should the drinking age be lowered argumentative essay

Why the Legal Drinking Age should be Lowered?

This essay will explore the debate surrounding the proposal to lower the legal drinking age to 18. It will discuss the current legal drinking age’s implications on youth behavior and social norms, comparing it with drinking age laws in other countries. The piece will analyze arguments for and against lowering the age, considering factors such as alcohol-related accidents, maturity levels, and cultural attitudes towards drinking. It will also examine the potential impact on public health, education systems, and law enforcement, drawing on research and case studies to provide a comprehensive view of this contentious issue. PapersOwl offers a variety of free essay examples on the topic of Binge Drinking.

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One of the biggest arguments in the country today is the legal age of consuming alcohol. All across the world, there are different drinking ages which differ from country to country. Each country with their own reasoning’s behind the age restrict. In the United States we know, the legal drinking age is 21. In England and Australia, the drinking age is 18. Spain and Austria, have the drinking age at 16. I believe the legal drinking age for the United States should be lowered to 18.

Some of the reasons I believe this is because it would improve the economy, it would decrease the unsafe drinking activities, it would reduce the numbers of arrests, and I believe that adults should be able to make their own decisions.

First of all, lowering the drinking age would be to improve the economy. With allowing more people to legally drink, there would be an increase in revenue. There would be more alcohol purchases from stores and licensed businesses. An increase in alcohol purchases from bars, clubs, and restaurants. More people would be inclined to do more activities that are not directly associated with drinking. For example, festivals, concerts, and sporting events. There would also be an increase in the manufacturing of alcohol. New jobs would be created for the faming, brewing and distribution of alcohol. In all aspects of the economy there would be an increase in revenue.

Second of all, lowering the age limit it would decrease the unsafe activities that follow underage drinking. With young adults not being allowed to drink in public, this leads to very unsafe and unsupervised drinking activities. Instead of being in a situation that would offer protection for new drinkers and have people who know the signs of bad drinking habits like, binge drinking, and other unsafe practices. They are forced to be in situations with no supervision and the possibility of harming themselves or others.

Third of all, lower the age restriction would also lower the number of young adults breaking the law and getting arrested. With making lowering the age, it would make drinking less of a taboo activity and eliminate the reckless use of it during college and young adult years. As seen is the history of the United States, when prohibition was taking place, it was repealed because it was enforceable and received a lot of backlash from the people. Now as we can see the United States are making the same mistake. Binge drinking and heavy drinking are at alarming high rates compared to ages above 21. If the limit was lowered young adults would be better educated and be able to learn the safe and healthy ay to drink with friends.

Lastly, the age of adulthood in the United States is 18 years old. At that age, it is legal to fight and possibly die for the country. Smoke cigarettes and be fully responsible for your own actions. You can marry and serve in juries. Vote for elections and receive many responsibilities of being an adult. With all of these responsibilities that are gained, there is no logical reason on to why legal adults should be banned from consuming alcohol. Some argue that the brain doesn’t fully develop until age of drinking at 21. As I do agree with that statement, as there is scientific evidence, I still believe that if we are allowed to make life or death decisions for themselves, shouldn’t we choses to but again, as adults that is our choice to make.

Now that I explained the few reasons on why the United States should lower the drinking age to 18, hopefully it is clear on why this would be a good choice for the country. The reasons I believe that it should be lowered is because it would improve the economy, it would decrease the unsafe drinking activities, it would reduce the number of arrests, and I believe that adults should be able to make their own decisions.

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Should the Drinking Age Be Lowered from 21 to a Younger Age?

All 50 US states have set their minimum drinking age to 21 although exceptions do exist on a state-by-state basis for consumption at home, under adult supervision, for medical necessity, and other reasons.

Proponents of lowering the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) from 21 argue that it has not stopped teen drinking, and has instead pushed underage binge drinking into private and less controlled environments, leading to more health and life-endangering behavior by teens.

Opponents of lowering the MLDA argue that teens have not yet reached an age where they can handle alcohol responsibly, and thus are more likely to harm or even kill themselves and others by drinking prior to 21. They contend that traffic fatalities decreased when the MLDA increased. Read more background…

Pro & Con Arguments

Pro 1 18 is the age of legal majority (adulthood) in the United States. Americans enjoy a range of new rights, responsibilities, and freedoms when they turn 18 and become an adult in the eyes of the law. [ 58 ] 18-year-olds may vote in local, state, and federal elections; may serve on juries; and may be charged as an adult if accused of a crime. 18-year-olds are responsible for any legally binding contracts they enter; are liable for negligence; and may be sued. [ 58 ] [ 59 ] [ 60 ] 18-year-olds must register with the Selective Service if male and may be drafted into service at times of war. However, 17-year-olds may enter US military service. [ 60 ] [ 62 ] 18-year-olds may get married without parental consent; buy a house; and enjoy new privacy rights including the shielding of medical, academic, and financial information from parents. [ 60 ] [ 61 ] [ 62 ] However, drinking alcohol remains regulated under a legal age of license. An 18-year-old may legally be responsible children and legally allowed to make life decisions with years of impact, but may not legally drink a beer. [ 58 ] Todd Rutherford, South Carolina State Representative and Democrat House Minority Leader, who filed a bill on Nov. 10, 2021 to lower South Carolina’s MLDA to 18, stated: “This is a personal freedom issue. If you are old enough to fight for our country, if you’re old enough to vote, if you’re old enough to sign on thousands of dollars of students loans for a college education, then you are old enough to have a[n alcoholic] drink.” [ 64 ] Read More

Pro 2 MLDA 21 is ineffective because young adults will consume alcohol regardless, leading to dangerous behaviors. By the time 60% of people are 18, they have had at least one alcoholic drink. 32% of 18-20 year olds admitted to alcohol consumption, according to the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. [ 65 ] [ 66 ] 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 where they may be more prone to binge drinking and other unsafe behavior. [ 7 ] Rather than criminalizing an act that is legal for other adults, lowering the minimum legal drinking age could allow for more regulatory oversight of drinking by 18- to 20-year-olds, whether by a graduated drinking license (a sort of “drinking learner’s permit”) or simply the enforcement of laws other adults are subject to. [ 64 ] [ 67 ] Read More

Pro 3 MLDA creates a mindset of non-compliance with the law among young adults. Lowering MLDA from 21 to 18 would diminish the thrill of breaking the law to get a drink. Normalizing alcohol consumption as something to be done responsibly and in moderation will make drinking alcohol less of a taboo for young adults entering college and the workforce. [ 14 ] [ 15 ] High non-compliance with MLDA 21 promotes general disrespect and non-compliance with other areas of US law. MLDA 21 encourages young adults to acquire and use false identification documents to procure alcohol. It would be better to have fewer fake IDs in circulation and more respect for the law. [ 17 ] Further, MLDA 21 enforcement is not a priority for many law enforcement agencies. Police are inclined to ignore or under-enforce MLDA 21 because of resource limitations, statutory obstacles, perceptions that punishments are inadequate, and the time and effort required for processing and paperwork. An estimated two of every 1,000 occasions of illegal drinking by youth under 21 results in an arrest. [ 18 ] Combine a lack of consequences with the thrill of breaking the law, and MLDA 21 actually encourages underage drinking and potentially other illegal activities, such as driving while intoxicated and illicit drug use. Lowering the MLDA would make 18- to 20-year-olds subject to the same laws enforced for those 21 and over. Read More

Con 1 Alcohol consumption before age 21 is irresponsible and dangerous. Alcohol consumption can interfere with development of the young adult brain’s frontal lobes (essential for emotional regulation, planning, and organization) which can increase the risk for chronic problems such as vulnerability to addiction, dangerous risk-taking, reduced decision-making ability, memory loss, depression, violence, and suicide. [ 20 ] [ 21 ] [ 22 ] [ 23 ] MLDA 21 reduces traffic accidents and fatalities. 100 of the 102 analyses (98%) in a meta-study of the legal drinking age and traffic accidents found higher legal drinking ages associated with lower rates of traffic accidents. [19] In the 30 years since MLDA 21 was introduced, drunk driving fatalities decreased by a third. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that MLDA 21 has saved 31,417 lives from 1975-2016. Lowering the MLDA would surely increase traffic accidents, injuries, and deaths. [ 50 ] A 2019 study of alchol consumption in India found “a causal channel between alcohol consumption and domestic violence,” in that men who were legally allowed to drink were “substantially more likely to consume alcohol” and “significantly more likely to commit violence against their partners.” Lowering the MLDA is likely to raise domestic abuse rates. [ 71 ] Read More

Con 2 MLDA 21 lowers alcohol consumption and illicit drug use across age groups. MLDA 21 reduces alcohol consumption and the number of underage drinkers. 87% of studies, according to a meta study on MLDA, found higher legal drinking ages associated with lower alcohol consumption. Studies indicate that when the drinking age is 21, those younger than 21 drink less and continue to drink less through their early 20s, and that youth who do not drink until they are 21 tend to drink less as adults. The number of 18-to-20 year-olds who report drinking alcohol in the past month has decreased from 59% in 1985 – one year after Congress passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act – to 39% in 2016. [ 19 ] [ 42 ] [ 49 ] [ 51 ] Many point to lower MLDAs in Europe as proof that the United States should have a lower MLDA. However, a study found “significantly increased alcohol consumption – particularly among boys and those from underprivileged backgrounds – when drinking becomes legal. Raising the minimum legal drinking age in Europe could reduce alcohol poisonings and the early socioeconomic gradient in teenage binge drinking.” [ 68 ] Additionally, lowering the drinking age will invite more use of illicit drugs among 18-21 year olds. The younger a person begins to drink alcohol the more likely it is that they will use other illicit drugs. Lowering MLDA 21 would increase the number of teens who drink and therefore the number of teens who use other drugs. [ 37 ] [ 38 ] [ 39 ] Read More

Con 3 Alcohol consumption should be based on age of license (legality), rather than age of majority (adulthood). Many rights in the United States are conferred on citizens at age 21 or older. A person cannot legally purchase a handgun, gamble in a casino (in most states), or adopt a child until age 21. No one can rent a car (from most companies) at age 25, or run for President until age 35. Drinking should be similarly restricted due to the responsibility required to self and others. [ 24 ] Purchasing and smoking cigarettes and vaping e-cigarettes are similarly regulated. The age of license was raised to 21 on Dec. 20, 2019. Robin Mermelstein, Professor of Psychology at the University of Illinois at Chicago, explained, “I think that you would be able to see lots of improvements in reduction of tobacco use among teens, all of which is good because the longer you delay any kind of initiation, the less likelihood there is to develop addiction and the less likely it is that use will escalate.” The same goes for alcohol. [ 69 ] [ 70 ] Other things are similarly regulated throughout life. Kids can’t play Tee Ball until they’re four and basketball players can’t play for the NBA until they’re 19. In most states, teens can’t obtain a restricted license until they’re 16. Senior citizens can’t collect social security until age 62. Rarely are these age restrictions arbitrary. [71] [72] [73] [74] [ 71 ] [ 72 ] [ 73 ] [ 74 ] Read More

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Why the drinking age should be lowered

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Why the drinking age should be lowered: an opinion based upon research.

Engs, Ruth C. (1997, 2014). “Why the drinking age should be lowered: An opinion based upon research. Indiana University: Bloomington, IN. Adapted from: IUScholarWorks Repository:  http://hdl.handle.net/2022/17594

The legal drinking age should be lowered to about 18 or 19 and young adults allowed to drink in controlled environments such as restaurants, taverns, pubs and official school and university functions. In these situations responsible drinking could be taught through role modeling and educational programs. Mature and sensible drinking behavior would be expected. This opinion is based upon research that I have been involved in for over thirty years concerning college age youth and the history of drinking in the United States and other cultures.

Although the legal purchase age is 21 years of age, a majority of college students under this age consume alcohol but in an irresponsible manner. This is because drinking by these youth is seen as an enticing "forbidden fruit," a "badge of rebellion against authority" and a symbol of "adulthood." As a nation we have tried prohibition legislation twice in the past for controlling irresponsible drinking problems. This was during National Prohibition in the 1920s and state prohibition during the 1850s. These laws were finally repealed because they were unenforceable and because the backlash towards them caused other social problems. Today we are repeating history and making the same mistakes that occurred in the past. Prohibition did not work then and prohibition for young people under the age of 21 is not working now.

The flaunting of the current laws is readily seen among university students. Those under the age of 21 are more likely to be heavy -- sometimes called "binge" -- drinkers (consuming over 5 drinks at least once a week). For example, 22% of all students under 21 compared to 18% over 21 years of age are heavy drinkers. Among drinkers only, 32% of under-age compared to 24% of legal age are heavy drinkers.

Research from the early 1980s until the present has shown a continuous decrease, and then leveling off, in drinking and driving related variables which has parallel the nation's, and also university students, decrease in per capita consumption. However, these declines started in 1980 before the national 1987 law which mandated states to have 21 year old alcohol purchase laws.

The decrease in drinking and driving problems are the result of many factors and not just the rise in purchase age or the decreased per capita consumption. These include: education concerning drunk driving, designated driver programs, increased seat belt and air bag usage, safer automobiles, lower speed limits, free taxi services from drinking establishments, etc.

While there has been a decrease in per capita consumption and motor vehicle crashes, unfortunately, during this same time period there was an INCREASE in other problems related to heavy and irresponsible drinking among college age youth. Most of these reported behaviors showed little change until AFTER the 21 year old law in 1987. For example from 1982 until 1987 about 46% of students reported "vomiting after drinking." This jumped to over 50% after the law change. Significant increase were also found for other variables: "cutting class after drinking" jumped from 9% to almost 12%; "missing class because of hangover" went from 26% to 28%; "getting lower grade because of drinking" rose from 5% to 7%; and "been in a fight after drinking" increased from 12% to 17%. All of these behaviors are indices of irresponsible drinking. This increase in abusive drinking behavior is due to "underground drinking" outside of adult supervision in student rooms, houses, and apartments where same age individuals congregate. The irresponsible behavior is exhibited because of lack of knowledge of responsible drinking behaviors, reactance motivation (rebellion against the law), or student sub-culture norms.

Beginning in the first decade of the 21st century, distilled spirits [hard liquor] began to be the beverage of choice rather than beer among collegians. Previously beer had been the beverage of choice among students. A 2013 study of nursing students, for example, revealed that they consumed an average of 4.3 shots of liquor compared to 2.6 glasses of beer on a weekly basis.

This change in beverage choice along with irresponsible drinking patterns among young collegians has led to increased incidences of alcohol toxicity - in some cases leading to death from alcohol poisoning. However, the percent of students who consume alcohol or are heavy or binge drinkers has been relatively stable for the past 30 years.

Based upon the fact that our current prohibition laws are not working, the need for alternative approaches from the experience of other, and more ancient cultures, who do not have these problems need to be tried. Groups such as Italians, Greeks, Chinese and Jews, who have few drinking related problems, tend to share some common characteristics. Alcohol is neither seen as a poison or a magic potent, there is little or no social pressure to drink, irresponsible behavior is never tolerated, young people learn at home from their parents and from other adults how to handle alcohol in a responsible manner, there is societal consensus on what constitutes responsible drinking. Because the 21 year old drinking age law is not working, and is counterproductive, it behooves us as a nation to change our current prohibition law and to teach responsible drinking techniques for those who chose to consume alcoholic beverages.

Research articles that support this opinion are found in the Indiana University Repository at: https://scholarworks.iu.edu/dspace/handle/2022/17133/browse?type=title

and https://scholarworks.iu.edu/dspace/handle/2022/17130/browse?type=title

Some material here also used in: Engs, Ruth C. "Should the drinking age be lowered to 18 or 19." In Karen Scrivo, "Drinking on Campus," CQ Researcher 8 (March 20,1998):257.

Alcohol Research and Health History resources

(c) Copyright, 1975-2024. Ruth C. Engs, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405

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Pro and Con: Lowering the Drinking Age

To access extended pro and con arguments, sources, and discussion questions about whether the drinking age should be lowered in the United States, go to ProCon.org .

All 50 US states have set their minimum drinking age to 21 although exceptions do exist on a state-by-state basis for consumption at home, under adult supervision, for medical necessity, and other reasons.

The repeal of alcohol prohibition by the 21st Amendment on Dec. 5, 1933 allowed each state to set its own alcohol consumption laws. At that time, most states established the MLDA for alcohol at 21 years of age, although two states set an MLDA of 21 for men and 18 for women: Illinois (1933-1961) and Oklahoma (1933-1976). The 1976 US Supreme Court case Craig v. Boren ruled 7-2 that this age difference violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. Following the July 1, 1971 passage of the 26th Amendment, which lowered the legal voting age from 21 to 18 years of age, 30 US states lowered their MLDA to 18, 19, or 20; by 1982, only 14 states still had an MLDA of 21

Reports in the 1970’s showing that teenage car accidents increased in states where the MLDA had been lowered from 21 prompted Congress to pass the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984.

Although the Act did not require a national MLDA of 21, it effectively mandated it by stipulating that some federal transportation funds would be withheld from states that failed to make 21 their minimum age for purchasing and publicly possessing alcohol. Since 1984, all states that had previously lowered their MLDA from 21 have all raised their MLDA back to 21. South Dakota and Wyoming were the last states to do so in 1988.

While the MLDA is 21 in all 50 states, in 47 of 50 states age 18 is the “age of majority,” which entails having the rights and responsibilities of adulthood. Every state sets its own age of majority that often corresponds with the age at which one can vote, join the military, serve in jury duty, sign contracts, marry, apply for loans, make decisions regarding medical treatments, and be prosecuted as an adult. Alabama (age 19), Mississippi (21), and Nebraska (age 19) are three states that have an “age of majority” above 18, although certain rights such as the right to vote remain at 18 in these states.

136 college and university presidents have signed a pledge stating that the drinking age of 21 is “not working,” citing binge drinking, fake IDs, and the fact that adults age 18-20 are able to vote, serve on juries, and enlist in the military. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), three million deaths annually (5.3% of all deaths) result from the harmful use of alcohol. WHO also reports that 13.5% of all deaths among people ages 20-39 are attributable to alcohol.

The discrepancy between the MLDA and the age of majority–and its many responsibilities and authorities–along with continued incidents of alcohol abuse reported on college campuses have fueled debate on whether or not setting the MLDA at 21 is fair, smart, and effective.

• 18 is the age of adulthood in the United States, and adults should have the right to make their own decisions about alcohol consumption.
• Allowing 18- to 20-year-olds to drink alcohol in regulated environments with supervision would decrease unsafe drinking activity.
• There are fewer drunk driving traffic accidents and fatalities in many countries with MLDA of 18.
• The decrease in drunk driving fatalities as a percentage of total traffic fatalities in the United States does not correlate to the MLDA.
• Lowering MLDA from 21 to 18 would diminish the thrill of breaking the law to get a drink.
• MLDA 21 is largely ineffective because teens consume regardless.
• High non-compliance with MLDA 21 promotes general disrespect and non-compliance with other areas of US law.
• MLDA 21 enforcement is not a priority for many law enforcement agencies.
• MLDA 21 is not statistically associated with lower rates of suicide, homicide, or vandalism.
• Drinking alcohol is an enjoyable activity.
• Lowering MLDA 21 would reduce the number of underage people who are hurt from alcohol-related injuries or accidents due to fear of legal consequences if they sought medical attention.
• State governments should have the right to establish a lower legal drinking age that reflects their unique demographics, legal context, and history.
• Lowering MLDA 21 would be good for the economy.
• Lowering MLDA 21 would be medically irresponsible.
• Lowering MLDA 21 to 18 will irresponsibly allow a greater segment of the population to drink alcohol in bars and nightclubs, which are not safe environments.
• The right to drink should have a higher age of initiation because of the dangers posed by drinking.
• MLDA 21 reduces traffic accidents and fatalities.
• MLDA 21 reduces alcohol consumption and the number of underage drinkers.
• MLDA 21 should not be lowered to mirror European drinking age limits because the rate of drinking among US teenagers is lower than most European countries.
• MLDA 18 is not a right.
• The American public overwhelmingly supports MLDA 21.
• Lowering MLDA 21 would give high schoolers and even middle schoolers easier access to alcohol.
• MLDA 21 helps prevent underage binge drinking.
• MLDA 21 exerts valuable social pressure on potential underage drinkers and those who may serve them.
• The MLDA should stay at 21 because people tend to be more mature and responsible at 21 than 18.
• Lowering the drinking age will invite more use of illicit drugs among 18-21 year olds.

This article was published on April 2, 2019, at Britannica’s ProCon.org , a nonpartisan issue-information source.

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The Drinking Age In America Should Not Be Lowered

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