There are many shocking statistics associated with underage drinking in the United States. For example, “in 2010, there were approximately 189,000 emergency rooms visits by persons under age 21 for injuries and other conditions linked to alcohol”. “On average, underage drinkers consume more drinks per drinking occasion than adult drinkers”, and these cases of binge drinking are “responsible for more than 4,300 deaths among underage youth each year, and cost the U.S. $24 billion in economic costs in 2010” (“Fact Sheets”). All of these statistics however, could have potentially been reduced had the legal drinking age been lower and had those affected received proper alcohol education starting from a young age. The topic of changing the minimum legal drinking age while being very controversial, is also very important to discuss because it goes against what has been the accepted societal norm since the law’s passage in 1984. It enters the larger conversation by sparking a debate within the audience and draws upon their own beliefs and personal experiences. Both viewpoints on the matter will be addressed in this essay, but the overall goal of this paper is to sway the reader’s perspective to being against the status of the current law. To ensure public safety and health nationwide, the minimum legal drinking age in the United States should be lowered from 21 to 18 years of age. 

At 18, U.S. citizens “receive 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” (“Should the Drinking Age Be Lowered”). Why can’t they also have the opportunity to consume alcohol if they choose to do so? Once teenagers turn 18 they are treated as adults in every aspect of their lives with the exception of drinking. We trust these young adults with so much, yet the passage of the Minimum Legal Drinking Age Act of 1984 indicates our government does not have faith that they can drink responsibly at this age.

The idea that teenagers brains are not developed enough to handle alcohol consumption is valid. Consuming alcohol affects the “development of the young adult brain's frontal lobes, essential for functions such as emotional regulation, planning, and organization. When alcohol consumption interferes with this early adult brain development, the potential for chronic problems such as greater vulnerability to addiction, dangerous risk-taking behavior, reduced decision-making ability, memory loss, depression, violence, and suicide is greater” (“Should the Drinking Age Be Lowered”). 

The initial Minimum Legal Drinking Age Act of 1984 “reinstated the minimum legal drinking age of 21 years” on the basis of “unintended health consequences” such as alcohol-involved traffic fatalities (Wagenaar). The ideas argued for keeping the drinking age at 21 stress that, “teens have not yet reached an age where they can handle alcohol responsibly, and thus are more likely to harm or even kill themselves and others by drinking prior to 21” (“Should the Drinking Age Be Lowered”). Those in support of keeping the current law in place such as author Alea Bier, claim that, “it seems apparent that the national minimum drinking age was effective in achieving its goals of reducing alcohol-related traffic deaths” when it comes to “reducing consumption among the general population in the 18- to 20-year-old age cohort” (Bier 28). Binge drinking and driving under the influence is where serious health issues can occur and problems begin to arise. However, moderation and balance is key for all parts of life and drinking is no different. 

Even considering the potential health consequences of alcohol consumption, we are still one of the only nations in the world with such a high legal drinking age. Around the rest of the world however, drinking as a teen is considered normal as out “of the 190 countries [in the world], 61% have a drinking age of 18 or 19 years old”, according to cnn.com (Griggs). 

Everyone wants what they can’t have, and alcohol for minors is no exception. Dwight Heath, a Brown University anthropology professor, states that "in general, the younger people start to drink the safer they are. When introduced early alcohol has no mystique. It's no big deal. By contrast, where it's banned until age 21, there's something of the 'forbidden fruit' syndrome” (Griggs). 

Building on this “forbidden fruit” idea, our brains are preprogrammed to want something we aren’t allowed to or can’t have. There is constant advertisement of partying and drinking through social media, movies, music, and family life even. This creates a strong temptation surrounding alcohol consumption. “Recent publications by the Surgeon General and the Institute of Medicine outlined many prevention strategies for the prevention of underage drinking” including “national media campaigns targeting youth and adults” (“Fact Sheets”). In addition to decreasing the legal drinking age, changing the public’s perception of alcohol in advertisement will benefit public health overall.

Binge drinking is a huge problem among 18-20 year olds as this is the primary age for college students. The National Institute of Health (NIH) stated that, “continued incidents of alcohol abuse reported on college campuses have fueled debate on whether or not setting the MLDA at 21 is fair, smart, and effective” (ProConorg Headlines). They have the freedom to experiment and test their limits without parental supervision. There is also the idea that with adolescents who still live at home (high school age in particular), when they can drink, they drink in excess since they have limited time to rebel before going home. An interesting point mentioned by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) was that the “highest percentage [of minor alcohol usage] came from white young people ages 12 to 20 in the Northeast region of the nation”, ages where most teens still live with their parents (Lynsen). Having this law as the “primary alcohol-control policy in the United States’” has proven to not be the most effective way to prevent underage drinking (Wechsler). Constantly telling our nation's youth to not drink as they grow up with no real explanation as to why they should not, has proven to be ineffective in reducing alcohol consumption among teens. Rather, it has done the opposite and from the taboo placed on underage drinking, teens are more likely to drink as an act of rebellion.

A popular question that arises with the mentioning of underage drinking is how do minors get the alcohol. David Edvin and Samuel Harald wrote an entire book on this question and found that “even with increased efforts to reduce the availability of  alcohol to young people, data from NSDUH indicate that underage drinkers are able to purchase or obtain alcohol from relatives and friends at an unacceptably high rate” (Edvin 244). I found it to be surprising that they included 12 year olds in their survey of adolescents ranging from 12 to 20 years old, and that out of those 12 year olds, “43.4% of them got their alcohol from parents, non-related 21 year olds, or took it from their own home” ( Edvin 242). It is clear that if middle school aged children feel pressured to be drinking alcohol whether it be through the media or simply through society’s norms, a change must occur in our nation on this issue of underage drinking to prevent alcohol consumption among our youth from happening.

In addition to a lower legal drinking age, American children should be given a proper alcohol education at home and through their schools starting at a young age. SAMHSA stated that, “Alcohol is the most widely misused substance among America’s youth. Consumption of alcohol by anyone under the age of 21, also known as underage drinking, remains a considerable public health challenge” (Lynsen). By providing future teens a foundation for knowing their limits, knowledge of potential consequences, as well as taking the rebellious “fun” out of drinking in secrecy, public health as a whole will increase. Relationships between family members would in turn be strengthened and open communication about drinking would decrease problems within homes. 

In college, underage drinking is expected. As a way to make sure students know how to drink safely, informative courses such as AlcoholEdu are mandated to decrease potential liabilities. “AlcoholEdu for College is an interactive online program designed to reduce the negative consequences of alcohol amongst students. It is the most widely used alcohol prevention program in higher education, and helps schools comply with Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR part 86)”, says EVERFI’s website (“AlcoholEdu®”). Similar courses to this one should be implemented into high schools and even middle schools to further deepen adolescents’ understanding of the drug that is alcohol. In addition to a nationwide increase on the emphasis of alcohol education, a lower legal drinking age will decrease binge drinking and increase smart alcohol consumption. By informing our youth today, we will create a future generation of Americans with smarter and safer drinking habits.

To ensure public safety and health nationwide, the minimum legal drinking age in the United States should be lowered from 21 to 18 years of age. Everyone is impacted by this topic and has their own personal experiences and beliefs that shape their viewpoint. For example, a parent who lost their 16 year old son as a result of a car accident while he was was under the influence of alcohol, would most likely agree strongly that the drinking age should remain at 21. However, a 19 year old college student who is finally free from their strict parents and plans on binge drinking every weekend would be all for lowering the drinking age, so that way they could drink freely without legal consequences. Overall however, with a reduced drinking age to 18 years old, America’s young adults should have: the right and trust of others to drink, awareness of the importance of moderation, the same opportunities as those their age in different countries, increased alcohol education, and reduced urges to rebel through drinking. These changes resulting from a decreased Minimum Legal Drinking Age in the United States will benefit our nation’s public health as a whole.
