E.+Persuasive+Research+Essay

__**Lowering of Legal Drinking Age **__ The United States has tried prohibition legislation twice for controlling irresponsible drinking problems in the past; once in the 1850s and again in the 1920s. These laws were repealed because they could not be enforced and the backlash caused other societal problems (Hanson 6). These laws did not work then and would not be practical now, so something else must be done to address this problem. In her article, Reginald Fennell points out that minimum drinking age in most countries is eighteen years old, and that in some countries sixteen-year-olds can drink legally. Countries such as Italy, China, and Greece are some of the countries where the legal drinking age is lower and there are fewer alcohol related problems. Current law in terms of legal drinking age has caused more alcohol related deaths than there has ever been (Fennell 3). Why the U.S. continues to use prohibition to curtain underage drinking is a conundrum, as it is clearly not working. The age to legally be able to purchase, consume, or possess alcohol should be lowered to eighteen because this is the age in which a person is considered an adult, current laws are ineffective as minors still drink despite the current age limit, and lowering the drinking age would make for less harmful drinking.

By law, any American citizen eighteen years of age or older is entitled to receive the rights and responsibilities to vote, serve on juries, be prosecuted as an adult, and join the military. Citizens younger than twenty-one can go to war and die for their country, but they cannot be trusted by their government to handle alcohol responsibly. People aged eighteen or over have the privilege of getting married and starting a family, yet they would not have the privilege of being allowed a drink at their own wedding to celebrate the occasion. Once reaching the age of eighteen, one can be trusted with a car, a gun, piloting a plane, hunting down wildlife, and much more (Lewis 334). It does not make sense that an eighteen year old could have these serious responsibilities while not being able to be trusted with alcohol. Adults from the age of eighteen should therefore be trusted to make decisions about alcohol consumption. Instead of being able to have complete control over their lives when they reach the legal age of adulthood, citizens are forced to wait an additional three years for an equal level of freedom. If citizens are considered to be adults and expected to act like adults at age eighteen, it should be their right to have the choice of whether to drink alcohol or not.

In an article written by John McCardell, President of Middlebury College and noted researcher on the subject of alcohol, he states that the way American society addresses this problem has been about as effective as a parachute that opens on the second bounce. Clearly, state laws mandating a minimum drinking age of twenty-one have not eliminated drinking by young adults—they have simply driven it underground, where life and health are at greater risk (McCardell 2). The reality of the matter is that many teenagers drink whether restricted by law or not, it is the truth. The "just say no" policy has clearly not been successful in changing that behavior. The true focus for government action should not be so much what age limit is necessary for drinking, but rather just accepting that there are many under aged teens drinking and instead trying to keep them safe and out of harm’s way. Anyone under age twenty-one sees alcohol as a "forbidden fruit" (Fennell 3). The curiosity leads to more people under the age of twenty-one drinking anyway. If drinking is made legal for those aged eighteen and older, then the curiosity is not as high and the fruit is not forbidden anymore.

The losses each year due to alcohol related accidents, whether it be from alcohol poisoning or driving under the influence, should not be looked at as another percentage or number but rather as individual people, sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, and so on. The law needs to be focusing less on age restrictions and more on how to keep people safer. According to the article, “Presidents Campaign to Lower Drinking Age,” college presidents from more than one hundred twenty U.S. universities are calling on lawmakers to consider lowering the drinking age from twenty-one back to eighteen. They are in agreement that lowering the drinking age back to eighteen is the right solution to binge drinking and alcohol related accidents (Presidents Campaign 2). Keeping teens from drinking in bars, restaurants, and public locations has the effect of forcing them to drink in unsupervised places such as dorm rooms and house parties. The high number of people present combined with the way in which bars and clubs are run provide the controlled environment needed to promote safer drinking. It is far less likely for someone to die of alcohol poisoning in a bar than in a private home because the number of people capable of recognizing an alcohol related problem greatly increases. When teens get hurt from alcohol-related injuries or accidents, they are oftentimes afraid of seeking medical help for fear of both legal consequences and their parents. Lewis, author of "Safety First" notes that although failure to seek medical assistance in cases of alcohol poisoning can lead to fatal outcomes, evidence suggests that the threat of judicial consequences resulting from enforcement of the minimum drinking age leads some students to refrain from calling for emergency medical services (Lewis 337). Lowering the drinking age will allow teens to drink alcohol in regulated environments with supervision, therefore resolving the issue of refrain from a minor to get medical help when urgently needed. Teens should not so much be lectured on not drinking, but rather on how to drink responsibly. When adolescents are not taught to drink in moderation, they have a higher chance of binge drinking when they do choose to consume alcohol. It would be better to teach young adults to learn how to drink cautiously and hold them responsible for their actions. When drinking is made legal for anyone under the age of twenty-one and over eighteen, drinking will more likely take place around other responsible drinkers. Overall, the benefits of lowering the drinking age would greatly benefit the fight against underage drinking problems.

Whether the legal drinking age is twenty-one or eighteen, there are going to be problems related to alcohol. Setting twenty-one as the legal age to drink does not solve that problem. As a matter of fact, this is one of the reasons why there are so many alcohol related deaths among teens. Underage drinkers get their hands on alcohol and get overly intoxicated, as they are not sure how to control their drinking. Tolerance does not necessarily come with age; tolerance comes with realization of responsibility, as seen by some people being more responsible at fifteen than some are at fifty (Hanson 4). The policies enforced by government to address underage drinking should focus on these true factors that affect tolerance. When combined with the proper development of responsible drinking habits for teens, lowering the drinking age from twenty-one to eighteen would be the most beneficial policy to society in regards to the problems of underage drinking.

**Works Cited**

Fennell, Fennell, Reginald. "Using the "KISS" Principle to Address Alcohol Misuse/Abuse..." Journal of American College Health, May 2009: 573-574. //SIRS Researcher.// Print. 17 January 2011. Hanson, David J. "Should the Drinking Age Be Lowered to 18?" American Teacher, May 2008: 3. //SIRS Researcher. // Print. 12 January 2011. Lewis, D. K. (2006). “Safety First,” a medical amnesty approach to alcohol poisoning at a U.S. university. //International Journal of Drug Policy, 17//(4), (329–338). Print. 17 January 2011. McCardell, John. "Teach Drinking." Atlantic Monthly Vol. 304, No. 1, July 2009: 64. //SIRS// //Researcher.// Web. 12 January 2011. "Presidents campaign to lower drinking age." //Women in Higher Education,// June 2008: 6. //General// //OneFile //. Print. 16 January 2011.