Lowering the Minimum Drinking Age
In 1984 the National Minimum Drinking Age Act, which raised the legal drinking age to 21, was passed by Congress. The theory behind this was, essentially, if you raise the age of consumption, people will drink more conscientiously, because with age comes responsibility. Regrettably, the lawmakers of this time did not take into consideration the fact that being responsible does not just occur as you age, it is a trait that is observed and learned. There are numerous valid political, statistical, and practical reasons in support of lowering the legal age, and I believe many benefits could be gained from reexamining this law.From the time of the end of Prohibition in 1933, the United States government has placed the issue of MLDA (minimum legal drinking age) perceptively in the hands of the states, letting each decide for itself what the minimum age should be. It was not until late seventies and eighties, mainly because of an onslaught of excessive highly publicized studies that claimed teenage alcohol use was out of control, that the federal government started paying more attention to MLDA. This, and the national mood created an environment in position for the anti-yout
No where in the Constitution does it say that the Federal government has the authority to regulate the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages, and it is clear that all control not specifically assigned to the Federal Government by the Constitution are decided by the States and the people; therefore, the government should not have supreme rule over what age is appropriate for alcohol use, each state should be able to decide it's own laws. After all, they are the next generation, and will at some point need to teach their own children about the laws and moral standings of alcohol. We are taught that you are responsible for all of our actions, especially after our 18th birthdays, but then to be contradicted? If we are not responsible enough to drink at the age of adulthood, then why are we responsible enough for the rest of life? I know that teenagers are not the only ones with abuse problems, but they are the best group to start with. The actual bill required states to follow the law done to every last word; otherwise, they would be punished by not receiving portions of their Federal-aid highway funds. What it all comes down to is, everybody wants what they cannot have; the forbidden fruit. If you look at foreign countries, such as Italy for example, many start serving their children alcohol at a very young age while at dinner or big social occasion. h, anti-alcohol legislation that became the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984. These countries have far less alcohol abuse related problems and crimes. Many senators opposed this action because they felt that it would require the federal government to infringe upon areas they do not have power over. 9 %) of seniors drink alcohol at least once a month 19. Also, the fact that at starting at age 18, you can be drafted for war, you can buy property and weapons, you are trusted with voting for the leaders of your country, you could be put do death by the death penalty, and by all standards you are considered an adult, but you cannot enjoy a simple beer if you so please just reinforces the "forbidden fruit" aspect of alcohol. Until responsible drinking is taught, no matter what the MLDA is, teenagers will abuse alcohol.
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