The Drinking Age: 21 For Everyone?
Mike Bilyeu
In the United States, the legal drinking age for all 50 States and the
District of Columbia is 21 years of age. The drinking age is 21 because the
powers that control our government decided that when one becomes 21, one is
magically transformed into a responsible person capable of handling the burden
that comes with the right to consume alcohol. The drinking age is too high in
this country. Why enact laws to prohibit an act that will be ignored by many of
our peers?
The opposition may say that the higher drinking age discourage teenagers
and young adults from consuming alcohol. They say the laws that force merchants
to refuse to sell alcohol to persons under 21 years of age will help stem the
"problem" of underage consumption. They believe this will make it virtually
impossible for people under 21 to obtain alcohol. The opposition also believes
that the laws against underage consumption of alcoholic beverages will dissuade
young people from drinking alcohol.
The laws that prohibit merchants from selling alcohol to persons under
21 are hard to enforce. Even if they are enforced by the authorities, the
establishment that breaks that law is rarely punished severely. For example, in
Belmont County in Ohio, the police conducted raids of 5-10 different
establishments in 1993 that had liquor licenses and reportedly to sell alcoholic
beverages to minors. It was proven that each business in question had indeed
been guilty of the charges. What would one suspect happen to the business?
Wouldn't one expect for them to lose their liquor license? On the contrary,
these businesses were given probation without so much as a fine.
Also, even if the person under 21 cannot go buy the alcohol himself
because he is refused by a merchant, he can find an adult and give them the
money needed to purchase the alcohol and have them purchase it for them. This
is especially active around college campuses, where it seems to be an... [continues]
Mike Bilyeu
In the United States, the legal drinking age for all 50 States and the
District of Columbia is 21 years of age. The drinking age is 21 because the
powers that control our government decided that when one becomes 21, one is
magically transformed into a responsible person capable of handling the burden
that comes with the right to consume alcohol. The drinking age is too high in
this country. Why enact laws to prohibit an act that will be ignored by many of
our peers?
The opposition may say that the higher drinking age discourage teenagers
and young adults from consuming alcohol. They say the laws that force merchants
to refuse to sell alcohol to persons under 21 years of age will help stem the
"problem" of underage consumption. They believe this will make it virtually
impossible for people under 21 to obtain alcohol. The opposition also believes
that the laws against underage consumption of alcoholic beverages will dissuade
young people from drinking alcohol.
The laws that prohibit merchants from selling alcohol to persons under
21 are hard to enforce. Even if they are enforced by the authorities, the
establishment that breaks that law is rarely punished severely. For example, in
Belmont County in Ohio, the police conducted raids of 5-10 different
establishments in 1993 that had liquor licenses and reportedly to sell alcoholic
beverages to minors. It was proven that each business in question had indeed
been guilty of the charges. What would one suspect happen to the business?
Wouldn't one expect for them to lose their liquor license? On the contrary,
these businesses were given probation without so much as a fine.
Also, even if the person under 21 cannot go buy the alcohol himself
because he is refused by a merchant, he can find an adult and give them the
money needed to purchase the alcohol and have them purchase it for them. This
is especially active around college campuses, where it seems to be an... [continues]
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