Argument for Lowering The Drinking Age to 18 Essay

Argument for Lowering The Drinking Age to 18 - Essay Example Banning drinking age at 18 will not stop teenagers from drinking. Some adults may have the impression that since it is made illegal to drink at age 18, then it would stop teenagers from drinking. On the contrary, the prohibition will not stop teenagers from drinking and that will even add to the thrill of drinking alcohol. Instead of stopping it, the prohibition will even have the effect of encouraging teenagers to drink. Banning alcohol at age 18 will just make teenagers hide when they are drinking and it is more dangerous. Adults or supervising authority may have the impression that they have stopped drinking but in fact, the drinking just went underground. This time, teenagers drink without the presence of adult supervision and this an unsafe environment for kids to drink. It is in this environment that excesses happen that often leads to the fatal outcome that some college presidents have aired their concern that drinking underground contributes to alcohol excesses among teenagers (Wechsler, 2010 pg. 987). Also, it is in this environment that beer binges and fighting occurs because teenagers tend to seize the moment and drink a lot until they could no longer control themselves. Also, 18 years old does not differ from age 21 in terms of the judgment. People may argue that older is better but being 21 does not make one wiser in terms of alcohol drinking. Delaying drinking age to 21 years old does not make one a more responsible drinker. In fact, delaying it promotes an irresponsible drinking behavior because teenagers will have to hide drinking first before they can drink in the open at age 21. So by the time they are already legal to drink to age 21, they have already developed the habit of drinking excessively because they were used to drink in an unsafe environment.