world, the minimum age of alcohol consumption lies between 18 and 21 years. The question is, what would be wrong by reducing the legal drinking age to 18?

In my view, the answer is, outrightly, there is nothing wrong. Although it is very unusual that most government agencies hawker dozens of scientific evidence against teens getting involved in early alcohol consumption, their policies never meet the target. Because these government agencies engage in tactics that represent false respectabilities for youths (Getnick), the assumption by most of us that governments are impartial arbiters is uncalled for. Governments are not the solutions to individuals’ decisions, especially the young generation, and this explains their rival positions as well as conflicting data, they release left, right, and center.  These entities need to aim at arriving at a reasonable drinking age to serve a neutral arbiter position as far as alcohol consumption is concerned. In my view, the legal minimum drinking age is a topic that requires sober, impartial, and a reasoned scientific discussion and decision. However, another begging the question is, what have these governments done? Most government agencies join this discussion with formed opinions and squarely support one side of the debate.

And what else in the end? Naturally, creating an irresponsible drinking age industry. That is why we see cases of drug and violence, drinking and driving suits, teen getting to class while drunk, drug and sex, as well as examples of rape, fatal road accidents all over the world. What if we sit down as one entity (inclusively) and chatted a reasonable drinking age, say 18 as I support? Youths in many countries practice responsible drinking thanks to the lack of minimum drinking age. For example, teens in states like New Zealand and Portugal rarely display any kind of embarrassment (either to their families or themselves) by abusing alcohol (Erickson and Peterson). These two countries have no requirements for the minimum drinking age. In countries like Argentina, Spain, and France, teens as young as 16 years are allowed to consume alcohol in restaurants with other adults or even with their parents. These teens rarely abuse alcohol; besides, they have learned how to drink with their families responsibly. In these countries drinking alcohol is taken with moderation and seen a normal and a natural thing. In South Africa, Kenya, and Australia, the minimum drinking age is 18-years.

According to a study conducted by the United States, teens who drink together with their parents are less likely to abuse alcohol or consume it elsewhere. As such, this study implies that teens drinking alcohol with their guardians or parents learn the responsible habits of alcohol drinking. Besides, this act also eliminates excitement, craving, or novelty of wanting to drink more; as such, drinking with parents a sense of behavior protection.  This observation explains why some cultural groups, nations or countries display high drinking rates, yet low proportions of alcohol-related problems. The reason being, these young people have learned how to moderate their drinking habits from their parents. They know when to drink and when not to drink, thus avoiding alcohol stigmatization.

This view is supported by many researchers who also claim that the laws on the minimum drinking age, for example, in the United States, are post-prohibition occurrences. Before the Prohibition (the Eighteenth Amendment) was repealed, there was a rare prohibition of minors by states from drinking (Gever and Savage). However, upon its promulgation, many peers, communities, and families were self-restrained with exerted controls that have been seen through cultural and social constraints. As a result of the winded law on youths’ minimum drinking age and its logic is a deprival of the fundamental respect that should be scrapped.

I am supporting lowering the legal drinking age to 18; however, this should be allowed in controlled environments, like official university and school functions, pubs, taverns, and restaurants. These environments offer responsible drinking behavior. Besides, most of these teens are likely to be accompanied by parents, guardians, or other older adults who act as their role models. The result is a sensible and mature drinking behavior. My opinion is anchored on various research studies concerning the drinking habit of teens in the United States as well as other cultures in other parts of the world.

I acknowledge the current legal drinking age of 21 years; however, there are a majority of teens below this age and are associated with high drinking binge. Some are extremely irresponsible. Taking ourselves back about a century ago; the society perceived the drinking habit of teens as an enticing act of the innocent by taking the forbidden fruit. In the old American society, drinking teens was a symbol of adulthood and an emblem of rebellion to the authority. As such, most countries, including U.S prohibited and controlled irresponsible drinking and related problems by teens. In the U.S, this took place between the 1850s and 1920s during the National Prohibition and State Prohibition, respectively (Main). However, these laws were later rescinded because they demonstrated how backlash and unenforceable they were against social problems.  Currently, the country is rewriting the same history mistakes that it had made a century ago. Prohibiting alcohol, especially for the teens, failed and is not operational at the moment.

The current theatrical laws are already at every teens’ disposal, especially among youths and students in the university. Teens below 21 years are heavy or binge consumers or drinkers of alcohol-consuming more than five drinks at least once per week. In the U.S, for instance, heavy or binge drinkers below 21 years are about 22 percent compared to 18 percent binge drinkers who are above 21 years. Of all these binge drinkers, about 32 percent are underage, and only 24 percent fall under the legal age (Main). Early studies conducted in the 1980s to-date indicate a constant decline of variables associated with drinking and driving among teens among nations as well as a decrease in consumption per capita (Main). Interestingly, the declines started before and in between the 1980 and the 1987 national prohibition law and currently the state law that allowed adults of 21 years to purchase and drink alcohol. Not just the decrease in consumption per capita or rise in purchase of alcohol that has resulted in the reduction of problems of drinking and driving but because of such factors as free taxi services from drinking outlets, lower speed limits, safer automobiles, enhanced seat belt and air airbag usage, designated driver programs, education concerning drunk driving, among others.

Despite the decline in motor vehicle accidents and consumption per capita, regrettably, binge drinking among teens and other related challenges has remained high. These challenges are attributed to irresponsible drinking among youths, especially in our colleges. According to many of the behaviors reported, these numbers are high despite the enactment of 21 years as the legal drinking age. Between 1982 and 1987, for example, nearly 46 percent of teens, especially among college students, were reported to have vomited after drinking. The number increased with more than 50 percent even after enacting the 21 years as the legal drinking age. There were also significant increases in other variables. These included fighting after drinking, which rose from 12 to 17 percent, getting lower grades increased from 5 to 7 percent, missing classes increased from 26 to 28 percent, and cutting classes after rose 12 from 9 percent (Main). These behaviors are irresponsible drinking indices that are attributed to underground drinking without the supervision of parents, guardians, or any other elderly persons.

Before the Prohibition (the Eighteenth Amendment) was repealed, there was a rare prohibition of minors by states from drinking (Gever and Savage). However, upon its promulgation, many peers, communities, and families were self-restrained with exerted controls that have been seen through cultural and social constraints. Legalizing 18 years as the minimum drinking age has been demonstrated in many countries, such as New Zealand, where teens practice responsible drinking and rarely display any form of embarrassment (Erickson and Peterson). Countries such as Portugal have no minimum drinking age requirement. In countries like Argentina, Spain, and France, teens as young as 16 years are allowed to consume alcohol in restaurants with other adults or even with their parents (Erickson and Peterson)

                                                                  Conclusion

In summary, there is no serious contention that prescribes whether society should thoroughly scrape all regulations on alcohol consumption. Besides, it is not a matter of whether there should be some regulations but which rule works best. As been demonstrated by various examples and experiences across the world, it, therefore, proves that using both strong social sanctions and reasonable regulations or laws is what works best. Although youths need to be patronized by adults, this should be done with the utmost highest social responsibility, self-restraint, and maturity. In my view, reducing the drinking age to 18 would be useful and in particular, would help reduce the abuse of alcohol by teens. Having looked at various studies and based on the current legal drinking age of 21 has failed or is not working, then there is a need to seek for more options. Studies have revealed that teens who tend to drink early and more so with their parents tend to be so responsible than the left age. Hence, my option is that the legal drinking age should be lowered to 18, and this is supported by the fact that the laws on the minimum drinking age, for example, in the United States are post-prohibition occurrences.