The topic of US’ states lowering the minimum drinking age to eighteen or keeping the age at twenty one has been a hot, controversial topic over the past few years. As of July 1988, each of the fifty states have made their MLDA, minimum legal drinking age, twenty one (Eastman). Given that each state has the same drinking age, it greatly reduces drinking and driving among teens because they cannot drive to another state, drink, and return home while intoxicated. Although both sides of the argument propose great reasoning and supporting evidence on what the MLDA should be, it is disagreeable that the age should be reduced to eighteen. It is statistically proven that keeping the minimum legal drinking age at twenty one, in each state, would be
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If eighteen becomes the new minimum legal age to drink, many would not have a fine to pay or their license revoked due to a violation of the law. Young adults can easily ruin the rest of their lives due to a simple misdemeanor. Many citizens have a bad record or background due to the minimum legal drinking age being twenty one. Money payed towards a fine could go towards college tuition. A license being revoked could easily lead to the loss of one’s job or a decline in school attendance (Toomey, Nelson, and Lenk 1962). An unclean background check could possibly lead to not being hired at a new job. There are few that believe that the law should be altered so those who are found in possession of alcohol below the age of eighteen do not have a corrupt background from a law they believe should be in place anyways. At the end of the day, most people still believe that decreasing the age would only do more harm than good to young …show more content…
For example, the MLDA of 21 is statistically proven to reduce both alcohol related traffic fatalities and crashes. “The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated that MLDA 21 decreased the number of fatal traffic accidents for eighteen to twenty-one year olds by 13%.” Also, the minimum legal alcohol intake age of twenty one has saved roughly 27,052 lives from 1975 - 2008 (Toomey, Nelson, and Lenk 1964). Children and young adults are dying daily due to underage drinking, lowering the legal drinking age would only worsen problems. Simply leaving the MLDA at twenty one will continue to make a difference in young people’s lives. Research done in the United States has revealed that having a greater MLDA results in less alcohol intake amongst those between sixteen and twenty (Mistral 51). With the abundance of information available showing that the age twenty one drinking law being kept in place is best for the people of the United States, it would be difficult for one to stand by the opposing viewpoint in favor of lowering the MLDA to
If eighteen becomes the new minimum legal age to drink, many would not have a fine to pay or their license revoked due to a violation of the law. Young adults can easily ruin the rest of their lives due to a simple misdemeanor. Many citizens have a bad record or background due to the minimum legal drinking age being twenty one. Money payed towards a fine could go towards college tuition. A license being revoked could easily lead to the loss of one’s job or a decline in school attendance (Toomey, Nelson, and Lenk 1962). An unclean background check could possibly lead to not being hired at a new job. There are few that believe that the law should be altered so those who are found in possession of alcohol below the age of eighteen do not have a corrupt background from a law they believe should be in place anyways. At the end of the day, most people still believe that decreasing the age would only do more harm than good to young …show more content…
For example, the MLDA of 21 is statistically proven to reduce both alcohol related traffic fatalities and crashes. “The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated that MLDA 21 decreased the number of fatal traffic accidents for eighteen to twenty-one year olds by 13%.” Also, the minimum legal alcohol intake age of twenty one has saved roughly 27,052 lives from 1975 - 2008 (Toomey, Nelson, and Lenk 1964). Children and young adults are dying daily due to underage drinking, lowering the legal drinking age would only worsen problems. Simply leaving the MLDA at twenty one will continue to make a difference in young people’s lives. Research done in the United States has revealed that having a greater MLDA results in less alcohol intake amongst those between sixteen and twenty (Mistral 51). With the abundance of information available showing that the age twenty one drinking law being kept in place is best for the people of the United States, it would be difficult for one to stand by the opposing viewpoint in favor of lowering the MLDA to