http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/LegalDrinkingAge.html

What should the drinking age be in the United States?

Should the drinking age stay the same?

The drinking age in the United States is the highest in the world. Underage drinking is a major problem in the United States along with binge drinking. However, by lowering the drinking age I don't think the problem would be solved but only spread to a younger crowd. If any change were to be made I think the drinking age would be lowered because having the highest drinking age has not stopped or limited underage drinking. There needs to be a change but switching the drinking age isn't something that will solve our problems with underage drinking.

• Myth

  Alcohol abuse is an increasing problem among young people.

  Fact

  Heavy alcohol use among people in the US 17 years of age or younger actually dropped by an amazing two-thirds (65.9 percent) between 1985 and 1997, according to federal government research. The proportion of young people who consumed any alcohol within the previous month dropped from 50% to 19% in about the same period. Other federally funded research also documents the continuing decline in both drinking and drinking abuse among young people. Similarly, alcohol-related traffic injuries and fatalities among young people continue to drop. Deaths associated with young drinking drivers aged 16 to 24 decreased almost half (47%) in a recent 15-year period.

Jordanne Even

http://inst.sfcc.edu/~hfl/speech/drinkage.htm

Should the Drinking age be lowered to 18 or 19 instead of 21?

The legal drinking age is 21 at the present but many people, usually teenagers
under the age of 21, believe that it should be lowered. There is valid research
to support the argument of lowering the drinking age. Dr Ruth Engs, a professor
at Indiana University, found that having the drinking age at 21 has increased a
lot of negative behavior in underage drinkers. For instance “vomiting after
drinking”, “missing classes because of hangover”, and “getting lower grades
because of drinking” have all increased since 21 became the legal drinking age.
Teenagers who drink under age are more likely to be “binge” drinkers or heavy
drinkers something that could ultimately lead to alcoholism. Dr. Engs believes
that lowering the drinking age will encourage mature and responsible drinking
that could be taught by parents if teenagers were allowed to legally drink at
18. Obviously the drinking age is not working with its present status; it
encourages underage drinking because alcohol is seen as a forbidden fruit to
teenagers. Lowering the drinking age to 18-19 would decrease negative behavior

Joy E. Holforty What should the drinking age be in the United States? Lower the drinking age Lowering the drinking age, pros and cons: Pros-It will be a fair change, many believe that if you can fight in a war at the age of 18, kill and or die for your country, you should be able to have alcohol. Drinking might become less popular with youth if the age is lowered, because they will no longer be "fighting the system", underage drinkers might find it cool that they are breaking the law which could be why they drink as much as they do, if it becomes legal for them to drink they might not drink as much realizing that it is not as rebelious. Cons-More drinking could cause more issues for society, unsafe streets, vandalism, drunk driving , date rapes, alcohol abuse, alcoholics, etc. Younger drinkers may not know there limits, more chances of alcohol poisoning , deaths from alcohol, etc. http://www.upei.ca/~stuserv/alcohol/alcoho3.jpg Raising the drinking age, pros and cons: Pros- If the drinking age is raised it will be much more difficult for students to drink, keeping campuses safer. It will also protect neighbohoods

October 23, 2006