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As a college student, I can say first hand that the drinking age contributes to binge drinking. College students are often out on their own for long periods of time for the first time in their life. No going home to Mom and Dad, who can smell the alcohol on you on get you in trouble for it and no having to explain your behavior. For the first time they can do completely irresponsible things and only affect themselves. Or so they think. By having such high drinking age, America is contributing to a huge problem.

These "kids" are experiencing freedom for the first time in their lives and are going too far. They don't know, because no one has given the opportunity to know, what their tolerance level is. They don't know that different types of alcohol can affect them differently. They don't know about maintenance rates, which is the most dangerous thing.

"Maintenance rate" refers to the speed at which a person's body can flush out the toxins in alcohol. The equation is 2.5 times the proof of the alcohol in question times the amount of alcohol in ounces, divide by the person's body weight and you have the time in hours that it will take for the person to fully metabolize the drink. For example, it would take a 150 pound person two hours to totally burn off the effects of a 12 oz 10 proof bottle or can of beer. If a person exceeds their maintenance rate, they begin to get drunk. The faster a person drinks, the easier it is to ignore the warning signs their body is sending them (nausea, gagging, dizziness, blurred vision) which can result in alcohol poisoning. Alcohol poisoning can be fatal.

A person who has drunk before, especially in the presence of experienced drinkers (such as parents), will feel these signs and recognize them for what they are. They will stop, or at least slow down. Were the drinking age 16, or even 18, college students would have likely had their first experience with alcohol in the home or with relatives who care above all else for their well-being and will make sure they know the things to look out for. As it is, students are entering college and attending parties or hanging out with new "friends" who do not know any better than they do how dangerous drinking can be. They have contests, games, and bets as to who can drink the most alcohol in a short period of time. They do not know any better. They do not know that drinking that quickly does not give the body a chance to alert them to the danger.

Give kids a chance: teach them how to be aware of their own bodies when they drink. Teach them before they try to teach themselves.

Learn more about this author, S.S. McDaniel.
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