As students start to grow up, exposure to drinking becomes more prevalent. With that comes the question of whether the drinking age here in the U.S should be lowered. People below the age of 21 are able to drive, vote and even enroll in the military. With such big life decisions being made at those ages, people should also be allowed to consume alcohol.
With social standards and the growth of social media, drinking has become a well-known part of teenagers’ lives. Although the age should not be lowered to allow high schoolers to drink, it is important for them to learn responsibility with drinking.
Before starting college or the early years, students will most likely be 18 years old, an appropriate drinking age. College often comes with partying and going to bars. By lowering the age of drinking, it can begin to allow for limits to be learned responsibly and safely. According to the BU School of Public Health, researchers found that 53.5 percent of students reported experiencing at least one harm due to someone else’s drinking, from either a verbal interaction or a physical altercation.
By lowering the drinking age, there can be hopes of lessening these percentages. With students going to school on their own for the first time, being familiar with drinking can be something that could even possibly save your life. Knowing how much is too much and how you may need to care for yourself on a nightly walk home can be the difference between a night ending safely or very badly.
The idea of going out to bars and clubs during your older teen years also means fake IDs. Creating a fake identification with a changed birthday, home location or any other misinformation comes with serious consequences. Students who are caught using them can face criminal charges, fines or even expulsion from school. By decreasing the age, it takes away these risks for students in general who may want to just fit in, starting off their college experience.
Our country seems to be one of the last to make these changes. With European countries’ drinking age being 16-18, Mexico being 18 and Canada being 19, the U.S is one of the only countries left with the age of 21. Students on break are able to travel to these destinations, looking for a good time. Once they get back home, though, the carelessness returns.
When people under the age of 21 are able to make such large decisions for themselves, they should also be able to legally partake in what most people in their early 20s are already doing. Creating a safer and more controlled environment by dropping the age to 18 can hopefully eliminate the risks that come with alcohol.
