Should the national drinking age be lowered to 18?

by Anthony Megna

Created on: July 05, 2009   Last Updated: September 03, 2011

If one is old enough to die for our country, one is old enough to drink ! It might be true that the maturity level of an 18 year old isn't up to par sometimes, but if one is mature enough to protect our country, then drinking responsibly should be legal. But not all adults are mature either, so where does one draw the line?

Just because someone turns 21 years of age, does that make them mature? Of course not, as the age limit is nothing but a guideline. However, if one is mature for their age, then handling alcohol responsibly is just another obstacle to be overcome.

In some European countries, kids grow up drinking wine or beer at a very young age. France and Germany come to mind, but there are many other countries where these liquids are part of everyday life. Most of these families don't think twice about serving wine to the family. Because not such a big deal is paid to the overindulgence of these drinks, it is an everyday part of life. And because it is part of life, the overindulgence is not as common.

The drinking age has been argued about for years. It seems when the automobile enters the picture, that is where the trouble begins. It's true that there is a higher rate of death for younger drivers than for older ones. Alcohol is to blame for most of these deaths, but other drugs are to blame as well. Also, just because the drinking age is higher doesn't mean that kids aren't going to drink. In fact, the challenge is to get the keg of beer or bottle of wine because it's illegal to have. There is something more thrilling when one is not supposed to possess it.

The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 signifies that revenue will be withheld from states that allow alcohol to be purchased by anyone under the age of 21. It's going to take a lot of hard work and campaigning to change this law. The fact of the matter is that this law works, so why change it? It was passed primarily for safety reasons, and the traffic fatalities went down dramatically when this law was passed.

So what's the bottom line? The fact is that drinking and driving don't mix. That's why that law was passed. And it has worked. Even though I agree that one is an adult at the age of 18, the fact is that there were too many so-called "adults" that ruined it for the the responsible ones. If one is desperate to drink, or do drugs for that matter, they will find a way no matter what the law is. But the fact is the highways are much better for all of us now that there are fewer drunk drivers on the roads. And no matter which way you swing it, the drinking age has always been tied to the driving of automobiles....

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