Lower the Legal Drinking Age to 18

Colleges, stores, and police officers are expected to enforce a law that is virtually unenforceable. Teens are going to drink whether there is a law attempting to prevent this or not. A lower legal drinking age could benefit college presidents, teens, stores and the public. Incoming college freshmen often get themselves into dangerous situations where they binge drink without giving themselves a limit due to a newfound freedom. Stores that sell alcohol are expected to check ID's as though they're the police and must turn away many customers. A lower legal drinking age could increase profits in stores selling alcohol. A legal drinking age of 18 could benefit teenagers by no longer having to sneak around their parents or police. With a lower legal drinking age, teens will no longer feel the allure of breaking the law and are more likely to engage in more responsible drinking.

Critics of a lower legal drinking age are concerned about an increase in drunk driving incidents. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) has a main argument that since the legal age of 21 has been put in place that car accidents have decreased, giving credit to the legal drinking age. Although driving accidents have decreased, there is no direct evidence identifying a higher drinking age as the cause. Many other factors could have led to this such as greater penalties for drunk driving, greater police awareness of drunk driving, improved car safety features, and greater stigmatization around drunk driving. Were the age to be lowered, the chances of drunk driving incidents increasing may be likely. But, with a lower legal drinking age, the efforts by the public, universities, and the police to enforce the current legal age of 21 can be refocused on higher education for students on responsible drinking. As a result, teens would be more aware of the consequences behind driving drunk.

The economy could be boosted with a lower legal drinking age with a higher demand for alcoholic beverages as it is made legal for 18 year old's to purchase alcohol. More sales of alcoholic beverages would be made in stores, bars, and restaurants

A lower legal drinking age of 18 will install a greater sense of responsibility in teens and help them feel more mature. As 18 year olds, teens can vote and enlist in the military due to being considered adults, so why should they not be considered mature enough to have a drink? It would be unfair to not guarantee 18 year olds the full privileges of being an adult and would be unfair to not trust that they can be responsible for their own actions within the law. It would benefit many to lower the legal drinking age to 18, not just for the teens but for the public and those who are currently forced to enforce a law that no one obeys. .