Drinking Age Should Be Lowered | Teen Ink

Drinking Age Should Be Lowered

May 18, 2008
By Anonymous

People use alcohol for numerous reasons; peer pressure, celebration, anxiety, sadness, boredom, rebellion and insomnia are just a few. Teens fall under the category of “people”. The legal drinking age is currently twenty-one, but illegally drinking age is as low as zero. Why? Is the main question asked. I can assure you the under age drinking age percentage would drop if the age is lowered.

Few reasons for teens drinking are: peer pressure, enjoyment, etc. But the main reason for doing so is “breaking the law.” 87% of high school seniors have used alcohol. That means that a large quantity of teens under the age of seventeen to eighteen have used alcohol before. We all know why teens drink, I mean is common since. Just the feel that they get of breaking the law is huge. Being rebel and not following the rules is an important role of a teen’s life. Consequences are the one that change them, but we don’t want them to experience the consequences of being under the influence of alcohol because we know them and they are fatal. Dying in a car accident and killing others is a mess that we don’t want to clean.

Despite the fact that is illegal for young teens to purchase it, they are able to get it through their parent’s own liquor cabinets, unscrupulous store clerks, or older friends who purchase it for them. As we all see, is not hard for teens to obtain alcohol. Why not lower the drinking age then? I mean any way you put it, they are getting it.

We have all heard of the famous saying “we want you to join the military and protect your country.” Blah blah blah. Well, you are telling me that I can legally kill someone at the age of eighteen, while I sign up with the military and go to war but I can’t have a sip of alcohol. Due to this none senseless situation, age should be equaled. In other words, if voting and military sign up is eighteen, then drinking should also be eighteen. Besides at the age of eighteen you are legally an adult. Why can’t we drink then?

Drinking age in Australia is eighteen, and in UK is as low as sixteen in restaurants. Studies have showed that those teens/adults are perfectly fine. In fact, Dr. Ruth Engs; professor of Applied Health Sciences at Indiana University in Bloomington, uses this examples to propose the following: “……the drinking age be lowered to about 18 or 19 and permit those of legal age to consume in socially controlled environment such as restaurants and official school and university functions” (direct quote from Dr. Engs).

Drinking age should be lowered, and I know that by lowering it we can drop the percentage of reckless teen alcohol abusers. It is worth trying it , and if everything goes the opposite then change the law once more (which is done lots of times, for dumb reasons) and raise the drinking age back to twenty-one. Changes are always good (most of the times), and I know this one in particular is an excellent one.


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This article has 740 comments.


on Jan. 20 2010 at 4:03 pm
E.A.Costa BRONZE, Cary, North Carolina
2 articles 0 photos 23 comments

Favorite Quote:
It doesn't matter what color my skin is, how long my hair is, or whether I'm a woman or a man-John Lennon

I agree entirely. I myself have never tasted (nor do I plan to) alcohol due to a firm belief that drugs (yes alcohol is a drug for those of you that are intellectually challenged) bring nothing but pain and grief. For those of you that are pro alcohol and such give me one reason why its good.

Oh yes, I forgot a glass of red wine is supposed to be good for you!

Sorry people but your stupid. It has nothing to do with the alcohol its simply the grapes.

Anyway I'll cut to the chase. In Italy there is no legal drinking age. The only restriction is you cannot buy alcohol unless 16 or older. Guess what? Italy (along with other European countries) has very, very, (and I mean very) few drinking related accidents each year.

Why? Because in Italy alcohol isn't treated as a drink that makes kids cool and "bad" but simply a drink that is partaken of at formal festive and family occasions. For Italians are given alcohol from a very early age.

While in the U.S. where alcohol is treated in an entirely different manner alcohol related accidents are numerous.

Amen

sprinkshine said...
on Jan. 13 2010 at 1:03 am
If anything, the legal drinking age should be 25. That's when your brain is done developing. Of course there will be people who will drink illegally, but that's because a law is only as good as it is enforced.

on Jan. 10 2010 at 12:51 pm
Shambler92 PLATINUM, Buenos Aires, Other
37 articles 0 photos 65 comments
in argentina we can drink at 18 and there aren't those many troubles. I mean, if you are 18 and you can't have a beer, you'll probably break the law for it, it is easier to lower the drinking age.

on Jan. 6 2010 at 3:19 pm
chrissyclarinetist BRONZE, Delta Junction, Alaska
2 articles 0 photos 14 comments
hell yes! it is soooo true. all the adults say that when u hit 18 ur an adult, yet they still expect us to be good and not drink, like were 5 years old. sheesh. were responsible.

rawr5 said...
on Jan. 5 2010 at 2:17 pm
i think if your an "adult" at 18 then you should be able to drink and smoke.

on Jan. 2 2010 at 12:03 pm
Danielle Owens GOLD, ASHLAND, Ohio
12 articles 0 photos 1 comment
i totally agree with you... it should be 25... i think drinking is a lame exuse for talking to someone... they just spill all thier emotions into the drinking and dont control thereself!!!!

on Jan. 2 2010 at 12:00 pm
are you kidding me. we have enough problems of older people above 21 drinking and driving. everyone knows what that leads too... death!!! just because you like to drink doesnt mean that you can just say i want it to be a younger age... i know its your opinon... but really? i think this is one of the worst things in america... drinking causes problems with police and peoples life... i really do think that poeple should have special treatment if they drink more than 3 times a week. if I was aloud to drink imagine if someone got really mad at another person.. i wouldnt be able 2 control myself because i would be poisoned by the beer... i agree with the celebration... but laws are laws... they are there for a reason.. not to be broken!

Evaspie BRONZE said...
on Jan. 1 2010 at 6:37 am
Evaspie BRONZE, Lewiston, Idaho
1 article 0 photos 6 comments
The younger age you start drinking the greater chance you would become an alcoholic, which if you haven't grown up with one you really shouldn't be writting this stuff. Lowering the drinking age would be no different than allowing kids to smoke.. They do it because they can. There are many risk factors as well... Many 18 year olds are not mature enough to drink. They will do stupid things like any teen would. The police already have enough problems with the people over 21 do you really think they want to add more younger teens? Not to mention the brain is not developed until you are 21. People are stupid enough already.. we don't need more by killing teen's brain cells.

Jubilee BRONZE said...
on Dec. 29 2009 at 10:21 am
Jubilee BRONZE, Brainerd, Minnesota
3 articles 0 photos 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
If your not in, your out.

no. saying that would mean to arrest over 80% of junior and seniors. so how about not. and i don't think it should be up to athorities to make decisions for teens. they can do it themselves and if they get in trouble its there fault they got caught. Teens aren't idiots. They know alcohol isn't good for them and they know bad things could happen and no matter how much people push them or us including that i'm a teen... they will rebel because thats what we do. we don't say oh were going to rebel but we eventually just get sick of what people are pushing us to do when, we want to make our own decisions and find out who we are and see where life leads us. not all teens drink underage but that had to be there decision. because if a teen wants to drink. its so easy to find alcohol. just don't judge it just on teens. the most people i've heard in the news of drunk driving and killing what how many people are usually old men. its a statistic. I know wayy more guys over the age of 30 that have DWIs and some who have killed. so don't think holding the age off is doing anything

Jubilee BRONZE said...
on Dec. 29 2009 at 10:10 am
Jubilee BRONZE, Brainerd, Minnesota
3 articles 0 photos 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
If your not in, your out.

People don't understand! i think the age should be 18. and excatly the reasons you said. killings voting smoking cigs but not to drink is outrageous? there would be way less underage drinking and way less fatal injuries. teenagers aren't idiots they don't just do it because its cool or there breaking the law. its to have fun and there going to do it no matter what. but if the age was 18 maybe they would actually learn to be responsible faster. idk if i'm even making sense but i thought about the age lowering for a long time and idc what old moms think or boring people who were stuck in there house too long to know what the real world is like. Would you rather your kid have a minor and be sent to jail or be 18 and tell you excatly what there going to do? idk it just doesn't make sense to me why people are so against this. if its because of the health thing.. well boo the hell hoo. these days anything and everything is harming your body so might as well start early. like it said it won't stop anyone from not drinking. they either start when there 21 and go crazy or start when there 18 and even out the craziest

on Dec. 25 2009 at 9:54 pm
nothingbutme BRONZE, Port Jefferson Station, New York
2 articles 0 photos 7 comments
Lowering the age would cause alotof trouble. Parents couldnt stop kids from drinking and getting drunk. I feel this will make the situation worse.

on Dec. 23 2009 at 6:48 pm
I'm sorry but I disagree with you. I think you should be 25 before you start drinking. Most people by then are out of collage and don't have homework to do.

ash2011 GOLD said...
on Dec. 22 2009 at 5:29 pm
ash2011 GOLD, Middletown, Ohio
10 articles 5 photos 14 comments

Favorite Quote:
I'm Just one of those regular weird people- Janis Joplin

The drinking age deff should be lowered! i even read in an article that if it was lowered that it could make teens less likely to go wild on drinking binges in college since they already experienced it. but oh well everyone drinks still anyways

on Dec. 22 2009 at 3:13 pm
RedvinesWTHCantTheyDo GOLD, Zephyrhills, Florida
10 articles 0 photos 154 comments

Favorite Quote:
"You make one more comment like that I will wrap you in a tortilla shell and eat you as a snack, maybe with some nice pico de gillo."~ Lauren Lopez in Starship
"If you don't die for something, I'll kill you for nothing."~ Lauren Lopez in Starship

As a teenager your body is still developing, and can be damaged by the effects of alcohol. Just because teens abuse the law for the legal drinking age doesn't mean we should lower that age just so it will be legal if they do drink. It just means that law enforcement needs to be harder on those teens who do.

on Dec. 9 2009 at 3:40 pm
kaura123 SILVER, Huntington Beach, California
8 articles 6 photos 26 comments
I think the drinkning age in america is perfectly fine. At 16 you have just gotten your liscence and at age 18 you are becoming an adukt. PArt of being an adult is making good decisions. Hundreds of people doe a year because if drunk driving. No way in h*** should we lower the drinking age.

adelade BRONZE said...
on Dec. 8 2009 at 10:10 pm
adelade BRONZE, Columbus, Ohio
3 articles 0 photos 3 comments
First of all, I'm pretty sure if the drinking age was lower a lot of more people would be drinking. Also, if your drink on a weekly/monthly basis, no matter what age I'm pretty sure your not drinking because you feel like rebelling.

on Dec. 8 2009 at 8:49 am
Cassie143 BRONZE, North Anson, Maine
3 articles 0 photos 3 comments
Don't you think that killing someone at age 18 can have an affect on the brain? How could you live with yourself knowing that you took another life... But to drink is a big deal? They will let a 18 year old put his/her life on the line to fight, but if you drink is your life really on the line? No, its not. If you really thought about it, maybe they should raise the limit on joining the army.

on Dec. 7 2009 at 10:23 am
ConstanceScott BRONZE, Marion, South Carolina
4 articles 0 photos 17 comments
I could care less about breking the law. I just like to drink alcohol. I do think that the legal drinking age should stay the same because too many young adults are irresponsible. But I do think it would be less appealing to some people because you do have some idiots out there just trying to be rebellious. In most places, txting while driving is not outlwaed. Yet it does not make kids do it any less. Think about it. Eveybody is not the same. Remember, the legal drinking age was low at one point and it cased lots of problems. Don't believe me? Look it up.

on Dec. 4 2009 at 10:04 pm
Its wrong to lower the drinking age its there for a reason if we lower too many teens will have future problems because your brain is not fully developed till the age of 21. Therefore effecting our futures.

on Dec. 1 2009 at 1:43 am
OscarDonovan BRONZE, Cowes, Other
4 articles 0 photos 40 comments

Favorite Quote:
You should try everything in life, except incest and barn-dancing.

So I'm psychologically scarred and have been manipulated by the media by the media? Wow. There's me thinking I just enjoyed going out. What a silly idea.