Does the drinking age in America benefit my safety?

Personal Academic Argument

Everyone knows someone who can get them alcohol. Whether they are of age and the bartender is their provider, or a fake ID tricks the liquor store clerk to sell it to them. Alcohol is easier to get in the United States than finding a perfect pair of jeans, or a teacher who works hard to help you. The ease behind the consumption of an illegal item for many who posses it makes you wonder, why do we continue with the higher drinking age? The other evening I overheard people in the hallways discussing drinking and fake ID’s. With more underage kids attending the bars than passing their classes I began to think about alcohols effect. It made me start to consider the drinking age and how it directly benefits or hurts me, and my surroundings. I then began to wonder, is the drinking age of America beneficial to my safety?

            Having a friend die due to an alcohol related incident under the age of 21, I always wondered what happened to cause America have the legal drinking age. America hasn’t always had a drinking age of 21. Before the national drinking age, different states had drinking ages that they considered reasonable. During the Vietnam War 25 states moved to lower the age to purchase and consume alcohol due to the shift in age of voting to the age of 18. The result was a dramatic increase in highway crashes, injuries and deaths caused by intoxicated drivers in the 16 to 20 age group. These increases, and the disparities in alcohol-related injuries between states that maintained a 21 drinking age and those with lower ages, resulted in 1984 federal action initiated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration under the Reagan Administration (Lessons from the Drinking Age). “The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 required all states to raise their minimum purchase and public possession of alcohol age to 21,” (Addressing Under Age Drinking). States that did not comply faced a punishment of reduction in highway funds under the Federal Highway Aid Act. This law basically told states that they had to enact a minimum drinking age of 21 or lose up to ten percent of their federal highway funding. Since that is a serious budget cut, the states jumped into line fairly quickly. After discovering that at one time different states decided the good of their own population, I was confused to why we no longer had that freedom.

I found myself stumbling upon papers I would get lost in about the way the drinking age protects us from fatal crashes and touching very little on the comparison to European countries with heavy alcohol consumption, such as Germany.  Americans under the 21 year-old drinking age, fewer young people are drinking, but those who choose to are drinking more. This alarming rise in the rates of binge drinking on campuses and in communities around the nation has caused a major, national public health problem in comparison to European countries who drink in more moderation. Looking into statistics on fatal crashes as well as DUI’s and other alcohol related problems, I found Americans having much more severe of issues with binge drinking and alcohol related deaths. Recent research published by the World Health Organization found that while 15 and 16 year-old teens in many European countries, especially Germany and Ireland where the drinking age is 18 or younger, and often unenforced, have more drinking occasions per month. They have fewer dangerous, intoxication occasions than their American counterparts. For example, in southern European nations ratios of all drinking occasions to intoxication occasions were quite low—roughly one in ten—while in the United States, almost half of all drinking occasions resulted in intoxication (Choose Responsibility).  After finding these statistics I proceeded to call a friend I am close with who lives in Ireland, and discuss the leanancy of alcohol in her area. She proceeded to tell me about the lack of passion for becoming overly intoxicated, and that alcohol is much more of a casual drink to them than Americans. Many Irish teens consume alcohol on a more regular basis, which helps to keep them from feeling the need to binge all at once. She then explained that many Europeans “understand the delicacy of glass of fine wine, and the money spent on alcohol is for pleasure, not the buzz.” Hearing how the lower drinking age matured the teenagers of that area made me begin to feel like the drinking age in America might be a problem.

I finally began to dig deeper into the facts about Americans consumption of alcohol. Some statistics have shown that from 1982-1987 about 46 percent of American students “vomit after drinking” in college age students. After the law was put into place, the same pole was taken and had a result of 50 percent, jumping up after it had begun its course as the illegal age in America. Also, "getting lower grade because of drinking" rose from 5% to 7%; and "been in a fight after drinking" increased from 12% to 17% (Drinking Age). While I discussed these numbers with many of peers and family members, my Aunt described her times growing up. As the law was put in place, many children in her neighborhood began to drink solely for the fun of risking illegal activity. While she gave me a firsthand look at the installment of the law, and the rebelling children of the era, I find that many of the teenagers these days act the same way. Many of my peers on my college campus explain that their experience drinking is much more thrilling because of its illegal position in their lives. While many find joy in adrenaline, breaking the law is a very similar feeling for many college freshman and sophomores who are able to drink illegally.

While 18 is the age of adulthood, many find that as an adult you should be allowed to have the choice to drink. Turning 18 entails receiving the rights and responsibilities of adulthood to vote, smoke cigarettes, serve on juries, get married, sign contracts, be prosecuted as adults, and join the military - which includes risking one's life. With all of these responsibilities available to one person, the choice of alcohol is amongst the array you should be able to have the liberty to pick from. Having the ability to successfully act as an adult in every way other than picking your drink of choice seems illogical. The benefits of having a lower drinking age go further than just the available choices though. Although the United States increased the drinking age to 21, its rate of traffic fatalities in the 1980s decreased less than that of European countries whose legal drinking ages are lower than 21. This proves that establishing a drinking age at 21 is not necessarily an effective way to reduce traffic fatalities. Higher traffic accident and fatality rates occur during the first few years of drinking regardless of age. In 2009, the 21-24 year old age group had the highest percentage of drivers in fatal crashes with blood alcohol concentration levels of .08 or higher, at 35 percent. Any increase in traffic accidents or fatalities in 18-20 year olds would be offset by a decrease for those 21 and older.

Seeing as I have experienced a loss of a dear friend due to an accident involving alcohol, I feel as though this topic is an example of a law needing to be explored deeper. With the bitter feeling of alcohol being the cause of my close friends death, I began with the thought of us having a higher drinking age would keep us all safe from alcohol related accidents. Alcohol caused this boy to act much differently than when he was sober, which later led to a freak accident that might not have occurred if alcohol were not in the picture. It was hard for me to admit, but that facts have slowly changed my opinion through out the research of alcohol consumption at different ages. Although his accident was potentially caused by the consumption of alcohol, what happened to him was much less likely than the accidents that happen daily due to alcohol related crashes under the age of 21. Although alcohol may effect people in ways that cause problems on occasion, these happenings can occur at any age regardless. Ive come to the realization that it didn’t matter this boys age, this problem could have happened in the future, and the age limit actually causes more problems than it helps. I now think that I the lower drinking age makes kids able to understand the risks of binge drinking and the delicacy of a fine glass of wine. While overall America has many more fatal incidents with either binge drinking or alcohol related accidents, most of these occur before the victim is of the legal age. Discovering the effects of alcohol at an earlier age with a family surrounding may lead to a safer way of drinking in early adulthood.

While others may not agree with my current side, I felt the same way for quite some time. While most would think keeping legality as a wedge between children and alcohol would work, it unfortunately makes the substance that much more appealing. In a study done by Ralph W. Higson, the chance for alcohol related accidents at the age of 21 was less likely for those who had begun drinking earlier, as early as the age of 14. With Drinking onset at ages younger than 21 years the likelihood for alcohol related accidents was less likely after they were legally allowed to drink (Higson). The safest drinkers are shown to have started drinking in a family filled environment. Having a glass of wine with family dinner, or drinking on holiday with your parents gives you a leeway into alcohol as a special substance, rather than a substance to be abused. With youth able to consume the substance in a safe environment, provided by trusted adults, the excitement to break the law becomes much less apparent.

As I journeyed through this paper, I discovered not only facts about an interesting topic, but a new opinion and position on alcohol and its effect on my life. With past experiences involving family, friends and consumption of the illegal substance, I had a strong opinion that the legal age was set in stone for a good reason. While working through this paper, I found that facts can truly change your point of view for the better. With as many downsides as the alcohol age has, I have discovered my opinion to change. Hopefully while reading this paper you have done more than read a few interesting facts and find my story to be that of a typical underage college student. Seeing as this topic has effected my life, not because im on a college campus and want to drink, but because a kind soul’s life was ended which will forever change my future. Alcohol can change lives, for better or worse in any age group, but the appropriate age should be lowered in the United States of America due to the amount of lives that can be saved regardless.

Bibliography

"Addressing Under Age Drinking." (2009): n.pag. MADD. Web. 03 Apr 2012. <http://www.madd.org/underage-drinking/why21/>.

 "Alcohol Use In Older People." National Institue of Aging. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr 2012. <http://www.nia.nih.gov/health/publication/alcohol-use-older-people>.

"Drinking Age." (2012): n.pag. ProCon. Web. 08 Apr 2012. <http://drinkingage.procon.org/>.

Hingson, Ralph. "Age of Drinking Onset and Unintentional Injury Involvement After Drinking." Journal of American Medical Association. (2004): n. page. Web. 16 Apr. 2012. <http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/284/12/1527.short>.

"Legal Age of 21." (2008): n.pag. Choose Responsibility. Web. 04 Apr 2012. <http://www.chooseresponsibility.org/frequently_asked_questions/>.

"Lessons From The Drinking Age." 21 Tobacco (2009): n.pag. Web. 16 Apr 2012. <http://www.tobacco21.org/lessons/>.

. "Minimum Legal Drinking Age." Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Mar 2012. <http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/mlda.htm>.