drinking age

There is a lot of debate about the drinking age in the United States.

Personally, I'm all in favor of lowering the drinking age to 18. I don't think it's reasonable to be considered an adult and not be able to fully act like one. I don't feel it is comparable to the rental car companies age discrimination of car rentals and insurance companies, because older people who continue to drive irresponsibly also get affected. A 40 year old cannot get cheap insurance if he drives badly, but a 40 year old alcoholic can still be served in bars. An insurance company could chose to give cheaper insurance to a responsible 18 year old driver. It's more a matter of choice for the company than a matter of law. Bars would still be allowed to set their own ages for that particular bar since they have the right to refuse service.

18 year olds are considered an adult in the United States. You can legally sign your name to a contract. You can sign up for the military. You no longer need a work permit and are free to find any gainful employment without any sort of permission. You can vote in all elections-you can help choose the President of the United States. You can buy cigarettes. Porn. Lottery tickets. There are plenty of dangerous things you can do at 18. But you cannot buy a drink. Adult should mean adult privileges. That should include drinking.

18 year olds are, in general, immature. 21 year olds, on a whole, are not a great deal more mature. But they are adults. They are no longer children, they are immature adults. Adults get to make their own choices. Good ones and bad ones.


But the real problem with alcohol is not the drinking age. There is going to be binge drinking whether the drinking age is 21 or 18. There will be alcohol in high schools no matter the drinking age. People will do stupid things with alcohol.

The issue is that alcohol has become a forbidden fruit in the United States, meaning that instead of having alcohol as part of a regular and healthy diet, drinking in moderation, people view it as something that is looked down upon. Instead of being taught how to safely drink, we are told NOT to drink. Yet, alcohol is glamorized in the media. No wonder that 18-21 year olds drink so unhealthily. No wonder high school students want to drink. It symbolizes being older, cooler, more edgy. Alcohol becomes this mysterious thing you are not allowed to have or do, so of course you want to.

I don't remember when I had my first drink. My parents offered it to me at some point, probably in my early teens. I was at least ten. I do remember feeling very grown up as I was poured my first glass of wine, which was hardly more than a few sips. Frequently on special occasions I was offered a celebratory drink, always just a little bit. It didn't feel like something that was forbidden. I can't say I liked it much, or probably I would have asked to have some more often. It didn't feel like something forbidden when I went off to college. I did have a few drinks here and there, but because I had been shown that I should only drink a little at a time, I didn't get drunk. In fact, the first time I got drunk was shortly before my 21st birthday. The second time, was on my 21st birthday. I never did the 21 shots in an hour or anything like that. I drank until I felt like I was drunk and then I stopped. My normal drinking is a beer or two, a couple of glasses of wine, a mixed drink, on rare occasion maybe two. My binge drinking? Three to four shots, half a bottle of wine, four beers. It can hardly be considered binge drinking.

I'm lucky. I was taught how to drink in moderation and I had good role models. I tend to be fairly mature for my age. I had already had alcohol before I went to college and I wasn't interested in first time experiences that consisted of drinking a lot. I remember being the sober friend at a party and I didn't quite understand the fun of drinking like that. I like alcohol, and I consume it on a fairly regular basis but I learned the art of moderation.

I firmly believe if alcohol was less of a mysterious adult thing to do, it wouldn't be so exciting to try. It was exciting my first time, it was exciting, but my parents were there supervising the experience. I could hardly have finished off the entire bottle of wine. But for someone whose first experience is stolen time, hidden, secret, that would only intensify the experience. I could see them doing it again to get the feeling again, and since it wasn't likely to have been controlled they could drink as much as they like. Getting drunk and this feeling of being an adult, this adrenaline rush, would suddenly get tied together. Repeat for similar feeling.

Until the attitude over alcohol changes in the United States it won't matter what the drinking age is, because it will still be a glamorized forbidden fruit. THAT is the problem.

This has nothing to do with drunk drivers, because whether you are 18 or 21, driving under the influence is still illegal. I'm in favor for stricter laws all over for that. I would not be opposed to lowering the legal limit a bit. You shouldn't have even a few drinks and go out driving without some sobering up time. Because time is the only thing that allows you to sober up. Plenty of people get behind the wheel impaired, whether or not it's legal for them. Harsher fines. Go right ahead. It's not whether or not you can get alcohol that allows for drunk driving, or prevents drunk driving, it's people thinking about the punishments. If the punishment is not worth it, you'll think twice. Especially if it's easy to arrange other transportation. People who are going to drunk drive, are going to drunk drive at any age. A 19 year old is not going to suddenly be more inclined to drive drunk simply because they can legally drink. Also, if a 19 year old and a 21 year old drink the same amount and are the same size and weight, they will likely be the same amount of impaired. You don't suddenly get less impaired at 21, you get more leeway with the legal limit.

Lower the drinking age, lower the legal limit, change the alcohol culture.

Or keep it all the same, but CHANGE THE ALCOHOL CULTURE.