Current research and statistics show that 21 years of already drinking helps to reduce teenage alcohol problems.
I just proved through the piece of evidence i provided that it actually doesn't. However, i will repeat my point.
Teens find great amounts of alcohol at parties and can also pay people over 21 to buy it for them. Therefore, they have all the access in the world to alcohol and develop drinking problems.
According to this evidence, 22% of young drinkers are heavy drinkers compared to the 18% of drinkers over 21 that face the same problem.
The age limit doesn't prohibit these teens from drinking alcohol, it somewhat encourages them perhaps due to the thrill of doing something that is illegal and rebelling against society.
Drinking alcohol during this critical period can hinder brain development
Yeah well from the moment they turn 18, they become adults. That means that they are fully responsible of their actions and the consequences surrounding them. There are many 16 year olds who have major car crashes that hinder brain development the same way. What is different in this situation?
Should we maybe up the legal driving age? The answer is no.
In european countries where the legal drinking age is 18, there are considerably less people with drinking problems because in these countries adults and teachers are actually warning the children about the dangers associated with drinking in order to deter them from ever facing such problems.
Furthermore, studies suggest that early alcohol use is associated with a greater likelihood of engaging in risky behaviors
Again, this is a problem that lies in the advice that teens receive from their parents etc. which is practically none.
Since they are 18, they are fully responsible for their actions.
They are responsible for if they drink too much and they are responsible for if they have unprotected sex and do drugs.
However, the difference is that unprotected sex is legal while drinking isn't(i won't talk about the drug use and violence since they don't need the alcohol to do all that, they do it with or without alcohol in their system).
lowering the drinking age could inadvertently increase underage drinking
Heavy drinkers are already a higher percentage among teens under 21 rather than people above 21.
In addition, the article i presented highlights that drunk driving incidents have been decreasing since 1980 while the law which mandated states to have 21 year old alcohol purchase laws was established in 1987.
Are we just going to ignore these seven years?
Furthermore, the article also reads"while there has been a decrease in per capita consumption and motor vehicle crashes, unfortunately, during this same time period there was an INCREASE in other problems related to heavy and irresponsible drinking among college age youth. Most of these reported behaviors showed little change until AFTER the 21 year old law in 1987"
Many European countries have a drinking tradition hands in responsibility in families for a long time
I live in Europe and from personal experience i can tell you that the norms you mention don't exist.
It's simply the fact that teens are better warned and advised.
The current drinking age allows for the pull of these policies with comprehensive education
Schools or even parents at home can provide all necessary education.
However, the years most suitable for this would be their school years since after those they tend to not give a shit about other people's advice.
Schools can provide a course like sex ed or could pair it up with sex ed since both courses will warn teens about the dangers of two actions that they will see all the time later on in life.
My argument is that drinking is a pleasure just like sex. The difference is that sex is not persecuted like drinking under 21 yrs.
I propose that the legal drinking age becomes 18 because the following years are years to experiment, try new things and everything that happens as a result is a part of life.
Why should we deprive teens of over 18 of the freedom to experiment and potentially lock them, their parents and those who sold them alcohol up?
They will learn from their mistakes and if those involve drunk driving, they will learn from them through punishment aswell just like how people over 21 are punished.
However, the difference is that through the education i mentioned, such incidents will decrease with no need for punishment like imprisonment and what's better drinking will become legal
Sources remain the same
It should be 7.
6 year olds shouldnt drink alcohol, but it should be legal for a 7 year old to drink.
I think in Canada or the UK; it's 16. I lean more towards freedom, so I prefer the lower number.
i propose 18 because its 18 in oher continents and those twoyears wouldn't rly make a difference
10 seems too young; but I'm on board with 16.
After you finish this one, I am gonna make a debate that drinking age should be lowered to 10.
Glad we agree.
yeah honestly if we had 10 year olds on vodka the world would be a better place
No, it should be lowered to 10.
If I started drinking at age 10, it would be much better for me.