Haley Shovlin
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/>.
"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/>.
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