America: Learn How to Drink

Moderation…Moderation…Moderation. To lower or not to lower the drinking age—that’s the question. Despite overwhelming opinions against lowering the drinking age in the U.S., this public health issue is still worthy of debate as more data and public opinions are shared.  There is always room for compromise.

Once upon time, drinking ages were staggered for beer and wine vs. harder liquors like whiskey, vodka, rum.  Maybe it’s time to return to yester-year. Now, progressive trends among states’ citizens are on the rise with recent rulings like legalizing recreational and medical marijuana. Maybe it’s time to take off the restraints. Cops are raiding bars, house parties and public parking lots for underage drinking. Maybe it’s time to better educate on drinking in moderation and with informed level of responsibility.

The United States is the only country, in the western hemisphere, with a legal drinking age of 21. We cannot purchase alcohol of any kind of and of course drink, yet 80% of people under the age of 21 have had a drink and “in a national survey, 95% of 12th graders report that it is fairly easy or very easy to get alcohol”.[1] Including the fact that most teenagers have had alcohol, at least once in their life, most teenagers have had a drink because of binge drinking. Binge drinking has become a growing trend since the late 1990s. “More than 90% of all alcohol consumed by underage drinkers is consumed during binge drinking.”[2]

The opposing arguments to lower the drinking age:

Religious-based views using Judeo-Christian teachings that call the act a sin and prohibits alcohol consumption
Health concerns, both physical and mental on the young, developing body and mind
Social & public behavior (including drunk driving) that go against decency laws and contribute to traffic accidents and fatalities

The supporting arguments to lower the drinking age:

Model other countries restrictions -- allowing “softer” liquors at one age level and the “harder” liquors at older age level;
Regulated environments for underage drinking to decrease binge drinking and concealment of the behavior;
Better education on drinking responsibly and with moderation since alcohol industry is a significant part of the U.S. sports and entertainment lifestyle.

Going for the kinder and gentler approach—the message is to limit alcohol, think moderation, be responsible. Take the hypocrisy out of the equation with free flow of alcohol and fun are intertwined for adults and not expect underage drinkers not to follow.

---

[1] Monitoring the Future, 2002. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health.

[2] Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Drinking in America: Myths, Realities, and Prevention Policy. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 2005.