 The Problem With Legalization in the US If we were to lower the drinking age to 18, or even (as in many European countries) have no drinking age in the United States, the result could be disasterous. The issue here is mostly cultural because a part of the rush that comes from doing drugs or drinking is the fact that it's illegal. You're beating the system, sticking it to "the Man." In France, where the drinking age is virtually non-existant, I have seen less alcohol/drug-caused injuries than in the States. Could Americans handle drinking a pint at each meal ? It's common in England, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland to drink at lunch and after work. These people's bodies are adapted to the influx of alcohol. How are American livers responding ? As we all know, Russians drink vodka to numb their bodies from the cold. Would Americans be able to do that ? I know that a lot of you will say "Hell yeah, we could." But the fact is that you probably can't. It's not in your culture and if the drinking age were wiped out overnight, it would be abused so much that it would lead to disaster. Although 18 years old would be the favourable drinking age, how would Americans react to this overnight change ? Maybe after a few years it would work, but I fear that if the drinking age were lowered, people would take advantage of it in a negative way because it would be easy to acquire. Why sneak out to get one when you can get two or more without being barred ? "Alcohol is a controversial topic, a topic even the President of the United States thinks is important to address. The statistics stated in this speech are shocking. The United States has a bigger problem with drinking than most countries. Unlike most countries, the U.S. is one of only seven countries with the highest drinking age of 21. All other countries have a lower minimum drinking age ranging from 14 to 20, some with none at all (Hanson, 1). Statistics show that countries with the lower minimum drinking age actually have less alcohol-related car crashes. What statistics do not show is that the problem with the United States may not only be the drinking age of 21, but the way the U.S. handles the situation of alcohol and integrating it into our children’s lives." |