Why the United States should lower the drinking age?
Lowering MLDA 21 would be good for the economy. More people would legally be able to drink in bars, restaurants, and other licensed establishments. Revenue would increase for private business owners, and greater amounts of tax revenue would be collected by the government.
Why the US should change the drinking age to 18?
Advocates of the current legal drinking age often cite it as having been effective at reducing traffic accidents and fatalities. Lowering the drinking age in the U.S. would promote this much healthier and more progressive attitude toward drinking among young people and reduce the prevalence of underage binge drinking.
Should we raise or lower drinking age?
The NHTSA estimates that raising the national legal drinking age from 18 to 21 has saved more than 500 lives each year. “Research shows that it saves lives,” agreed MADD National President Jan Withers. The 21-year-old limit may be less effective at curbing binge drinking on college campuses, however.
What would happen if we lowered the drinking age?
A lower drinking age would likely cause this period of alcohol-related criminal activity to start earlier and last longer. Evidence also suggests that a lower drinking age leads to higher levels of binge drinking later in life among men.
Why should the drinking age be raised to 21?
There is strong evidence and increasing support to raise the minimum age for purchasing alcohol from 18 to 21, leading public health experts argue in The Medical Journal of Australia (MJA). “Raising the legal age will reduce not only youth alcohol problems but also other forms of drug use,” Professor Toumbourou said.
Why the drinking age is lower in other countries?
According to UNEWS, lowering the drinking age to 18 allows 18 to 20 year olds to consume alcohol safely in regulated environments, with supervision. The article also mentions Europe’s small size is one of the many factors that contributes to its lower drinking age.
Why is the drinking age so high in the US?
The drinking age was raised back to 21 over federal highway funding. In 1984, the National Minimum Drinking Age Act passed, which stated federal highway funds would be withheld from U.S. states that failed to set the minimum legal drinking age back at 21. By 1988, all the states had adopted the age minimum.
What would happen if we lowered the drinking age to 18?
Lowering the drinking age to 18 would allow 18-to-20-year-olds to consume alcohol safely in regulated environments, with supervision. Since the drinking age is 21, underage college students often consume alcohol in unsupervised spaces, such as house parties, where binge drinking and other drug use occurs.
Why the drinking age should remain 21?
Teens get drunk twice as fast as adults,9 but have more trouble knowing when to stop. Teens naturally overdo it and binge more often than adults. Enforcing the legal drinking age of 21 reduces traffic crashes,4-6 protects young people’s maturing brains,12,14 and keeps young people safer overall.
What is the US drinking age?
21 years
Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA) laws specify the legal age when an individual can purchase alcoholic beverages. The MLDA in the United States is 21 years. However, prior to the enactment of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984, the legal age when alcohol could be purchased varied from state to state.
Why shouldn’t the drinking age be lowered?
Punishments for underage drinking cause harm.
Why the legal drinking age should be 18?
Colleges and Universities often argue that the legal drinking age should be 18 because outlawing alcohol consumption in colleges for those under 21 is making the problem worse. These colleges and universities say that allowing alcohol consumption legally might help cut down alcohol related deaths in colleges.
Would lowering the drinking age help?
Lowering the drinking age would also reduce the number of alcohol-related accidents among underage drinkers. Many underage drinkers will not seek medical attention, no matter how severe injuries may be, because they fear the legal consequences of their actions.
Does the minimum legal drinking age save lives?
The minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) is widely believed to save lives by reducing traffic fatalities among underage drivers. Further, the Federal Uniform Drinking Age Act, which pressured all states to adopt an MLDA of 21, is regarded as having contributed enormously to this life saving effect. This paper challenges both claims.