Reducing the Legal Drinking Age - Essay Example

This paper argues against lowering the drinking age. Arguments against lowering the drinking age There are many reasons why the drinking age should remain at 21 years. This is supported by facts that have been observed because of the high set drinking age. Maintaining the legal drinking age at 21 years has developmental advantages to the youth because development of a person’s brain extends beyond eighteen years. The developmental process facilitates an individual’s cognitive ability such as “emotional regulation, and planning and organization” (Drinkingage, 2012, p. 1). This identifies a benefit of restricting the drinking age.

It, for example, protects the youth from brain-related disorders that may result from underdevelopment. Maintaining the drinking age to ensure complete mental development among the youth also ensures that they are able to make sound social and economic decisions. As a result, retaining the drinking age has a long-term advantage to both individuals and the society. Maintaining the drinking age at 21 years is also reasonable because it is consistent with other regulatory policies that restrict activities until a person achieves the age of 21.

Examples of such restricted activities include gambling, “purchase of a handgun,” “adoption of a child,” and “renting a car” (Drinkingage, 2012, p. 1). Other activities such as being a stockholder to a company and contesting for presidency have higher age limitations. The many age limitations identifies a significant rationale that should not be disregarded (Drinkingage, 2012). The high legal drinking age has also been associated with reduced rates of road accidents and deaths.

According to reported statistics, the high age limit reduces traffic deaths among youths between 18 and 20 years by about 13 percent. Lowering the drinking age would, therefore, mean risking lives of the major's below 21 years. This is particularly because the group is not mature enough to control their drinking behavior. They therefore over a drink and lose their control to cause fatal road accidents. Similarly, the high drinking age has significantly contributed to lowering the overall rate of drinking in the society.

A statistical analysis of general drinking levels before the introduction of the high age limit and after the introduction of the limit, for example, shows that the age limit has led to lower drinking levels among adults. Another reason for maintaining the drinking age limit is its effectiveness in controlling underage drinking. A comparison of teenage drinking in the United States and other countries where drinking age limit is 18 years shows higher rates in those countries. This means that reducing the drinking age is likely to increase teenage drinking and contribute to identifying effects such as poor mental capacity and higher rates of accidents (Drinkingage, 2012).

Drinking is also associated with a number of problems and the higher the legal drinking age, the more such problem can be delayed in a person’s life.