Lowering Drinking Age to 18

Lowering MLDA Twenty-one to Eighteen The legal drinking age in the United States is twenty-one and older. Some states have been pushing to lower the age to eighteen. Some say that lowering the age would make it dangerous, but that is not the case. This would be beneficial to the government and to the public. Lowering the drinking age back to eighteen years old would be good for the economy, environment, and public safety. Lowering the MLDA 21 (minimum legal drinking age 21) would be good for the economy. More people would legally be able to drink in bars, restaurants, and other licensed establishments. Revenue would increase for private business owners, and greater amounts of tax revenue would be collected by the government. Allowing eighteen to twenty year olds to drink in regulated environments with supervision would decrease unsafe drinking activity. Prohibiting this age group from drinking in bars, restaurants, and other licensed locations causes them to drink in unsupervised places, such as fraternity houses or house parties. These places would be more prone to binge drinking and other unsafe behavior. Drinking alcohol is an enjoyable activity. Eighteen to twenty year old adults should not be denied that enjoyment when other pleasurable activities are legal at age eighteen. Eighteen is the age of adulthood in the United States, and adults should have the right to make their own decisions about alcohol consumption. Turning eighteen entails a receiving the rights and responsibilities of adulthood to vote, smoke cigarettes, serve on juries, get married, sign contracts, be prosecuted as adults, and join military- which includes risking one’s life. Adults should have the right to drink whenever they want to. If they want to experience the drink of alcohol for any reason, they should have the right to do that. There could be emotional, educational, and religious reasons for why an adult would want to drink, and they should not have a law that stops them from doing that. There are fewer drunk driving traffic accidents and fatalities in many countries with MLDA of eighteen. Although the United States increased the MLDA to twenty-one in 1984, its rate of traffic accidents and fatalities in the 1980’s decreased less than that of European countries whose legal drinking ages are lower than twenty-one. MLDA 21 is not statistically associated with lower rates of suicide, homicide, or vandalism. There is a 2002 meta-study of the legal drinking age and health and social problems. That study states that “72% of the studies found no statistically significant relationship despite claims that lowering the MLDA to eighteen would increase suicide and criminal activities by adolescents.” This explains that there is a big probability that lowering the drinking age to eighteen will cause no problems in suicide or criminal activities by adolescents. In conclusion, lowering the drinking age to eighteen in the United States would be good for the economy, environment, and public safety. Age eighteen is the age of adulthood in the United States, and adults should have the right to make their own decisions about alcohol consumption. If a man or woman can go to war and die for their country when they are eighteen and can also vote, and buy cigarettes, then being able to consume alcohol should not have to be a problem. There are many reasonable opinions in which people do not want to lower the drinking age to eighteen. There are pros and cons to everything, and I feel that there are more positive reasons for why the drinking age in the United States should be lowered. It is your decision, do what is right to change our country!