Drinking is a big problem that causes many teen-age deaths in the United States, however, many people still argue that the legal age for drinking should be reduced to eighteen. This issue has been brought up many times, but the law has not been changed, since the change to twenty-one; in 1980. States have become stricter about preventing under-age drinking, but teen-agers have no problem getting alcohol. There are many arguments in favor of changing the drinking age back to eighteen. .
The facts show that drinking alcohol is too large of a responsibility for an eighteen-year-old to handle. In 1980 the government raised the drinking age to twenty-one because the number of drunk driving accidents was causing many teen-age deaths. The young adults of America considered this law a second prohibition. The main objective of the law was to make the young people happier, healthier, and safer (Smith & Smith 2). Because this law was viewed as a revival of prohibition, it was not widely accepted by the public, and some states were hesitant to pass the new law. Despite the opposition, the government pursued the passage of the law and offered states benefits for their cooperation. Some of these benefits included extra government money for state highways as well as other programs previously funded by the individual state governments (Birckmayer & Hemenway 1).
Although this law was a good idea and passed with the safety of American teen-agers in mind, many people were not happy with the change. People feel that if eighteen-year-olds are considered adults they should have the right to consume alcoholic beverages without worrying about the law. Adults over twenty-one that party with friends that are under twenty-one get a bad record for giving alcohol to minors. This type of record can cause a problem in the future when looking for a job, applying for a professional license, or seeking admission to graduate school.
