Why 21 Mlda

The United States is only one of four countries in the world that has a drinking age of 21. Opponents of lower the drinking age in America ague that teens are not ready to handle their alcohol consumption, thus making it more likely for them to harm or even kill themselves or others. The only real way to find out if someone is responsible for their own actions is to let them go about that action. Alcohol use has been a continuing problem on most college campuses where nearly 73% have admitted to consuming alcohol occasionally. To this problem the only logical solution is to legalize drinking for 18 year olds because it can then be regulated and kept under control by the police or the college itself. Countries all of the world have a lower drinking age because they can regulate it and they do not have the same problems that the US has. The government sees that the problem is painfully apparent, but they continue to make more and more laws that are just making it almost impossible to keep teens under control. The law that takes away the right for anyone under the age of 18 was the UDAA (Uniform Drinking Age Act) which gave told states to change for other reasons that had nothing to do with drinking itself. Four years after which was a little over 23 years ago the 21 MLDA (Minimum Legal Drinking Age) was adapted by every state. However, who says that 21 is the age that the human being becomes magically mature or even wise enough to drink alcohol.

In the early 1980's the country was in the beginning of taking a stand against drunk driving. Groups in the anti-drunk-driving such as MADD, SADD, and RID, were formed to make this problem come to an end in society. In 1984 President Reagan signed the Uniform Drinking Age Act. This new law stated that within the next five years all state will have to change their drinking age to 21. By 1988 all of the states had changed their MLDA to 21, because they were faced with the possible termination of their federal highway funds. Because of the anti-drunk drivers groups there are many of these groups still work hard today on enforcing the drinking age laws, but are they really pushing towards the right things to do when it comes to drinking. Some have said that instead of pushing a drinking age of 21, we should just push for a law that makes it mandatory to take certain courses that will educate us on all the aspect of drinking alcohol before we are given the right to drive or buy alcohol.

When I turned 18 I was given a list of rights by under our set of laws I was considered an "adult." According to the laws I was able, to serve on a jury. Being able to serve on a jury is a privilege that is given to someone when they turn 18 so that they will now have say in their society. This shows that you are now are an actual figure to your society, you have the power to put "bad guy's bars," but you are still not allow to consume alcohol. On the other side an 18 year old is now able to be tried as an adult in a court of law, where they can be tried for doing something such as drinking alcohol. During elections an 18 year old is now aloud to vote. An adult is given the right to vote on the person that will run the country. These people that are running the country are also the people that make laws that can not be regulated by the average police officer, but you can still not consume alcohol. If a teenage falls in love in high school, their guardians do not approve the can now get married without consent, but they can not toast their new husband or wife with a glass of champagne. A teen superstar singer can now sign and legal document that can make them accountable for their action while their under contract, but they will not able to buy and share a drink with a band member that did a good job that night. The last major thing is that you can join a military force. My country can tell me that I can go fight in a war, where I may take some ones life, or have my life taken from me. This country is the same country that tells me that I am not aloud to consume alcohol. For the government to consider an 18 year old is not a far statement, but they should not outlaw things that are so minor that most people just look the other way once it is seen.

A major problem in teen drinking today is the fact that they do not know their own limits. Many say that teens are not responsible drinkers because of this. Most teens do not know their limits because the first couple of times they do not realize how the alcohol is going to affect their bodies mentally. High school kids who drink are not drinking because they need to drink. Teens that are drinking are socially drinking and are drinking just for the thrill of breaking a law. Most of the time teens are not properly taught by and elder the effect and repercussions. According to a recent national study 90% of high school students have admitted to having an alcoholic beverage. This statistic just proves that teens are going to drink, and should be properly taught how to drink. Upon turning 18 a teen is most likely still in high school and are still under their parents' roof. It is at this time that these teens should be taught and supervised by an elder on alcohol consumption. If this were to be an everyday normality, teens who seek higher education away from home would already know how much they should drink before they are going to do something to harm themselves and/or others. By 21-22 many are told that they are now in the "real world" because they are out of college and it time to move out and get a job. Why is it at this point that we are now legally aloud to do something that may harm are chances of succeeding in this so called real world that society throws us into? Although, there are some laws in 41 states that have set exceptions to the person under the age of 21 the right to drink. In 29 states if done on private premises with parental consent, 30 states if for religious purposes, and 13 states if for educational purposes. This may in fact show that teens can get the proper education on drinking, but if 41 out of 50 states have had to make exceptions to a law then why can it not just be legal for the sole purpose of there being something wrong with the law.

When a person who is of age drinks in a public location they are watched by the people who own the facility and the police. When a teen drinks they have to resort to drinking in unsupervised areas such as frat/ house parties and even in trails in woods, so that they are in the shadows and will not get in trouble with the law. College students who want to relax on a Friday night who are not 21 have no choice but to go to these parties. Unless they want to make a completely unethical decision to try and use a fake ID, which can result in a far worse consequence then what their intention was to do that night