Lower the drinking age to nineteen

Jessie Chen
Staff Writer

The United States is one of the few countries that has a minimum legal drinking age of 21. The vast majority of countries now have a drinking age of 18. So why do we make it 21? It’s not like this law protects us. On the contrary, I think it encourages dangerous behavior. So I propose that the drinking age be lowered to 19.

In the past few years, I have noticed unhealthy trends, popular among young people that drink alcohol.  Some have been so desperate to get drunk that they try methods like soaking tampons in vodka and then using them. I find the latest trend of drinking hand sanitizer particularly ridiculous and disgusting. Teenagers don’t have access to alcohol, making them jump at any chance to try some.

Lowering of legal drinking age would be beneficial to the security of youth. If they are allowed to drink, they wouldn’t have to use these dangerous methods to try alcohol. In fact, many college presidents from prestigious schools like Dartmouth, Duke and Johns Hopkins have been lobbying for a lower drinking for several years now. They argue that it would reduce binge drinking.

It would be much safer for underage students because many may be afraid that they will implicate themselves for reporting an instance of alcohol poisoning. Since drinking would be open, people who need treatment could get help more easily.

When we think of alcohol in college, we think of shady parties in basements. But, permitting youth to drink could promote responsible drinking in social settings like sipping a little red wine at an art gallery.

A reason why American teenagers drink so recklessly is because they learn from their friends. In Italy, young people learn how to handle alcohol responsibly from their parents and they have significantly less drinking related problems. Monkey see, monkey do.

Also, by decreasing the drinking age, we take away the thrill of breaking the law that often incites young people to try drinking. It would normalize drinking leading to moderate consumption.

Upping the drinking age has not protected our youth. Instead, it has been counterproductive. If we really have the future generations’ best interest at heart, the best decision to make is to lower the drinking age to 19.

Also, by decreasing the MLDA, we take away the thrill of breaking the law that often incites young people to try drinking. It would normalize drinking leading to moderate consumption.

Upping the drinking age has not protected our youth. Instead, it has been counterproductive. If we really have the future generations’ best interest at heart, the best decision to make would be to lower the drinking age to 19.