Catrina Olson
Essay 4
Bleck B.
11/17/09

Making One’s Own Decisions

Drinking alcohol is decision one has to make on their own. However, if one chooses to drink they must wait until the legal age limit. There is an age limit for drinking because it is dangerous and needs to be used responsibly. There are different age limits for drinking in every state and country ranging from no age limit to 16 to 25. Although, the drinking age limit is a law that does not mean people abbey by it. “In 2004 it was reported that 29% of American’s from the ages of 12-20 had reported having at least one drink in the past 20 days” (services). The drinking age in Washington is 21 and this law is often debated and has been changed many times. At age eighteen one is considered an adult and they have privileges and consequences as an adult. The drinking age should be lowered to age eighteen so when one becomes an adult they can make their own decision if they want to chose to consume alcoholic beverages or not.

The drinking law for Washington states the minimum age for consuming or buying alcohol is age 21. However, the age limit for buying and using tobacco is 18. The age one is considered an adult is age 18. At age 18 one can go to prison and even go on death row. Also at age 18 one can move out, vote, fight for ones country, buy real estate, get married, use credit cards, take out loans, and pay taxes. Why should the drinking age be any different? The age limit for drinking may just be causing more problems than solutions. “In 1987 the minimum alcohol purchase age became 21 in all states…the data from 3,375 students at 56 colleges across the country revealed that, after the legislation, significantly more under-aged students drank compared to those of age” (Hanson). The age limit for smoking is 18 yet, smoking is just as dangerous as alcohol if not more. Smoking causes cancer and many other risky health conditions and consuming alcohol causes liver damage only after severe abuse of it. Also a majority of countries have a drinking or purchasing alcohol age limit of 18. “The United States has the highest minimum alcohol purchasing age limit in the western world” (ICAP). Consuming alcohol is a choice one has to make on their own and one should be able to make this decision when they are considered an adult at age 18.

There are several reasons to why the minimum age of buying and consuming alcohol is 21. One of the reasons is because when people start drinking alcohol early they are more likely to end up with a drinking problem. Another reason is because some people are not responsible enough to drink and stay safe. “In 2002, 6,788 persons aged 15 to 20 were involved in fatal crashes and 29% of the drivers in this age group who were killed had been drinking” (Services). The age limit for consuming alcohol should remain at age 21 if people are going to put themselves and others in risky situations such as drinking and driving. “Overall, 30.2% of high school students reported that, within the past 30 days, they had ridden with a driver who had been drinking” (Services). The main reason why the drinking age is 21 is because people need to be mature and responsible enough to handle what the alcohol does to one’s body. What it does is it alters the consumers’ behavior and the ability for them to function. “Brain functions slow, decreasing balance, eyesight, and reasoning ability” (Kowalski). In the US most of the states have had the drinking age limit be at 21 since the 1970’s then by 1988 all states had that same law. This change in the drinking age limit decreased alcohol consumption and related problems in youth (Wagenaar). With the minimum drinking and purchasing alcohol age limit at 21 there are fewer people out there being crazy and intoxicated. When people drink some tend to get violent and destructive. Also changing the drinking age to 18 would get a lot of people to start drinking and before they started going to college which could even change their mind about going to college. Alcohol is a big issue and can cause many problems. It used to cause so many problems that in the 1920’s alcohol was banned in America and was sold only in the black market. Although there are many reasons why the minimum age limit for buying and consuming alcohol should stay at age 21 I still believe it is one’s decision to make on their own when they are considered an adult at age 18.

No matter what the drinking age is there will always be many people ignoring it. But when the drinking age is 21 instead of 18 there will be even more people ignoring it because they are adults and will make the decision to do it anyways. When someone is 18 and has their own apartment or house there is not much stopping them from making that decision. It is illogical for the drinking age limit to remain at age 21 because it is ineffective. There are reasons for it to stay at 21 because there are said to be less drunk drivers at that age but is that really true? There are drunk drivers at every age and there will always be people who are irresponsible with their drinking. Also when it comes to people being wild and crazy when their intoxicated there are just as many belligerent drunks at age 18 as there are at age 21 if not less. It is also irrational for the drinking age to remain at 21 so people don’t start drinking young and change their minds about college because no matter what the drinking age is there will always be college students who will drink and that does not mean they will change their mind about college. It would be a lot more reasonable if the drinking age was lowered to age 18 because that is a choice somebody should make on their own when they become an adult and independent.

The debate about changing the drinking age will always go on. Every person is entitled to their own opinion and this is a hot topic where many opinions pointed out. There will always people who are unhappy with the law and the drinking age and there will always be people who abbey it. There are so many decisions people are allowed to make on their own when they turn 18 such as, buying tobacco, voting, moving out…est. choosing to drink or not drink should be one of these decisions. The reason why the drinking age should remain at age 21 is so people have more time to mature and be responsible with their drinking. But, then again people can be just as responsible at age 18 and age 21. A solution for this problem could be people are allowed to consume alcohol at age 18 but they cannot purchase alcohol until age 21. The minimum drinking age limit should be 18 so when people become adults they can make their own decision if they want to consume alcohol or not.