This idea is intense, but could be the answer to the introduction of responsible consumption habits at an early age. As August A. Busch III, president of the Anheuser-Busch brewery, put it, “Instead of pretending that a campus ban is realistic, we should invest in helping these young people make healthy and responsible choices” (Toomey et al. 1963). Of course, we have to recognize that a brewery like Anheuser-Busch has a financial interest in young people having legal access to beer. However, this does not mean that their arguments are not valid. In the early 1970s, about 77 percent of adult men and 60 percent of adult women drank, according to Kara Roger`s Substance Use and Abuse. While there is evidence that underage drinking has decreased, binge drinking on college campuses — especially binge drinking — has remained a significant problem. While in Wisconsin, minor children can drink with their parents, this is not the case in all states. By banning alcohol, minors who want to experiment tend not to be aware of the consequences of alcohol consumption. According to a meta-study on MLDA, 87% of studies found a higher legal drinking age, which is associated with lower alcohol consumption. [19] Studies show that when the drinking age is 21, those under 21 drink less and drink less in their early twenties, and adolescents who do not drink before the age of 21 tend to drink less in adulthood.
[42] The number of 18- to 20-year-olds who drank alcohol in the past month increased from 59% in 1985 – one year after Congress passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act – to 39% in 2016. [49] [51] Eighty-one percent of drivers under the age of 21 involved in a fatal crash in 2010 had a blood alcohol level above 0.08, the legal limit, according to the CDC. This means that an overwhelming majority of under-21s drink alcohol anyway. There is no point in ruining someone`s life by drinking minors when responsible drinking habits can be encouraged from the age of 18. Often, teens get their drinks from shady sources and consume drinks in dangerous environments. This new age limit would encourage alcohol consumption in more responsible settings, such as bars or restaurants, rather than on the street or in a stranger`s home. The display of current laws is easy to see among university students. People under the age of 21 are more likely to be heavy drinkers – sometimes called “frenzy” – (consume more than 5 drinks at least once a week). For example, 22% of all students under the age of 21 are heavy drinkers, compared with 18% over the age of 21. Only among drinkers, 32% of minors are heavy drinkers against 24% of the legal age. At the age of 18, we are considered adults and are able to make responsible decisions. We are allowed to do many things that carry risks, such as smoking, driving, having sex and owning a gun.
We are also expected to vote, marry and enlist in the military. We are also considered adults in the eyes of the law and are responsible for any violation we cause. If 18- to 20-year-olds have the right to do all these things, why are they not allowed to drink? It is inconsistent and hypocritical to ban young people under the age of 21 from drinking. Teens drink anyway, so we need to make sure they drink responsibly. In the United States, however, most young adults leave home before they can drink legally, while gaining other freedoms — including the freedom to make dangerous decisions without parental judgment. Excited about the new opportunity and not knowing when they will have another opportunity, underage students often drink when they have the chance. This leads to a power outage in dangerous places, alcohol poisoning, and many other health and cognition problems. The sudden increase in drinking freedom in college, with no prior experience of alcohol in a safe environment, contributes to making the United States the country with the highest rate of excess among young people. This shift in beverage choices, along with irresponsible drinking habits among younger colleagues, has led to an increased incidence of alcohol toxicity – in some cases, death from alcohol poisoning. However, the percentage of students who consume alcohol or who consume a lot of alcohol or who consume alcohol excessively has been relatively stable over the past 30 years. Since the alcohol age was raised in 1984, alcohol-related deaths in cars have declined significantly.
As the saying goes, “strict parents create devious children.” Similarly, a strict country produces rebellious young adults. Compared to countries with lower minimum drinking age, the United States has an unusually high rate of binge drinking among young adults and adolescents. According to Dr. Thomas Frieden of the Center for Disease Control, 90% of all alcohol consumption by young adults and adolescents in the United States is consumed during excessive alcohol consumption. If the legal drinking age were lowered to 18, people would not have to jeopardize their future by obtaining and using false identification. However, people cannot legally drink alcoholic beverages until the age of 21. It is high time for the United States to change this retrograde thinking. 18-year-olds typically enter a new phase of independence from their parents through university or staff and are more prone to excessive drinking, risky sexual activity and other irresponsible behaviour due to lack of maturity. Although the legal purchasing age is 21, the majority of students under that age consume alcohol, but irresponsibly.
This is because drinking these young people is considered an alluring “forbidden fruit,” a “badge of rebellion against authority,” and a symbol of “adulthood.” As a nation, we have tried twice in the past to pass prohibition laws to control irresponsible alcohol problems. This was during national prohibition in the 1920s and state prohibition in the 1850s. These laws were eventually repealed because they were unenforceable and because the reaction against them caused other social problems. Today, we repeat history and make the same mistakes as in the past. The ban didn`t work then, and the ban for kids under 21 doesn`t work now. Police tend to ignore or under-enforce LDL 21 due to resource constraints, legal barriers, the perception that sanctions are inadequate, and the time and effort required to process and paperwork. It is estimated that two out of every 1,000 cases of illegal alcohol consumption by youth under the age of 21 result in arrest. [18] The fear of getting into trouble due to underage drinking also discourages people from seeking medical treatment when it may be necessary.
These people are sometimes faced with the difficult decision of whether or not to take a drunk friend to the hospital. If the drinking age were lower, this stigma would be eliminated and it would be more likely that these students would not be at risk of not leaving. Many underage drinkers quickly consume larger amounts of alcohol before going out instead of drinking for an extended period of time. If students could buy their own drinks, underage drinkers would be less likely to try to get older people to buy drinks from them. But by not buying their own drinks, they become more likely to have something added to the drink. Another factor that inspires minors to drink excessively is the unreliability in the supply of alcohol for students. Many rely on friends, family, or even strangers to buy it for them. This means that it is not always available to younger drinkers, who are now more likely to enjoy it too much whenever they have the chance. Newly legal drinkers often buy alcohol for their underage peers, resulting in a “trickle-down” effect.