OMFG! It’s The…

First off, a quick shoutout to the new subscribers: YOU FUCKIN’ ROCK! (just HAD to say that)

Ok, now I know I said I wouldn’t have time to make posts during this week because of my finals, but technically I wrote this for an assignment already so it’s really not taking up anymore time. I thought’s I’d share this essay because me and my roommates plan on drinking/getting high RIGHT after finals end on Thursday night. So it’s kinda appropriate . Also, I have YET to run into ANYONE in college who HASN’T taken a slip of alcolol before. I dunno If I’ve mentioned this before, but I’m actually ALLERGIC to alcohol, but even so I felt writing this essay was important for the millions of other moderate teen drinkers that get shit for no reason…

In 1620, when the Pilgrims sailed to modern-day America on the Mayflower, they brought with them more alcohol than water. The crew, which included Puritans, enjoyed alcoholic beverages in moderation and it was not uncommon for them to offer drinks to their children. For the most part, teenage drinking was neither uncommon nor frowned upon and this mentality continued for hundreds of years to come. But all that changed in 1984 when the National Minimum Drinking Age Act outlawed the purchase and public possession of alcohol for anyone under the age of 21- the highest in the industrialized world. In a country where burglary, vehicle theft, and violent crimes occur in the millions, it is hard to understand why older teens face the possibility of arrest just for having alcohol. Although the legal drinking age is the United States is 21, it should be lowered to 18 because 18 is the age of consent for virtually all other rights, it would be good for the economy, and because it would make for more responsible adults.

Of the entire American population that consumes alcohol, only about 1 in 10 are teens. In fact, the chances of the average high school senior consuming alcohol at all are at an all time low. Yet for some reason, drinking is still labeled as a rampant problem in teen culture along with sex and drugs. An 18 year old is legally considered an adult that can vote, get a credit card, sign rental agreements, buy tobacco products, participate in pornography, enlist in the armed forces, be sentenced to life in prison, and even get married without parental consent. Likewise, if the drinking age was set to 18 in 1984 rather than 21, it is easy to see why such a law would only be expected of today. Not only would a change in the drinking age level the legal standards for 18 year olds, but it would also boost the economy.

According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the U.S. economy loses around $185 billion each year to alcohol related problems ($58 billion to those under 21). On the contrary, independent studies by economists and sociologists estimate the entire actual cost to be only $9.5 billion. Dr. David Pittman, a member of the Kensington Research Institute and a published author, says that the 92% difference is a result of a failure to utilize standard accounting methods. Federal institutions like the NIAAA fail to consider any economic benefits, like licensed tax revenues, when they make their statistics and, as a result, over-inflate projected costs. Statistics like “95% of violent crime on college campuses is alcohol related” and “$117 billion is lost in workplace productivity annually” are hard to believe when the majority (76%) of alcoholics are non-violent when drunk and wages of moderate drinkers surpass abstainers (by 7%). Sadly, only federal fabrications become the “facts” that are spread and reported in editorials and the majority of electronic media. Since the alcohol industry exceeds $155 billion annually, there are already enough funds to pay for the real costs of abuse and even set up programs to teach responsible drinking in high schools. Tax revenue from licensed beverage sales alone exceeds $10 billion. No doubt, lowering the drinking age would bring about even more profit which, in turn, would increase educational benefits. Of these, an improvement of adult responsibility would arise over time.

Just as the right to drive has made teens more responsible, the right to drink will force older teens to face maturity. If countries like Mexico and Ireland can have a legal drinking age of 18 and less deaths caused by alcohol than the U.S., age is clearly not the real factor to blame when it comes to alcohol abuse issues. It is only natural that newly legal drinkers, no matter what age and country of residence, handle alcohol poorly. When alcohol is marketed as cool in commercials and taboo in the classroom, such behavior can only be expected of. But after the novelty wears off and consequences are realized, the same people eventually learn to be responsible drinkers. Some of the most basic skills humans learn at a young age such as reading, cooking, and how to ride a bike all come from experience- learning one’s alcohol tolerance is no different. Indeed, some adult alcoholics let their abuse hinder productivity in their workplace, lash out violently at their spouse, and ruin their family’s financial situation. At the same time, it is important to remember that most 18 year old alcoholics do not have a mortgage, wife, or even a family to ruin. Knowing this, it is safe to assume that making the mistake of abusing alcohol at a younger age isn’t as detrimental on a social or economical level as it could be for the same person when they are older. For this reason, if the legal drinking age was appropriately lowered, an overall decrease in adult alcohol related problems would occur.

Although the legal drinking age is the United States is 21, it should be lowered to 18 because 18 is the age of consent for virtually all other rights, it would be good for the economy, and because it would make for more responsible adults. Having a law that prevents newlyweds from drinking champagne at their own wedding or a solider from drinking a beer seems ethically absurd, yet legally this is still the case. In a perfect world, underage drinking could be easily stomped out, but a more realistic goal is to teach teens how to be responsible drinkers. It is not too late to correct an unreasonable policy just decades old.

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Tags: 21 is bullshit, alcohol, beer, underage drinking