hey every one!!!!!!!! What do you guys think? Should the drinking age be lowered to 18? Post your thoughts and also try to back it up with facts. Here's my short piece:) Why the drinking should be lowered to 18 There have been arguments and also debates about what is the appropriate age to start drinking. The legal age to drink in the United States right now is 21. But comparing this number to other countries, especially European countries, the number starts to look a little too high. These countries have different view points about what the legal drinking age should be and the right way to teach their kids not to abuse drinking. The drinking age should be lowered to 18, so responsible drinking could be taught through role modeling and educational programs. 18 is practically the legal age for everything else int eh United States, so why not the legal age to drink as well? Although the legal age is 21, both college and high school students are able to get their hands on alcohol before they turn 21. In the research of Ruth C. Engs, Professor of Applied Health Sciences at Indiana University, 22% of all students younger than 21 as compared to 18% over 21 years of age are heavy drinkers. Mr. Engs also found that among drinkers, 32% of underage compared to 24% legal age are heavy drinkers. According to a lot of college records it has shown that cutting class after drinking increased from about 9% to 12%. As a nation the prohibition laws we?ve tried in the 1920s and the 1850s have both been repealed. They were unenforceable because people know how to get their hands on alcohol. The costs of enforcing these laws have also been increasing. There has been tons of money spent on police and prison space. The criticisms towards them have also caused social problems like young adults abusing alcohol and peer pressure among them have resulted in deaths. Prohibition did not work then and prohibition is not working now because we still have this problem. While there has been decrease in per capita consumption, during this same period there has been an increase in other problems related to heavy drinking and irresponsible drinking among college age youth. According to Dr. David J. Henson at the State University of NY, from 1982 to 1987 about 46% of students were reported vomiting after drinking. Also, getting lower grades because of drinking rose from 5% to 7% and being in a fight after drinking increased from 12% to 17%. It is better when young people learn at home from their parents and from other adults how to handle alcohol in a responsible manner. This way, the young people are then able to compromise on what responsible drinking is and how to handle it from people they know and trust. Countries in Europe like Germany and France have already adopted this idea, and young adults view drinking as natural and normal. This way, the young adults would rarely embarrass themselves or their families in society by abusing alcohol. If 18 is the legal age for everything else than why not for drinking as well? 18 year olds are sent to the military, they could get hurt but if they binge drink at the age of 21 how they could possibly be safer. 18 years olds are allowed to get married and then who will know if they are drinking only after 21. This will also cause them to drinking irresponsibly if they are not taught earlier while they are still under their parent?s care. At the age of 18, kids go out and live on their own. So, who will be with them when they turn 21 to teach them responsible drinking? As for the health that is concerned, if they are taught responsible drinking they won?t abuse it when they are grown up adults. And as adults if has been prove in France that drinking three glasses of wine a day reduces the risk of death from all causes by about 30%. This was found from research done by Dr. Richard Keeling, a medical doctor and editor of the Journal of American College Health. So, it is better to drink moderate amount of alcohol rather than not to drink at all. It is our duty as a nation to change current prohibition law and to teach responsible drinking techniques for those who chose to consume alcoholic beverages. Other nations have tried this and received huge benefits, so why shouldn?t we also at the least try and see if it works or not because how much can changing the law worsen our condition as it is of right now. We must change the legal drinking age in the United States to 18 from 21.