Lowering the Drinking Age

Emani Jackson
Professor Sampol
English 0-95
October 31, 2013
Lowering the legal drinking age Lowering the MLDA (Minimal Legal Drinking Age) drinking age has always been and will always be a big topic of discussion. Many may say that 21 is the age of adulthood and should remain the legal drinking age but many more disagree with that. The MLDA drinking age should be lowered because it is good for economy, 18 Is the age of adulthood and it would diminish the thrill of breaking the law to get a drink. The United States has been struggling to come together as one country as far as taxes and revenue for many years. For a while the US was in a very long recession and just recently made it’s come up in the world. Many things caused the recession, but the main things were unemployment and debt. People waste money on stupid things every day and that money that 18-20 year olds spend on other things could go towards alcohol that could eventually lead to a boost in the economy. According to the article “more people would legally be able o 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.” Many young people get a thrill out of doing something that they have no business doing because it gives them a rebellious feeling. So with the drinking age being 21, everyone 18-20 is trying to get that thrill of breaking the law and doing something illegal so trying to get a bottle of liquor is fun to them. According to the article “normalizing alcohol consumption as something done responsibly in moderation will make drinking alcohol less of a taboo for young adults entering college and the workforce.” Lowering the drinking age would give younger adults less of a reason to go out looking to intentionally break the law. If 18 is the legal age you are allowed to join the military why should one be denied a drink or two at a bar? If you are allowed to die for this country people should at least be allowed to have a beer while doing so. At 18, if you were involved in any type of criminal activity you would be charged and tried as an adult so why should drinking be such a big deal? According to the article “Turning 18 entails receiving 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.” There are many reasons why the MLDA drinking age should be lowered, although this does not actually mean it will happen. As long as the drinking age is 21 the United States will continue to have these problems because of the desire to diminish and break the law. Also, 18 is already the legal age of adulthood and it would boost the economy. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and unless people can come together as a unit and actually fight against it, it will remain the same.