Elizabeth Peterson

An Argument to Lower the Drinking Age

In-class essay

We can go to jail, be tried as an adult, get married without our parents' consent, go to war, but an eighteen year-old can't buy a beer legally. As an 18-year-old non-drinker, I can tell you that I have seen my fair share of underage kids drink. I think the drinking age should be 18 for many reasons.

In Europe, having a glass of wine with dinner is customary. Europeans drink wine with dinner. Europe doesn't have nearly as many problems with drinking as America does. The reason for this is because most Europeans are introduced to alcohol in a controlled environment. Most of them start drinking alcohol at an early age. I think this is a good idea because many for Americans that try alcohol for the first time, it isn't at the dinner table with Mom and Dad. The first time an American tries alcohol, it's out of secrecy. Americans aren't introduced to alcohol in the right way, and usually nobody waits until the legal age, 21, to abuse alcohol.

The American culture is all about maximizing. We take it to the limit, and just when it can't be overdone anymore, we still keep going. This culture doesn't understand modesty. We do this with our cars, our homes, the amount of food we consume, and a lot of times, with the amount of alcohol we abuse. Like I said before, since most Americans aren't being introduced to alcohol in a stable environment, they tend to abuse it later on in early adulthood. They abuse it because most people don't know when to stop. This abuse leads to many problems such as driving under the influence, alcohol poisoning, and many other types of health risks that are related to drinking. Since I am in college, I know all about beer bongs, keg stands, and power hours. All of these games push the body to consume more alcohol than the body can handle. Since kids weren't able to drink at home, they get that first taste of independence and do a lot of experimenting in college with alcohol.

The drinking age needs to be 18 because I think a lot of people wouldn't drink if they knew it was legal. I think a lot of it has to do with being rebellious, and doing it just because you aren't supposed to. The drinking age should also be 18 because if people are going to be tried in courts as an adult, then drinking is an adult activity. I'm still standing firm by saying that alcohol should always be consumed in moderation, but I think that if the drinking age were 18, then we would have fewer problems that are related to alcohol. I'm sure at first the new law would be abused, but I think that over time, binge drinking would become less of a problem because incoming college students would have already had that first drink before they came to college.