Why the Drinking Age Should Stay 21
On July 1, 1971 the 26th amendment was passed which lowered the minimum age to vote from twenty one to eighteen years old. Shortly after the amendment was passed twenty nine states across America started lowering the drinking age from 21 to either 18,19, or 20 years old. This new freedom for young adults only lasted for a brief time by 1984 the Uniform Drinking Age Act was passed. The Uniform Drinking Age Act forced states to change the drinking age back to twenty one years old; by reducing the federal transportation funding, for each state that did not have a minimum drinking age of21. This act has caused controversy for years, there even is group of 136 college presidents called Amethyst Initiative that support a lower minimum legal drinking age (MLDA). All of these college presidents have signed a petition that agrees with lowering the MLDA. The Amethyst Initiative teamed up with another Association called Choose Responsibly that also believes MLDA should be lowered. The Choose Responsibility association published an informative letter written by John McCardell expressing many arguments and reason why they believe the MLDA should be lowered. I read this article and many other articles that believe the MLDA should be lowered. I disagree with all of them for three reasons my first reason is that lowering the MLDA would increase consumption of minors and cause more binge drinking in America, my second reason is that changing the age to twenty one has saved that many lives, and the third reasons is that the drinking before 21 can delay brain development. Becoming an adult in this country should be a process young Americans should have to deal with getting freedoms and rights on age at a time. There is no way an 18 year old is mature enough to drink without learning how to handle having certain rights and freedoms first.
For instance, the national alcohol related fatalities rate in 1984, before the MLDA was raised to 21was 4,612 deaths in a year. Since
For instance, the national alcohol related fatalities rate in 1984, before the MLDA was raised to 21was 4,612 deaths in a year. Since