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

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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

I'm from the UK and our drinking age is 18; however our driving age is 17. We have problems with 14 and 15 year olds trying to get ridiculously drunk, much like the college people in the USA. However, as our driving age is higher we have very few problems with drunk driving amongst the youth. Most drunk driving is amongst those who WERE 18 around the time of Reagan bringing the American drinking age to 21. It shows that public education is effective in stopping drunk driving as it's always been the same group (above 35ish trying to get to the pub after work to escape their wife) that drink-drive. If our drinking age were better enforced (and a small amount of leverage allowed, ie if you're 17 but in the year of becoming 18 you can drink if accompanied by 18 year olds). At the moment, kids can buy alcohol in any corner shop and very rarely get asked for ID.
Also, our driving test is harder and you can only learn at 17 so by the time you're 18 you would not be very confident so would not even consider driving intoxicated (and good luck driving a manual car when drunk with very little driving experience, it's impossible. How do I know? GT4 on PC whilst drunk).
Also, people in the UK copy American films like American Pie and Superbad. I think the USA having a 21 drinking age has caused the UK's problems with binging.

james 10:50AM May 17, 2010

You have to be 21 yrs of age? If I get my hands on alchohol that will make me feel so damn good :) Srsly an 18 year old should have the same rights as an adult or 18 should not be considered an adult and the military can have better luck finding people 21+ to join them then it wouldn't be such a big deal.

Tim of IN 8:42PM May 16, 2010

i think the drinking age should just be 18 even though the drinking age is 21 it has NOT STOPPED it has just pushed it further underground out of the public eye making it dangerous because there is no supervision.. as an 18 year old i myself have been to many parties that have gotten out of control or busted but it hasnt stopped just because of that. I believe if it were lowered they would provide educational programs for mature and sensible drinking they would see a much better outcome, and 18 year olds will finally have the rights and responsibilities INCLUDING drinking that they get entailed with adulthood

ananomous of NM 11:56PM May 04, 2010

Forbidden Fruit is always more desirable. Prohibition was not successful in curbing drinking habits and neither is a discriminatory 21 drinking age. Pushing college students to drink in unsafe places (frat houses, dorm rooms) rather than public places where monitoring and boundaries are present is foolish. Lowered fatalities related to drinking and driving have multifaceted causes...better car safety, seat belt laws, designated driver emphasis, free taxis, bars held accountable for continuing to serve a drunk patron....to assume all is because of the lowered drinking age is not statistically sound. I suggest a program similar to receiving a driver's license that includes education, testing, graduated drinking license and revocation of the drinking license for infractions (this would apply to ALL adults, just as driving privileges & consequences do).

Garrett Russell of CO 9:34AM May 04, 2010

Another thing to think about. This guy at my school drank way too much on his birthday, he had just turned 19 and got ahold of a lot of alcohol, however the only person that he harmed was himself because when he was passed out in the parking lot the campus security woke him up and made him do a BAC test and he blew a 0.4 that is really high. Now he didn't hurt anyone but himself and because of that he got kicked out of school for a year, got fines, and is looking at around 1 year in jail. Jail is a place to put criminals people who hurt other people, in some way shape or form. He hurt himself and no-one else he didn't steal he didn't kill anyone he didn't even drive he just drank. however if he were 21 he could have done the same thing and been fine. Security would have found him in the parking lot and sent him to the hospital and he would have been taken care of with no worry of jail time. So what is more important someone 18 like me having a beer in there hand and getting arrested or some old person driving drunk cause "I can handle it" or "I'm a man" or other stupid excuses. look at how many adults get into accidents because of them being drunk and compare that to teenagers, but don't look at the stuff from MADD or other places like that cause undoubtedly they will skew the information somehow.

John Kyle of OK 2:23AM April 08, 2010

I think this whole topic is stupid. I mean look at other countries all over the world they really don't care what age you drink at. I myself am a college student and I am 18 and from where I am the other students around me that do drink go off and drink too much because they know they can't do it all the time or they will get caught, so when they do they go big and get drunk. However if it were lowered it would not be seen as a challenge to people my age and they could go to a bar and drink. Sure some people my age like to get a "buzz" or actually enjoy getting drunk but look at how many old people get drunk and mess stuff up. Also I bet half of the stuff that MADD says is "Fact" is just some crap they fixed up to look bad on people my age. And don't get me wrong I'm not some kid that likes to go to parties and get waisted, I am a culinary student and I drink to experience the flavor of the stuff also if used like a prescribed medicine it can be good for your heart. I have never been drunk and have no interest in getting drunk, but I can understand why people drink like they do. Also even if it's dropped it won't stop it completely and I'm for getting rid of it completely if like high school kids could do it under the supervision of a parent or guardian. I don't see a problem with it.

John Kyle of OK 2:04AM April 08, 2010

Research has found more than 40 percent of college students reported at least one symptom of alcohol abuse or dependence. One study has estimated more than 500,000 full-time students at four-year colleges suffer injuries each year related in some way to drinking, and about 1,700 die in such accidents.
A recent Associated Press analysis of federal records found that 157 college-age people, 18 to 23, drank themselves to death from 1999 through 2005.

Sid Ann ♥ of OH 10:28AM April 01, 2010

"this country still has a prohibition hangover. We repealed the prohibition laws but still treat booze like it ought to be illegal."
Prohibition was a terrible idea. Why does everybody consider alcohol as an illegal substance? Most countries and most cultures in history had no problem with drinking. How is alcohol more dangerous than energy drinks such as Monster or other things of that nature? Heck, you are even allowed to smoke at age 18. At 18, as adults we should have the choice whether to drink or not.

Colten of MO 1:08AM March 31, 2010