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Should the national drinking age be lowered to 18?

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Results so far:

Yes		54%	387 votes	Total: 720 votes
No		46%	333 votes	Total: 720 votes

Yes

4 of 17

by Stacey Cavanagh

I am a resident of the UK, where the drinking age is already 18. I genuinely believe that lowering the age at which someone can buy alcohol in the USA to 18 would be fair and consistent.

We believe our young people responsible enough to vote at 18. We believe that they have enough maturity about them at this age to take a democratic right and social responsibility and cast a vote as to the future of their nation. We believe that they are 'grown up' enough to choose their president, yet we're not happy for them to buy a bottle of wine? That's inconsistent and gives entirely the wrong idea.

We will let young people drive before they can drink. In the USA they can own arms before they can drink? I believe that this offers entirely the wrong message to younger people about what responsibilities they are expected to take and how much society trusts them to behave like adults.

And the fact remains that no 'drinking age' will truly ever stop underage drinking. People find ways of obtaining alcohol when they are 'too young' in much the same way that drug users find ways of obtaining illegal substances when they should not. You could raise it to 40 and teenagers would still get their hands on it. By decriminalising alcohol consumption for the 18-21s, you can rest assured that they can drink safely and socially in the public environments or bars and clubs, as opposed to taking ridiculously large volumes of alcohol to house parties and hiding.

At 18, when one is old enough to vote, to leave home, to go to college and to take full control of one's life, surely it is imperative that young people feel entirely that their life is now their responsibility. This is part of developing independence and learning to 'fly from the nest,' as it were. In placing this rule, whereby we tell these people that they are too young to purchase alcohol, we essentially hold over them a certain unnecessary rule. It's saying to them, 'you are not old enough to do this.' That's a message that you give to children as opposed to adults. Why do we want a generation of young people, who we are trying to convince to become adults, who still have this restriction put on them based on their age? It doesn't make any sense to me at all.

Instead, teach 18-year-olds to drink in moderation, socially only, entrusting them with the responsibility of doing so. I genuinely think that this is the way to encourage a healthy attitude towards alcohol and towards the transition from teenage years to adulthood.

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No

4 of 17

by Brianne Camesi

I don't believe the drinking age should be lowered to 18. Even people at or above the legal age are irresponsible about drinking, so imagine what 18 year old people will do.

Even though the drinking and driving is illegal, people still do it. Teens, at 18, also just got their driving license, so they will be more likely to drink and drive, which is extremely dangerous to everyone.

There will also be an increase in college parties, since it would be legal to drink before they turn 21.

There is evidence that the current legal age of 21 has saved lives, and that it was the reason for it to begin with. Higher drinking ages saved more than 20,000 lives on America's roads. 20,000 is a lot of lives. Alcohol-related fatalities among minors have declined ever since 1984, when the law of no drinking under 21 was passed. Today, alcohol is still the leading cause of deaths in car crashes. Facts show that when teens drink and drive, they are extremely less likely to wear seat belts.

The younger teens start drinking, the higher the chance is of alcoholism. If we lower the age to 18, even younger kids will want to drink. Younger kids will have it more available to them than before.

Even though the drinking age of 21 and over does not completely guarantee that there will be absolutely no minors drinking, it does prevent a lot more harm to society. The age 21 law has successfully decreased deaths.

Adults above the age of 21 that aren't alcoholics use alcohol to celebrate special occasions and holidays, which minors do not. Minors only use alcohol to achieve getting drunk. They have no reason to celebrate with it. Minors are more irresponsible than adults, so they are more likely to binge drink and get alcohol poisoning, which can cause death.

It is typical that kids under the age of 21 want to lower the drinking age to 18 so they can either drink or be closer to the age that is legal.

Even though 18 year old people can vote, sit in juries, and enter into contracts, drinking is completely different. Since alcohol can can possibly lead to death if used the wrong way, it should be in a different class completely.

Also, the fact that teens at 18 can serve in the military doesn't mean they should be allowed to drink alcohol. The military is under very strict supervision,and it doesn't even compare to the maturity needed to drink in uncontrolled parties or social settings.

Lowering the drinking age to 18 will do nothing but increase death rates.

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