Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Lowering the Drinking Age--Two Opinions

Recently the dominion post printed an article about lower the drinking age to 18. I personally dont think it would matter because underage drinking happens all the time. I do however think that by lower the drinking age, there will be many more drunk driving accidents because at the age 18, many people believe they are unstoppable and think they can still drive when intoxicated. I'm not saying we shouldnt lower the drinking age, my only question is will it increase drunk driving? What do you think?

HJB


A movement to lower the drinking age to 18 is taking steps in many communities and states across the country. College presidents from about 100 different universities are coming together to ask lawmakers to consider lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18. They believe that the current law is encouraging dangerous binge drinking among college campuses. John M. McCardell, former president of Middlebury College in Vermont said, “It does not reduce drinking. It has simply put young adults at greater risk.” I think the age restriction has not eliminated kids under 21 to stop drinking; it has only caused them to hide it. Not allowing people under 21 to buy liquor or drink at bars/ public places, has not stopped them from doing it just raised the drinking behind closed doors. In 1984 the legal drinking age was raised to 21 to stop people under this age from drinking all together. But 23 years later we have to ask ourselves why are people under 21 still drinking?

--AN

4 comments:

JG said...

It used to be age 18 a couple of decades ago, actually. When you hear about drunk driving accidents in the newspapers, what ages are the people involved? It's pretty much all ages, if I recall correctly. Teen drinkers just make for bigger news. But I don't know any hard data right offhand to back that up.

Anonymous said...

i think that if you lower the age or keep it the same amount of kids from college will continue to drink. and if it does get lowered then i think younger kids at the ages of 15-16 are going to drink more because the age is now closer to them much like with 21 and 18. i do agree with whoever said that the aclcohol related accidents from 18 year olds would go up because we feel like we are invincible.

Asian Sensation said...

No matter the drinking age is 18 or 21, its all up to the drinker what choices they make. Because the choices they make not only effects them but also others. There has been many instances where the drunk driver has killed a sober driver. Is it fair to take a innocent life for your own mistakes? And it also depends on who the individuals around when they are drinking. Your friends have the greatest influence on you in times like this. At they end,again its all on the individual.

Anonymous said...

I agree with asian sensation. It is all up to the drinker. Changing the drinking age, I believe won't change much at all. It won't stop people from binge drinking. I mean if someone wants to binge drink, they will do it no matter if they are 18 or 21. The truth is there is not much to do in Morgantown, but to drink. So in the end it is all up to the one who drinks. I mean come on how hard is it for someone to get alcohol who in underage? Not very hard, huh.