Under Age Drinking

Everyone knows that it is illegal to consume alcohol until the age of 21 in the United States. Many people are in agreement with this legal restriction. Some would even say that it should be raised. However, the legal drinking age sometimes causes more problems then it prevents. I am here today to persuade you that drinking age limit should be lowered. Why? Because we care. We care about people who abuse alcohol and in that way harm themselves, their families, and innocent people around them.

First, it is necessary to question this law. Why is 21 the "magical" age that makes one intelligent and mature enough to consume alcohol? Surely, some adults abuse alcohol and some teenagers too, but most of us in this very room would be perfectly able to drink responsibly. Why not 18 or 35 or 40? At 18, people are considered adults. It may seem unfair to many observers to allow 18-20 year olds to marry, to have children, to own cars, homes, pay taxes, vote, fly planes, risk their lives in the armed forces ,own firearms and to be financially and socially independent, and yet to be legally prohibited from drinking a glass of wine in a restaurant, or even a glass of champagne at their own wedding.

I think it is a problem to have a limit higher then the age of maturity. Teenagers look at drinks as something glamorous. It is viewed as an adult activity; and teenagers want to be adults as soon as possible. In order to get a drink, teenager will carry fake I.D.'s, which create more trouble, or sneak drinks from their parents' liquor cabinet. This kind of devious attitude does not encourage responsible drinking. Furthermore, when the opportunity to drink arises there is a kind of "Let's make up for lost time" attitude. The result is binge drinking. Teen drinking has been a long-standing problem in American culture, which the drinking age laws have done very little to stop. The American society does not teach the youth limits or responsibilities. Instead, they seemingly assume that, upon reaching the legal age of twenty-one, those "children" will somehow know their limits and be able to control themselves with alcohol and other such substances.

I think the drinking age should be lowered to 16. As fare as I know six developed nations in Europe have minimum drinking age of 16 . But you have to remember that in these nations you are allowed to drive at age of 18. With the focus on education about safe drinking instead of restriction, many problems would have been averted. American teenagers, unlike European teens, do not learn how to drink gradually, safely and in moderation. Though the consumption of alcohol in countries like France, Spain, and Portugal is greater then in the U.S., the rate of alcoholism and alcohol abuse is lower. This comes from education and gradual drinking.

Why 16, why not 18? Well, one of my big concerns is drinking and driving. I feel that it is not safe to introduce driving before drinking to youths. Lowering drinking age on 18 will just make alcohol more available for 16 years old kids who are not allowed to drink, but can drive. In many European counties kids are allowed to drive at age of 18, and also at that time they are allowed to drink, if not even earlier. In that way they learn what alcohol is and what it can do to you. I strongly believe that those changes would reduce alcohol-related accidents. I know what you thinking right now. You probably think, "O, I don't want my 16 year old kid to drink. Neither