Underage drinking is an issue that not only pertains to me, but the majority of college students across the nation. So many people under the age of twenty-one drink alcohol to the point where it has become a normal activity. Why is it that this law is so difficult to enforce? It seems that the police focus more on containing the issue than preventing it.  There are instances where the police know that they will not be able to contain the underage drinking. Instead they "let is slide" and simply watch over people underage drinking. The issue at hand is whether or not eighteen-years old is reasonable for the drinking age, rather than twenty-one. 

There are people that binge drink, and drink solely to, "get drunk," and there are also those individuals that drink socially. As far as my values, I do not like the decisions that individuals make as a result from binge drinking. When people get drunk, they are unable to think clearly, and make responsible decisions. I believe it is very important for people to know how to drink and responsibly. I, personally, am exposed to under-aged drinking, and I know how it can affect people. It is hard to avoid drinking as a college student since the majority of college students like to drink for fun. I can relate to this controversy, and write about this issue because I drink, and all of my friends drink.  

Although there are different points made by different authors, the majority of authors in favor of lowering the drinking age agree in terms of their arguments. The question they ask is, "Why can eighteen-year-olds serve their country, and use a weapon, but not consume alcohol?" The problem is not consuming a beer; it is how a beer is consumed. Drinking a beer while spending time with friends watching football, and drinking as much beer as you can to get drunk in the matter of a few hours, are two complete different scenarios. Since underage drinking is already a problem, some argue that lowering the drinking age will only make the problem worse. However, others argue that lowering the drinking age will help the problem and teach safe drinking. From the article, "The Debate on Lowering the Drinking Age" by Ruth Streeter, Ruth points out that the real problem is alcohol abuse and it is impractical to aim for abstinence. For example, John McCardell, former president of Middlebury College, said, "This law has been an absolute failure, it hasn't reduced or eliminated drinking. It has simply driven it underground, behind closed doors, into the most risky and least manageable of settings." When people drink "underground", they are doing so in unsafe environments and conditions. There are representatives that argue that this is a law that is not being followed or strictly enforced. This allows for more illegal issues to occur simply because those people underage drinking are going to continue to drink, and drink in an unsafe way. This is a law that is not followed by the majority of people under the age of twenty-one. John McCardell's and MADD's points are also addressed in the article "Drinking: 18 vs. 21 Alcohol on Campus: The Debate on Lowering the Drinking Age" by Caleb Daniloff. In contrast to McCardell, the MADD, or Mothers Against Drunk Driving, state that making the drinking age twenty-one has saved 17,00 lives on the highway since 1988. Factors such as improvements in vehicle features and increases in seatbelt use also need to be considered in regards to the amount of lives saved.    

This issue is arguable because there are pros and cons to lowering the drinking age to eighteen. In the article "Drinking Age Looking to Drop to 18- Is Your State Included?" by Scott Falkner, Scott presents people who are in favor of lowering the drinking age argue that if the United States had European-based drinking laws, people would be more knowledgeable about safe drinking and drinking socially, instead of binge drinking. Authors have also argued that if eighteen-year-olds can purchase a gun and serve their country, then they should be able to drink alcohol. Those in favor of keeping the legal drinking age at twenty-one argue that lowering the drinking age to eighteen gives high schoolers and even middle schoolers easier access to alcohol. One could counter argue that statement by addressing that lowering the drinking age to eighteen would allow eighteen -- year-olds to drink in bars and restaurants, not purchase alcohol. This is addressed in the article "Should the Drinking Age Be Lowered From 21 to a Younger Age" from drinkingage.procon.org. 

These different perspectives contribute to my beliefs, because although I find truth in both the pros and cons, I feel the pros outweigh the cons. Parents being able to teach safe drinking habits to their teens while they are still at home will allow for teens to take these habits with them to college. Although there will always be an issue with controlling who drinks, and how people drink, lowering the drinking age would give people the opportunity to practice safe drinking for a longer period of time.

