Gavin Kean Kean1

English 1201
Mrs Hunter
2/19/2022

What would happen if the legal drinking age was dropped to 18?

Many teenagers drink and get ahold of alcohol regardless if the legal age is 21. If you can

vote and go to war and be considered an adult at 18 why can't you drink? Does the three year

difference change the choice if someone is going to go home while drunk driving? The legal

drinking age should be dropped down to 18. Many young adults would stop binge drinking and

focus on their academic future in school if the legal drinking age in the United States was

dropped down to eighteen. This paper will show you how with changing the drinking age and

some rules around drinking and driving the United States can be a safer place on the roads and

on campus.

The point of this entire essay is to show regardless if you're eighteen years old or twenty

one, or even sixty five years old. People will still continue to drink and drive. What's the point in

keeping it at twenty one? The brain does mature till your late twenties and it can't be your body

is still growing. People hit puberty sometimes at the age of ten.

 Kean2

I have a friend and at the age of fifteen years old her boyfriend was seventeen years old at

the time. Decided they would go to a party at midnight. He is a little immature the three or four

times I met him. But this was almost a year later when this incident happened. You would think

more maturity would come with age but maybe he will always just be that reckless no care type

of guy. But they had drunk a lot and her boyfriend decided he would drive her home. This is all

back country roads home though with all thin pavement lines and hills. No lights, no signs, just

open roads. Her boyfriend and his drunken state of mind was speeding and passing cars left and

right. They went from eighty five to ninety to now hitting one fifteen. While in the drunken state

of mind he didn't see the thirty five mph warning sign for the curved road ahead. As he turn his

steering wheel turning the corner the force caused them to run off the road and roll seven to eight

times. The only reason they stopped was because they ran into a big house tree. My friend broke

her back, her arm and cut many parts of her body from the glass and debris being thrown in the

car. She suffered a huge concussion and nerve damage in her arms, legs and back. Her boyfriend

leaves with a broken hand and cuts on his arm. She trusted him with her life and told him to slow
 Kean3
down and be careful. He didn't listen though. How is this fair to her knowing her boyfriend left

with little to nothing while she is now not only crying and screaming but suffers from cars for the

rest of her life. I only put this in so much detail because I was on the phone with her at the time.

Hearing the rolling and bangs and cries for help before her phone was shattered in the wreckage.

Let's look at my uncle now though he's in his late forties and has four dui to his regard.

His worst being breaking into his neighbor's house and sleeping on her couch because he thought

it was his own home. He tends to drink when he gets into his moods and sadness as he suffers

from very bad bipolarness. Him and my friend both live in low income towns where medication

is something not everyone can afford. He lost his job and his family from his drinking and

driving mistakes. How are these two related to each other though? The answer is the fact they

both drank and drove resulting in punishment with not only authorities but with themselves.

There differences though is that one is seventeen and the other was forty one when his first

drinking and driving incident went down. So why is the age twenty one and not eighteen. It

shows right there proof that if the three years cant change people the thirty three year difference

isn't either. I look at drinking as a responsibility and it should be a reward saying I'm mature

enough to either drink less than drunk to still be able to drive. Or be able to be in the right

enough mind to call an Uber or cab. Why can't the government control who's on the road better?

If someone gets pulled over while drinking and driving it's likely it's a fine and a license

suspension for a small period of time. Why can't it be a big fine and a big license suspension or

losing the ability to buy alcohol.

This is a big problem in America these days. The law doesnt base stuff on how people's

minds work but rather age. Why are we allowing mentally ill people to purchase alcohol and
 Kean4
other drugs if they will misuse them. If they aren't capable of using it but not in a harmful way

why are we fueling this?

In just twenty nine teens alone there were about twenty eight drunk driving killings a day

that ten thousand one hundred and forty two deaths alone in just twenty nine teens. Why are the

people who caused these problems still able to purchase alcohol or drive? Out of those only one

thousand eight hundred and forty eight were underage drunk drivers. That's about eighteen

percent of deaths were caused by minors. So why is it that with the number being so low the age

of legal drinking in the united states is twenty one because with that statistic alone it shows its

age that's not the problem but the people driving who are of age and not thinking. I think the

adult penalty should be the same as a undage who is caught with a dui. As a underage person it's

if you're sixteen you lose your license till twenty one so why is it different for adults? All they

get is a slap on the wrist and a fine. Yes the kid committed more crimes and did get alcohol and

drink it while underage but thats where some maturity comes into play while adults and people

who have jobs and lives. You would think because of this the maturity would be the same for

them but they still drink and drive. This is not only very reckless but threatens everyone else's

safety and lives on the road. People shouldnt have to get on the road and watch out for reckless

drivers or people driving drunk. It is mind blowing to think some people have four to five duis

and they can still drive and can still purchase alcohol. While all this is the case for older people,

kids make one mistake and suddenly they can't drive for many years or are still considered

adults. They are also faced with a huge fine and maybe even jail time if many crimes are

committed. I don't expect a underage kid, regardless of sixteen or twenty, to be able to afford not

only a massive fine but also still be able to get that money together without their license. If you
 Kean5
can't drive and need to work for the money there's a big problem there that most underage kids

can't take care of.

How did the age become 21? The national minimum drinking age act of 1984 changed it

to 21. This came as a threat though saying if they didn't, up to 10 percent of the federal highways

funding would be lost in that state. The age of 21 goes back to centuries ago in the English

common law saying people could become knights and vote at the age of 21 so they were

considered an adult at 21. Eventually a proposal was brought to Franklin D Roosevelt asking it to

be lowered to 18 in some states. The bill was approved but this came as a problem as many

teenagers would cross the border and buy alcohol in legal states then bring it back to illegal

states. Due to this there was a greater distance to drive giving people more of a likelihood to

crash. The crash fatality rate was increased and Ronald Reagan then increased the act back up to

21 in 1984.

With all this background knowledge a article was still published saying increasing the

age to 21 did not reduce underage drinking numbers. This happens because many adults will buy

alcohol for the younger populations for their parties. You would think this would cause more car

crashes but drinking fatalities for underage dropped drastically to 33%. During the time when 18

year olds were allowed to buy in some states and many boarders hopped to buy from those states

there was an increase in deaths. This could possibly be just because it was a farther distance to

drive back home.

Many incoming college students come into college binge drinking because they aren't

used to drinking. This can cause minors to become intoxicated quickly and drink too much. In

Lauren Handos article she states that many underage kids are afraid to take friends to the hospital

when they are too intoxicated because of the consequences. Consequences could also include
 Kean6
needing to use a fake or having someone buy them the drinks which they could lace or get both

the seller and buyer in trouble. So what's the point of having the age at 21 if kids will still find

away and also face consequences?

According to Forbes articles ages 16-20 had the lowest fatality car crash rate

while you are impared. Many kids binge drink because they can only drink on the weekends

while partying. If the age is lowered many would reduce the amount or know their limit to drive

home. This is because they are used to it going through their system and not just every once in a

while. If a new policy went in place with the drinking age at 18 many young adults would not

only know their limits but be used to the feeling of alcohol. This could drastically drop drunk

driving related crashes among underage.

With students knowing their limits, especially college kids, they would spend their time

focusing on school work instead of taking advantage of the opening to alcohol and the

availability. It just seems normal. During dinner, homework, or any other activity older people

drink. So why would they wanna party every night if it's available twenty four seven. A Lot of

people say once they turn twenty one drinking and partying isn't fun anymore. That's why I

believe kids would focus on academics and be smarter about their drinking once hitting the age

of twenty one. Lynn Zimmer, a sociology professor, says, "but suddenly it seemed around

Thursday everybody was talking about what they were going to drink that weekend, and making

a plan (to make it happen)." This would go away if people were used to drinking. The

availability of alcohol though and not being around family but friends pressure kids into illegally

drinking. Once sick most are afraid to go to the hospital because of the consequences. Those

being fined, arrested or having to tell authorities where the party is because they gave a minor
 Kean7
alcohol making them get into trouble as well. They also would tell the undergae kids' parents,

making them not want them either on campus or hanging around that friend group.

Teen Vogue went with a different approach though saying why the age is 21 exactly.

They say how countries with legal drinking ages of 18 to even as low as 16 have a 13 times more

chance of their population not staying in school. There is also a 16% decline in traffic crash

fatality. This doesn't make sense to compare this though as it's not impared driving nore is it the

same country with the same traffic laws. They go on to say it has dangerous consequences like

alcohol poisoning. This can go for any age though regardless of young or old. Many underage

kids do die of alcohol poisoning but it could be because they are afraid of consequences if gone

to the hospital. Teen Vogue says the legal drinking age of 18, students were 13 times more likely

to stay in school when the legal drinking age in the state was 21. I find this interesting

considering when adults go to college they tend to not do as well because of alcohol. So

regardless if you are eighteen or twenty one they can not only access it but will still not pay

attention to school. The United States has not only the highest minimum drinking age at twenty

one while most countries have a minimum age of eighteen years old. We still also have the most

car accidents from alcohol and the most car accidents result in death by alcohol. So I believe it's

not age. I think society would rather have less deaths and more people not going to school a day

or two then more deaths and more people not going to school because they're dead.

Author Ethan Trex, who's an author for Mental floss says ¨They contend that by lowering the

drinking age, colleges would be able to bring booze out into the open and educate students on

responsible consumption. ¨ If this happens people would be safer drinking. This is due to the

fact they have more responsibility and maturity. This would make roads safer as there would be

more responsibility among people who would be more mature than to drink and drive. This
 Kean8
means less reckless driving and wrecks from alcoholic or drunk people. This is a great idea

because it helps stop binge drinking. Such education might help curb alcohol poisoning, drunken

injuries, drinking-fueled violence, and alcoholism on campuses.

Imagine if kids were able to get alcohol such as vodka or beer. When they can get it

whenever they want it's a question if they will still drink and party on the weekends and get

black out drunk or if they will treat it like any other night of one or two beers and study and bed

like most students over the age of twenty one. When the problem of recklessness and crash

causing is more available I think it almost takes the fun out of drinking. Many students at

universities don't have the opportunity to drink everyday. They're gonna wanna drink whenever

they can and take in being drunk and all the alcohol they can't at one time. Making it easy for

them to crash when driving or even be killed.

With enforced law enforcement on drunk driving and harsher punishment the rate of

drunk driving would be decreased. Also with safer seatbelts and airbags you could have safer

crashes with less deaths if there was a drunk driver on the road. If education on the penalties and

statistics along with accessibility to apps and websites like uber drunk driving death and crashes

would be decreased nationwide. Numbers show that drunk driving has gone down and not only

that but the population compared to drunk driving deaths has gone down as well.

The age of twenty one years old wasn't set for medical reasons but in fact something

else . Before nineteen eighty four most states had the age for drinking and buying alcohol at the

age of eighteen nineteen and twenty years old. It was changed though to decrease car crashes as

they noticed most were caused around that age while intoxicated. That's not the case in this day

and age as it has changed. Crash ratings are down now and so are drunk driving cases. So would
 Kean9
dropping the age help get academic in college and late highschool grades up? Now that partying

doesn't seem as fun and drinking doesn't either?

Yes the crash fatality rate may go up in the end but it's more about maturity than age.

Sometimes maturity comes with age but restricting kids from drinking can cause binge drinking

when turning 21 because they are not used to drinking. This can cause just as many car crashes

as if the legal drinking age was dropped down to 18. Many articles such as Lauren Handos and

Teen Vogue while having opposing viewpoints both have sources and points to back up their

claims. So I think there will be more drunk driving crashes if the age is reduced down to 18 but

there's also things to solve this such as a maturity test or pushing more taxing services such as

Uber. All in the end it doesn't matter if the age stayed at eighteen or twenty one or even thirty.

People will still find a way to get a bottle of alcohol. There will always be drunk driving

accidents and people dying from drunk drivers. Age doesn't stop that. If the law was enforced

more with more traffic stops or random pullovers or even checkpoints on weekends. It would

bring in not only revenue for states but money for education on alcohol. Putting widespread

awareness on alcohol in a college campus setting will reduce the number of drunk drivers. So

the people that are getting pulled over would pay a fine or get a ticket if convicted. This would

then be given to education over media and schools on alcohol.

Picture this though, the rules on gas stations selling alcohol, could have to be off campus.

One thing about parties and alcohol is college parties want it close and available. This then

makes it hard by putting alcohol off campus or at bars limits how many drinks you can get. This

makes it easier to stop drunk driving since there is less alcohol Available around schools and on

campuses. Putting an alcohol limit should also become a thing. They should put a limit on how

much one person can buy. This would help stop the spread of alcohol related substances like beer
 Kean10
and vodka. It would make it harder to get a group of people drunk if they are all limited to so

many drinks. Obviously a more lightweight drinker would get drunk but a ride would be

accessible by the more heavyweight drinkers who can't get drunk off the limit that they have.

Therefore making it so they can get another alternative way home and that can stop drunk

driving.This also makes it so people who are buying drinks for underage kids are forced to

maybe say no since they still wanna drink themselves.

In the end it will always be hard to stop drunk driving but adding more enforced rules to

drinking, as well as adding harsher penalties for those who are caught drinking and driving . the

legal drinking age could be dropped back down to eighteen as it once was many years ago. Kids

and people would need to be educated on the importance of not drinking and driving. They

would also need to somehow work their way into drinking as they would be thrown in a realm of

buying whatever they want. So doing this to stop binge drinking before it starts would save many

lives and people could go on the nightly weekend road without having to worry about being hit

or killed. They would have to scan the roads for swervy drivers and reckless driving. An increase

in police checkpoints would or could be put into place on weekends to find more and more drunk

drivers. This would drop the percentage drastically of intoxicated people on the road.

Furthermore dropping the impared drunk driving crash statistics as well as the impared drunk

driving killed statistics. Academics may be brought up but holding eighteen, ninteen, and twenty

year olds from drinking. Then possibly being pulled over or caught and be put with a heavy fine

or even jail time. They could lose their scholarship or their job. Or be forced to work on top of

their busy academic work schedule in the college they choose. That’s what's going to push

students to become failures. Just from one stupid party or get together they went to in college.

That could ruin their whole life or their reputation. It could ruin even family relationships if it's
 Kean11
college their parents could have paid for. So what's the point of keeping it at twenty one years

old. Other countries are shown having a younger alcohol age and they operate just fine so why

are we decided we need to be different. Many young adults would stop binge drinking and focus

on their academic future in school if the legal drinking age in the United States was dropped

down to eighteen. If you can vote and go to war and be considered an adult at 18 why can't you

drink?
 Kean12

Work Cited

Birch,Jenna¨Why the Drinking Age Is 21 in the United States¨Teen Vogue, 2016 July

17https://www.teenvogue.com/story/minimum-drinking-age-legal-21-america-history

Accessed february 5th 2022

Cooper, Mathew¨The age when you can legally drink alcohol in the UK - and it isn't always

18¨manchestereveningnews,2020 june10. Accessed february 5th 2022

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink-news/age-you-can-legally-

drink

Dimmer sam¨The surprising age you can LEGALLY drink alcohol in your own home¨ Notting

Hamposts 2018 October 17- Accessed february 5th 2022

https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/uk-world-news/surprising-age-you-can-legally-2117288

Handle, Lauren”Why the legal drinking age should be lowered to 18¨ Badger Herald, 2019 nov

25 Accessed february 5th 2022

https://badgerherald.com/opinion/2019/11/25/why-the-legal-drinking-age-should-be-lowered-to-

18/

Lazorony lucy¨ Drunk Driving Statistics 2022¨forbes 2022 jan 11

https://www.forbes.com/advisor/car-insurance/drunk-driving-statistics/ Accessed february 5th

2022

Levine dan¨ A Legal Drinking Age of 21 Does Not Reduce Drunk Driving¨ gale in context, 2002

Accessed february 5th 2022

 Kean13
https://go-gale-com.sinclair.ohionet.org/ps/retrieve.do?

tabID=Viewpoints&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchResultsType=MultiTab&hit

Count=54&searchType=BasicSearchForm&currentPosition=1&docId=GALE

%7CEJ3010184205&docType=Viewpoint+essay&sort=Relevance&contentSegment=ZX

AY-MOD1&prodId=OVIC&pageNum=1&contentSet=GALE

%7CEJ3010184205&searchId=R2&userGroupName=dayt30401&inPS=true

Mtsu Speech contest, ¨Persuasive Speech: Lowering the Drinking Age¨ youtube 2017 march 31

Accessed february 5th 2022

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3_rPddEx4I

-15301197

Opposing gale’ Underage Drinking¨ sinclair 2021 Accessed february 5th 2022

https://go-gale-com.sinclair.ohionet.org/ps/retrieve.do?

resultListType=RELATED_DOCUMENT&searchType=ts&userGroupName=dayt30401

&inPS=true&contentSegment=&prodId=OVIC&docId=GALE|PC3021900174&it=r

Trex,ethan ¨Why is drinking age 21¨ Mental Floss, 2018 april 18th Accessed february 5th

2022https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/19437/why-drinking-age-21#:~:text=The

%20concept%20that%20a%20person,they%20could%20drink%20then%2C%20too.

¨The Teen Brain 7 things to Know¨ National institute of mental Health¨ revised 2020

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/the-teen-brain-7-things-to-know

#:~:text=Though%20the%20 brain%20may%20be,%2C%20 prioritizing%2C%20and

%20controlling%20impulses. Accessed february 5th 2022