Susan Meyer
ENGL 102-048
Causal Argument Essay
25 April 2013
Twenty-one
Kills: Lower the Drinking Age to Eighteen
Prohibition
in America was unsuccessful from the beginning and gradually declined over
time; causing the drinking age to remain at twenty-one infringes prohibition
upon adults ages eighteen to twenty. Similar to America’s previous prohibition
in the 1920s, prohibition for young adults between ages eighteen and twenty
continues to cause rebellious actions in today’s society. At age eighteen, one
is an adult and is given the responsibility to make decisions about marriage,
war, elections, adoption, and many other things; however, one is not given the
right to consume alcohol. Congress argues the dangers caused by drunken
driving, excessive alcohol consumption, and alcohol-induced crime are reduced
by regulating the drinking age to people above age twenty-one. However, regardless
of the laws set in place, young adults, ages eighteen to twenty continue to
drink underage. Many young adults drink more heavily because of the set laws
that prevent them from having access to alcohol at any time. The drinking age
is a major factor contributing to alcohol related fatalities across the United
States. Lowering the drinking age has been discussed for years and doing so will
cause a reduction of rebellious binge drinking, alcohol consumption to be
monitored more efficiently, and a lower rate of alcohol related fatalities.
In
different areas of the world, the drinking age varies, proving it to be very controversial
in many areas, including the United States. As mentioned below, in figure one,
the drinking age is eighteen in most parts of the world. According to Miron and Tetelbaum, between 1933
and the late 1960s “32 states
adopted an MLDA of 21, while 16 chose an MLDA between 18 and 20”, showing the
difficulty that the United States faced in making a unanimous decision to
change the drinking age (“The Dangers of the Drinking Age”). The decision was
left for each state to regulate its own drinking age.
Miron and Tetelbaum
also mention, “Between 1970 and
1976, 30 states lowered their MLDA from 21 to 18”, emphasizing that if eighteen
year olds are responsible enough to vote, they are responsible enough to drink
(“The Dangers of the Drinking Age”). Slowly, some states began changing the
minimum drinking age from eighteen to twenty one. According to Miron and
Tetelbaum, by “1988, after passage of the FUDAA, all states adopted an
MLDA21”, showing that all states in the United States eventually were forced to
adopt the drinking age of twenty-one (“The Dangers of the Drinking Age”).
Changing the legal drinking age from eighteen to twenty-one has caused dramatic
changes in the way society views drinking, and it is increasingly becoming more
dangerous with time.
Alcohol use is becoming
more dangerous in today’s world, especially with the alarming increase of binge
drinking. As seen below, in figure two, binge drinking is becoming a major
problem amongst college students in the United States. Young adults tend to
drink heavily when given the chance because it is an opportunity that is not
always presented to them. Rather than simply drinking a small amount, young
adults feel it is necessary to drink heavily because the next time they will
have access to alcohol is unknown. According to an article in the The Daily Texan, “90 percent of the
alcohol consumed by those under 21 in the United States is consumed in the form
of binge drinking” (“Lower the Drinking Age”). This statement shows that
lowering the drinking age is causing young adults, especially for those people
who are under the age of twenty-one, to drink heavily in a short amount of time.
An article from Students for Sensible Drug Policy
states that, “The current minimum
drinking age forces young people to experiment with alcohol in unsafe
environments and leads to a higher level of binge drinking among youth” (“Lowering
Drinking Age”). This quote shows how curiosity induces drinking and sets the
youth up for danger in unsafe environments. According to an
article from ProCon, “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” (Drinking Age”). This quote shows that it is more dangerous and more
difficult to monitor alcohol consumption for young adults ages eighteen to
twenty.
Fig. 2. Binge drinking has been an increasing
problem for many college students (Google image).
Reducing
the drinking age from twenty-one to eighteen would allow for more control and
supervision of alcohol consumption, therefore reducing the overwhelming number
of alcohol-related fatalities. An article from ProCon claims, “Higher traffic accident and fatality rates occur
during the first few years of legal drinking regardless of age” (“Drinking Age”).
These rates indicate that reducing the drinking age to eighteen would simply
cause an increase in fatalities at age eighteen and reduce the number of
fatalities at age twenty-one. However, if the drinking age is lowered to
eighteen, young adults would drink in areas that can be supervised. Doing so would
balance out the number of unsupervised deaths in regards to alcohol consumption
with the number of fatalities due to heavy drinking in the first few years of
legal drinking. Though there will still be many fatalities, the total number of
fatalities would be lowered because of the higher rate of supervision. An
article by The University News states,
“Many underage drinkers will not seek medical attention, no matter how severe
injuries may be, because they fear the legal consequences of their actions” (“Lower
Drinking Age Could Mean Safer Consumption”). In
other words, by lowering the drinking age to eighteen, more supervision would
be provided for young adults who drink and fewer fatalities would occur because
people will not be afraid to report dangerous injuries that require medical attention.
Lowering the drinking age to eighteen will allow for police, public security
and college campus security personnel, as well as restaurant owners, and many
other areas to supervise drinking, thus help minimize the number of deaths in
the United States due to alcohol consumption.
Some
of the strongest supporters of the current drinking age in the United States
argue that the drinking age should not be lowered because of the harm it causes
on human development. An article by ProCon
states, “Alcohol consumption can interfere with this development, potentially
causing chronic problems such as greater vulnerability to addiction, dangerous
risk-taking behavior, reduced decision-making ability, memory loss, depression,
violence, and suicide” (“Drinking Age”). There are many possible long term
factors that can evolve from drinking alcohol at a young age. At age eighteen,
people are not fully developed, which increases susceptibility to these risks. An
article on ProCon also argues that,
“MLDA 21 reduces traffic accidents and fatalities. 100 of the 102 analyses
(98%) in a 2002 meta-study of the legal drinking age and traffic accidents
found higher legal drinking ages associated with lower rates of traffic
accidents” (“Drinking Age”). Consequently, by raising the drinking age to
twenty-one there will be less traffic accidents. Keeping the drinking age at twenty-one is
beneficial in many areas, though there are other dangers that accompany it.
By
prohibiting young adults, ages eighteen to twenty, from drinking alcohol, the
problems related to drinking are simply growing more dangerous. Simply because
people under age twenty-one are not fully developed does not mean they are not
able to experience any of these risks after they reach age twenty-one. Though
there may be less traffic accidents, it does not mean that by lowering the
drinking age that there will be an increase in traffic accidents. People who
drink and drive under age eighteen will continue to drink and drive regardless
of the drinking age. Drinking and driving is a choice individuals make based on
knowledge and consequences; people who take those risks will take the risk
whether or not it is legal. However, many people choose not to drink and drive
and do not link drinking and driving to the drinking age. Age is not the
problem when it comes to drinking and driving, and it comes down to the
individual and their understanding and knowledge of alcohol. Alcohol can be a
life-threatening and dangerous drug when it is abused. Congress has the power
to reduce the abuse of alcohol by young adults across the United States.
Lowering the drinking age to eighteen will reduce the amount of binge drinking,
provide a greater amount of supervision, and will reduce the number of alcohol
related deaths in the United States.
Works Cited
"The Daily
Texan | Serving the University of Texas at Austin community since 1900. “Lower
the drinking age”. 31 Jan. 2013
<http://www.dailytexanonline.com/opinion/2012/11/13/lower-the-drinking-age>.
"The Dangers of the Drinking Age." Forbes.
Forbes Magazine, n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2013. <http://www.forbes.com/2009/04/15/lowering-legal-drinking-age-opinions-contributors-regulation.html>
"Drinking Age ProCon.org." Drinking Age
ProCon.org. 07 Feb. 2013 <http://drinkingage.procon.org/>.
"Google."
Google. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Feb. 2013.
<http://msnbcmedia3.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Art/HEALTH/070314/AP_CollegesSubstanceAbuse.gif>
"Google." Google. N.p., n.d. Web. 07
Feb. 2013. < http://www.unusualmaps.com/drinkingmap.gif>
"Lowering Drinking Age." Students for Sensible
Drug Policy. 07 Feb. 2013
<http://ssdp.org/issues/lowering-drinking-age/>.
"Lower
drinking age could mean safer consumption." The University News. 31 Jan.
2013
<http://unews.com/2012/09/17/lower-drinking-age-could-mean-safer-consumption/>.
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