18 or 21?

The legal minimum drinking age in the United States is 21 but someone is considered a legal adult at the age of 18. There has been an ongoing debate regarding lowering the drinking age once again to 18 as it has been before for previous generations.

According to Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, researchers have found a link between a lower drinking age and binge drinking: “Men who grew up in states with a legal drinking age lower than 21 were 19 percent more likely to binge drink more than once per month.”

A non-profit organization, Choose Responsibility, argues U. S. citizens are considered adults at the age of 18 years old and should be allowed full rights, including the sole exception, the drinking age. It has been proposed in many states to allow members of the military to drink legally under the age of 21.

Julia Pjevach, a senior at AHS, says, “I think the age should be lowered to 18. If you can join the army, buy tobacco products and get a tattoo…You should be able to buy a bottle of wine.”

Olivia O’Connor, a senior at AHS, says, “I believe you should be able to buy liquor at 18. Having to wait until 21 leads so many people to excessively binge-drink which is very unhealthy. We’d see less binge drinking if the age was lowered and it was less of a big deal to buy and drink alcohol.”

The current policy has caused underage drinkers to drink privately leading them to drive in order to remain covert, according to University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. Underage drinkers often intake a harmful amount within a binge drinking episode.

According to a 2007 Gallup Poll, 77 percent of Americans object to lowering the drinking age.

Pjveach says, “Binge drinking is a disease spreading through America’s youth and I really think lowering the minimum age would help combat that.”