Legal Drinking Age the Drinking Age at Research Paper

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Legal Drinking Age

The drinking age at 21 in the United States is draconian, placing our country on par with the most socially repressed in the world. "Most drinking ages worldwide are at maximum 18, if not less, which makes sense for legal drinking ages. And provided you act like a grown up, you can probably be served a cerveza with that fish taco anywhere, regardless of age," (Crislip). I have traveled to Europe, where young people drink responsibly because they have been enjoying wine and beer at family gatherings since they were 12 years old. The United States has ineffective and even hypocritical laws related to the minimum drinking age (MLDA). At age 18, a young person is eligible to serve in the army but not order a beer. At age 18, a young person is eligible to vote but not to choose what glass of wine to order with dinner. The low drinking age in the United States is ostensibly in place to protect our young people and prevent problems like drunk driving and binge drinking. Drunk driving and binge drinking are problems that must be addressed by developing more responsible behavior in general, not by keeping the drinking age as high as 21. The drinking age should be lowered to 18 or removed altogether, in order to promote greater personal responsibility and teach healthy habits to young people.

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Statistics show that the drinking age in the United States is counterproductive and even harmful. For example, the rate of traffic fatalities in the United States during the1980s "decreased less than that of European countries whose legal drinking ages are lower than 21, proving that establishing an MLDA at 21 is not necessarily an effective way to reduce traffic fatalities," ("Should the drinking age be lowered from 21 to a younger age?"). There is a real need to lower or eliminate the drinking age. In fact, "more than 130 college chancellors and presidents have signed a petition initiated in 2008 in support of the idea," (Ogilvie). If young people are the ones we are most trying to protect, then it is important to understand that "responsible drinking could be taught through role modeling and educational programs," (Engs).

The solution is simple: lower the drinking age to a maximum of 18 years of age. At first, the change can take place on a state-by-state basis. Then, the federal government might notice that the lower drinking age is creating a more responsible generation of young….....

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