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The Legal Drinking Age Debate

Kirsten Otte

HM 473 Beverage Management

Professor Brianna Koster

29 January 2023
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The Legal Drinking Age Debate

Alcohol has always been a debate in America dating all the way back to prohibition era when

the production and sale of alcohol was prohibited. In the 1930s the 18th amendment was ratified

which began to raise the question of what the legal drinking age should be. The debate of the

legal drinking age varies across the country with viewpoints ranging from raising, lowering, and

maintaining the minimum legal drinking age. The alteration of the drinking age can also have

impacts on the hospitality industry in terms of clientele in bars and amount of liquor sold. I

believe that the drinking age should stay at 21 due to the statistics that show less harm/accidents

occuring after the age limit was raised and also because the brain is not fully developed. This

choice may lead to less alcohol sales or a switch to an older clientele in the hospitality industry,

but it is one that will protect the youth as well as lead to less problems that may occur in bars due

adolescent problematic drinking.

Alcohol affects the brain by interfering with the brain's communication pathways and it

can also make certain functions more difficult leading to possible negative situations: “Alcohol

makes it harder for the brain areas controlling balance, memory, speech, and judgment to do their

jobs, resulting in a higher likelihood of injuries and other negative outcomes” (Alcohol and the

brain: An overview, 2022). Due to these limitations brought onto the brain from alcohol it is vital

the consumer is well aware of the risks and has a well developed brain that can comprehend

those risks. The human brain is not fully developed until the age of 25, specifically our emotions

in the brain will develop faster than our frontal cortex which controls key functions, due to this

adolescents are more likely to engage in thrills, risks, and impulsiveness (Effects of alcohol on

the teenage brain you need to know, 2021). From my own experience looking back at my years

when I was under 21 I was definitely careless with my actions and unaware of consequences I

could have endured, such as drinking while babysitting or driving with someone who was under
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the influence. These things alone in my own life support the science behind brain development

and this lack of intellect I had. Keeping the drinking age to 21 is a wise middle ground between

an adolescent underdeveloped brain to a more stable one which will be able to comprehend the

effects of alcohol.

Drinking and driving is a common result of those under 21 who consume alcohol.

According to a survey done in 2019 that was studying youth risk behavior, 5% of high school

students in the past 30 days drove under the influence while 17% said they were in the car of a

driver who was under the influence (Minimum legal drinking age of 21 saves lives, 2022).

Driving under the influence can lead to car accidents which often are caused by those under the

age of 21. Also after all states raised the minimum drinking age to 21 there was a 16% decline in

car accidents (Minimum legal drinking age of 21 saves lives, 2022). Car accidents aren’t the only

thing that pose a risk to youth who are drinking, according to Center for Disease Control and

Prevention, alcohol consumption to those under 21 can lead to or cause: death from alcohol

poisoning, violence, sexual assault, alcohol dependence, school performance, and other drug

consumptions. All of these negative consequences are strong points as to why the drinking age

should stay at 21. As previously mentioned those under 21 do not have a fully developed brain

that can reasonably be aware of these consequences and how to prevent them. By maintaining

this minimum age it will help to prevent easy access to the youth and decrease the rates of car

accidents, injury, or self determinants.

Opponents of the drinking age believe it should be lowered in order to teach

responsibility to the youth in controlled settings similar to European standards. They believe the

youth sees alcohol as a prized possession rather than something they grew up around and was

exposed to through family and education (Engs, 2014). An important point to note about
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European standards for alcohol is that it supports more income in the hospitality industry by

more people being introduced to the product earlier on in life than in America (Lopez, 2016).

However, I believe the impacts to the industry and the economy are not enough to lower the

drinking age. I do agree with the opponents that there needs to be a more subtle approach to the

introduction of alcohol as well as supported education on healthy habits of drinking, but I still

believe the age should stay to 21. Unfortunately we cannot expect every household to help guide

their youth into responsible drinking, but we can protect them by setting the minimum drinking

age to one that matches their brain development and behaviors. It is important to restrict

accessibility to those who are most receptive to the negative consequences that alcohol can bear

until they reach an age where the brain can fully comprehend the weight behind consuming

alcohol.
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References

Alcohol and the brain: An overview (2022) National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Available at:

https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/alcohol-and-brain-overview#:~:text=Alcohol%20

interferes%20with%20the%20brain's,injuries%20and%20other%20negative%20outcome

s. (Accessed: January 24, 2023).

Effects of alcohol on the teenage brain you need to know (2021) Talk It Out. Available at:

https://www.talkitoutnc.org/alcohol-developing-brain/#:~:text=Alcohol%20affects%20th

e%20adolescent%20brain,developed%20until%20about%20age%2025. (Accessed:

January 24, 2023).

Engs, R.c (2014) Why the drinking age should be lowered, Alcohol Research and Health History.

Available at: https://alcohol.iu.edu/articles/drinking-age/index.html (Accessed: January

25, 2023).

Lopez, G. (2016) Europe has lower drinking ages than the US - and worse teen drinking

problems, Vox. Vox. Available at:

https://www.vox.com/2016/1/26/10833208/europe-lower-drinking-age (Accessed:

January 25, 2023).

Minimum legal drinking age of 21 saves lives (2022) Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available at:

https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/minimum-legal-drinking-age.htm#:~:text=The%

20age%2021%20MLDA%20saves%20lives%20and%20improves%20health.&text=Ther
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e%20is%20also%20evidence%20that,outcomes%2C%20and%20suicide%20and%20ho

micide (Accessed: January 25, 2023).