Are you an adult at 18 years of age? The US legal system thinks so: 18 year olds are routinely tried as adults, and can face the harshest punishments — including the death penalty — for their actions. The US military also believes 18 year olds are adults: they can enlist for military service and be sent to any war zone and on any assignment, no matter how dangerous.
The Internal Revenue Service also classifies 18 year olds as adults: at 18 an individual is responsible for filing and paying their federal taxes, and can be prosecuted to the full extent of the law if they fail to do so.
All of these examples clearly indicate that the United States government considers 18 year olds to be legal adults. Isn’t it bizarre, then, that the federal government also mandates a drinking age of 21 for all states, or face a reduction of federal highway money? The US government seems to be sending mixed messages; in all the ways that matter most, 18 year olds are considered legal adults. But when it comes to having a beer with their friends — no way!
Top officials from Maryland universities, including the presidents and chancellors of prestigious universities such as Johns Hopkins, Towson University and others, have signed a statement supporting lowering the legal drinking age to 18.
The university administrators point out that the current drinking age of 21 effectively creates a prohibition on drinking for adults aged 18 to 20, and is responsible for creating a culture where binge drinking is becoming more and more acceptable and commonplace.
Although each state has the right to set their own legal drinking age, in 1984 the federal government enacted the National Minimum Drinking Age Act, which reduces federal highway money granted to any State with a legal drinking age lower than 21. University officials say that this act effectively punishes the states, and prevents them from exploiting alternative policies concerning alcohol.
Because 18, 19 and 20 year olds cannot legally drink in the United States, officials has seen an increase in at-home binge drinking before young people go out at night. This trend is alarming to many experts, who point out that alcohol poisoning can result from consuming large quantities of alcohol in a relatively short period of time.
University officials also point out that by enacting the federal law, the government simply created more “crime,” because historically, 18, 19 and 20 year olds are going to drink, regardless of its legality.
Although the statement by university officials in Maryland has provoked controversy from some groups, many Americans, including politicians and business leaders, find the current mandated drinking age of 21 to the hypocritical and highly ineffective in controlling under age drinking. The statement is a good first step to begin a conversation about creating a more sensible — and less hypocritical — drinking age in the US.
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I truly think there is no answer to this problem…Dammed if you do and Dammed if you don’t. Forbid the drinking and it creates a big allure. Legalize it and you are asking for lots of drinking…The big issue today is drinking and driving..so if one drinks at home it is their problem…Alcohol is always easy to get and inexpensive..so what is going to keep kids from drinking…GOod parental guidance…That is good but experimentation is always going to win out. You have to learn in life as you make choices there is always some fallout…carol stanley author of For Kids 59.99 and Over.
Comment by carol stanley — August 25, 2008 @ 2:59 pm