In 1984, the national minimum drinking age act was put into place restricting anyone under the age of 21 to consume alcohol. Ever since there has been nothing but good to come from it; 35 percent drop in twelfth graders drinking, drinking and driving dropped 32 percent saving 1000 people from drunk drivers.
The article Quicker Liquor, by Darshak Sanghavi clearly has enough evidence that this law has been working. People who want to lower the age seem crazy. They would kill 1000 people just so they could drink earlier. What has this culture come to?
Some say that “lower the drinking age will keep kids out of trouble and in less trouble with the police.” If that’s true, making killing people legal will keep murders out of the cop’s hands too. Kids will always be causing trouble in some way: other drugs, theft, drunk driving. There will always be something.
Lowering the age could also lower the age that kids first start drinking. Making it 18 won’t stop kids from drinking until there that age. With the age at 21, kids who are 15 are drinking. That’s a difference of six years. If you lower it to 18 maybe kids 12 will start drinking. Seventh graders!
The legal age is fine where it is and sets a standard for when people start drinking. 21 year olds have enough sense to know what is right or wrong and do not have mommy and daddy to deal with their repercussions. The law saves life’s which should be the most important thing when looking at this issue. If they can find a way to lower the age and lower deaths then that law would be better, but until then this one should stay.