The Drinking Age Debate: Time to Go From 21 to 18, But It's Not an Easy Call

Reader Comments
Back to blog

want to help lower the legal drinking age? visit http://t.co/XZwt5saS to sign the petition I made on www.whitehouse.gov . it takes less than 5 minutes. let's use the right given to us in the 1st amendment

Parker of FL 9:26AM April 16, 2012

The legal drinking age is irrelevant. The problem in this country is the attitude we have towards alcohol, the attitude parents are instilling in their children. I'm under 21 and I've never drank alcohol - I made this choice because I know it is illegal to drink, but I know I'm one of very, very, very few people who do. Like most other illegal things, people who want it badly enough are going to do it no matter the consequences or difficulties.
The only friend I have who I know will never, ever become an alcoholic, has been drinking since she was ten. Her family has wine with dinner on occasion, or champagne on a holiday. She grew up with it, so her attitude towards alcohol is how most people should view sugar - it's great, in very small doses, but too much will make you sick.
Alcohol - makes you act differently (drunk); makes you sick if you have too much (hangover); can cause health problems if you do so regularly (alcoholism, liver problems, etc)
Sugar - makes you act differently (hyper/sugar high); makes you sick if you have too much (stomach ache); can cause health problems if you do so regularly (obesity, diabetes, etc)
And don't even think that someone should put an age limit on eating sugar - that's just inane.

Mya of OH 11:35PM June 25, 2011

i agree with the above topic because smokin is worse then drinking but on the other hand both can be abused and have consequences..but if the drinking age should be 21 due to maturity. then what bout gun licenses, hunting licenses(people at 16 can legally hunt game and handle a gun..drive a car..and work in some places...then buy ciggarettes at 18 and vote and go to war...why is the drinking age so high?) i say lower it to 18..also people probably start experiencing alcohol around 16-18 anyway...let the cops save their time writing tickets on under-age drinking or those who contribute to minors that are mostly 18-20 anyway...because kids will drink if they want to illegal or not...just the only difference some do it soo much out of spite and it being illegal they don't make it to 21

kathlene of MS 6:34PM February 25, 2011

Look the longer we wait for the drinking age to go down there will be more fatalities. See if you give us a chance to prove that we can handle the responsibilty like any one who is 21 im pretty sure we'll surprise you. I mean we are adults to we work, pay taxes, hell we even buy cigarettes and to me that is worse then drinking. How do you know what we are capable of, if you dont even give us the chance. And now that i think about it, it's not only teens that have problems with alcohol its most average adult alcoholics that have been around it so much they think that a cold beer is water.

David Rockenbach of KY 9:49AM February 15, 2011

First of all, person who wants the drinking age to stay the same, you must be the product of a drunk mother during her pregnancy with you because your poor sentence structure was matched only by your inability to spell. Second of all, the drinking age should be lowered because it is clearly not reducing highway fatalities. It only serves as a gateway to other illegal activities as teenagers attempt to acquire the alcohol. It's not working in the same way prohibition didn't work. Our society should be teaching how to drink responsibly.

Fake Pseudonym of MN 4:27PM January 24, 2011

why no t lower it if kid get the experince in hight school they will not die in collage.

bobby of MN 11:27AM December 21, 2010

why lower the drinking age if the only thing kids this day want it to go down is because they want it to be ligal for them to be able to get drunk. they all say that it is to show that they are mature enofe to do so. yet, what do they know. children this days should not be drinking we should have a cammera at the frount desk were they sell the achohol for that wayy we can see if they are really 21, and that the person at the front desk is doing there jobs right to keep our children safe.

no one of IN 9:14AM December 08, 2010

I am tryin got get more information on this topic for a school paper. This is a hard topic to pick a side on, due to the fact that both sides have some very solid reasons to either change it to 18 or keep it 21. I am currently 16 dont drink do to sports but know many friends that become crazy and over excited at the sight of a party and will be disappointed if there is no alcohol.
This gets very annoying when you are just trying to go out and have fun but your friends want to leave just because they have Soda instead of Beer.
I feel this is because people like to do things that are not allowed. I also feel that lowering the drinking age will reduce the amount of people 18-20 that die or get seriously injured due to alcohol, but not immediatly. This will take time. There will be a period where 18-20 year olds are crazy and go buy a lot and drink a lot because it is easily avalible and it is what they are used to. After a few years the 18 year olds will treat alcohol more like the 21 year olds now and not abuse it as much. Like I said that will take time, and will cause some deaths and injurys.
That is my point on the topic. Like I said I am still reserching this and looking for any new information and accept both sides to this argument.

Cole of MO 3:09PM November 12, 2010

After listening to the professor on this video, I thought his idea of having students of 18 years of age to pass alcohol classes (sitting in AA meetings, learning effects of alcohol on the body, drinking and driving, etc) was very smart. We teach sex education in high schools to reduce teen pregnancy and STD's, so why not educate young people about alcohol to reduce alcohol related accidents and poisoning?
Passing this course would be like getting a license to drink after being educated on the effects of alcohol. If the privileges were abused, then it would be taken away. I think this would reduce the problems and attitudes involving drinking.
"We repealed the prohibition laws but still treat booze like it ought to be illegal." So true. Telling kids they can't have alcohol even though they are legally an adult at 18 is just going to make them want it more. I speak from experience; I am barely under 21 and it's ridiculous that I can't even drink a beer at a restaurant with my own parents being present.
So to sum it up, only reduce the age to drink for those who can pass an alcohol education course. Sounds logical to me.

ah of CA 2:48AM August 05, 2010

If the minimum drinking age is lowered to 18 in the United States (U.S.), the result will be greater availability of alcohol not only to 18-20 year olds but also to those younger than 18. Studies in the U.S. have shown that lowering the drinking age to 18 also increases alcohol-related crashes for 15- to ...more 17-year-olds.
Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA 21) laws save approximately 800-900 lives each year in reductions in traffic fatalities involving young drivers. Medical research shows that excessive drinking by youth aged 20 and younger may cause brain damage as well as reduce brain function. Early onset of drinking before age 21 increases the risk for future alcohol abuse, automobile crashes, and assaults, among other alcohol-related problems.
When the lives and wellbeing of so many young people are at stake it is appropriate for the federal government to step in and protect the public. The National Uniform Drinking Age 21 Act has been a balanced, effective, and popular tool in helping to combat the many problems associated with youth drinking. Repealing it would be a grave mistake.

James Fell of NC 1:06PM May 17, 2010