Category: Legal Drinking Age

Historical Context of Alcohol Consumption in the US

There has been a long debate regarding reducing legal drinking age in America to follow the footsteps of the rest of the world (or at least the majority of countries). The debate is far from over but with the rapid change of the world and increasingly growing pressure that is being put on young adults, it is important to reconsider the legal age of consuming alcohol in the United States. Throughout its, history America has tried different laws to control or confront the alcohol consumption including complete ban of any alcohol products, as of today the legal age is 21. The legal history of this restriction (as any other in the US) has a long story that greatly varies by state to state, but the final result is the same – one shall not buy an alcohol drink before turning 21 years of age. In 1984, Congress passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act, which required all states to increase their ages of purchasing alcohol to 21. But let’s go deeper into the alcohol-regulation policy.

Modern Alcohol Policy and Consumption Patterns

The term ‘alcohol policy’ originated in the Scandinavian countries and in the 1960s. began to receive more and more distribution and importance. With the spread of modern approaches to public health, the state’s alcohol policy began to be seen as a potential tool for improving public health. The generally recognized goal of the state’s alcohol policy is to reduce mortality, morbidity, and social problems associated with alcohol. The interests of the public sector of the state and national producers of alcoholic beverages are taken into account only to the extent that they do not contradict the main goal. Another major principle of modern alcohol policy is its focus on society as a whole, and not exclusively on people suffering from alcoholism. Alcoholism is a social disease, and for its treatment, it is necessary to affect the entire population. One of the main goals of modern alcohol policy is to reduce alcohol consumption to a relatively safe level. World Health Organization experts call it 8 liters of ethanol per adult per year. Especially important is the reduction in the consumption of strong alcoholic beverages. About 70% of alcohol is still consumed in the form of strong drinks, which is about 10 liters of ethanol per year per adult. In the most developed countries, this figure is 2-3 liters, a significant part of which is sold in the form of cocktails. Reducing the consumption of legal and illegal strong and super-strong drinks, which are the main source of global mortality, should be a priority goal of the world’s alcohol policy. Another important priority is the maximum reduction of alcohol consumption by young people. There is a clear correlation between alcohol consumption in youth and the likelihood of alcohol-related problems in the future, including the formation of alcoholism and violent death. Community support greatly facilitates the implementation of alcohol policy. The state should not count on the support of society as a matter of course – this requires constant, focused work. Studies show that the promotion of sobriety and moderation itself has little effect on people’s behavior. However, such work is necessary, since it contributes to the formation of public support for the state’s alcohol policy.

Effective Measures in Alcohol Policy

Effective alcohol policies include reducing the availability of alcohol, especially strong drinks — by increasing its minimum price, restricting points of sale, reducing the time during which you can buy alcohol, and increasing the age from which alcohol can be purchased. In relation to modern realities, these measures must necessarily be combined with the fight against the production and sale of illegal alcohol. Price regulation is an effective way to reduce alcohol consumption. Higher alcohol prices, like any other product, should help reduce demand.

Measures aimed at limiting the physical availability of alcoholic beverages include a ban on the sale of alcoholic beverages at night and after hours, as well as punishment for the consumption (drinking) of alcoholic beverages in prohibited places. A significant number of deaths in the world are due to the fact that drinkers decide to ‘add’ and go at night to the nearest working store. An effective ban on the sale of alcohol or at least strong drinks at night could help reduce mortality, crime, and injuries in the country. Effective measures of state alcohol policy include steps aimed at reducing the number of outlets selling alcohol. There is a relationship between the number of outlets and alcoholism, mortality, crime. If you go far to the nearest point selling alcohol, then not every time a person will go for a bottle. If, having gone to the store for bread, a person sees alcohol on the shelves, this often provokes the purchase of alcoholic beverages.

Two main ways to regulate the number of outlets selling alcohol: permit licensing and the state monopoly on the retail sale of alcoholic beverages. Such a monopoly implies the sale of alcoholic beverages, as a rule, stronger than 4.7-5%, only in government stores. The prices here are high, especially for strong drinks, their working day is limited to daytime, the number of such points is limited.

The American Alcohol Protest Movement

“No alcohol Law”, the earliest protest movement aimed at alcohol and its distributors in America began at the end of the 18th century. The fact is that during this period the colonies had obvious social problems related precisely to the problem of alcohol. That is, the number of drunken murders, violence, and robberies in the years following the American Revolution sharply increased. The very first protest and criticism of drunkenness came from Dr. Benjamin Rush, who signed the Pennsylvania Declaration of Independence. In particular, he opposed the daily portion of whiskey given to soldiers in the Congress forces. In addition, the customs of the Americans of that period included the daily acceptance of up to several mugs of whiskey, from morning to evening, instead of coffee and tea, as was customary in Europe (this, the followers of American self-identity and independence, distanced themselves from the Old World, but it became so rampant that public representatives and politicians were forced to turn their attention to it). After all, coffee and tea are colonial products delivered to the colonies by the mother country, and whiskey was produced locally (in the northern states – from rye, in the southern – from corn). In other words, the new country needed a certain national drink, and, by some chance, he chose whiskey. A more focused and uncompromising protest was launched by the Presbyterians in Connecticut in 1825. At first, their demands were limited to a reduction in the number of drinking establishments in the country, but by 1840 they reached ultimatum statements in favor of a complete ban on alcohol in the United States. In 1851, 12 states mutually agreed to adopt local anti-alcohol laws. After the civil war in 1869, the Prohibition Party was created, in 1873 the Women’s Christian Abstinence Union (WCTU) was created, and in 1893 the Anti-Saloon League of America (ASLA) was created. In addition, in the United States, there were numerous organizations that called themselves ‘progressive.’ The program of these associations was as follows: the prohibition of alcohol, the implementation of Christian Protestant values ​​and principles in the country’s politics, the protection of family values, that is, the combination of spiritual and material progress in one nation. All of these organizations chose lobbying for anti-alcohol legislation as their main activity.

Rationale for Lowering the Drinking Age

Turning directly to the question of the feasibility of reducing the age of alcohol consumption from 21 years to 18 years, the following main reasons should be highlighted. One of the main reasons is common sense. 18 years is the age of majority in most countries, including the United States. A person who has reached this age, in addition to such rights as disposing of property and entering into contacts, has the right to join the army, take up arms and fight for their country. Giving a person the right to make a decision about depriving someone of his life, but without giving such an elementary right as drinking a can of beer, looks immoral. The question of the relationship between the age of alcohol consumption and the number of road accidents remains a controversial issue. In other developed countries, where the age of alcohol consumption is 18 years, there are fewer accidents involving drunk drivers than in the United States. The same applies to the general trend of a decrease in the number of victims and car accidents. Various studies show that in European countries where the age of alcohol consumption is 18 years, the number of accidents is steadily decreasing. A study by Barry M. Sweedler affecting the end of the 20th century shows that the number of car accidents in the USA decreased by 33% and in Germany by 37% in the period 1980-1990. a legal ban on drinking under 21 years of age (as well as under 18) does not have a sufficient effect to prevent the use of alcohol by minors. People who want to buy alcohol do this anyway, in particular using shops that violate the law or sell alcohol of dubious quality. Another reason for this is that often people under the age of 21 commit a crime by forging an identity card in order to acquire the coveted goods. Having in their hands a fake id, many do not stop there and go on to other more serious crimes using a fake ID, not to mention the fact that faking an id itself is a very serious crime. Given the tendency of young people to commit misconduct, it makes sense given this when deciding whether to set a certain age for people to consume alcohol.

Conclusion: Reevaluating Age Restrictions in a Changing Society

Summing up and summarizing all of the above, it is necessary to emphasize once again that decisions to reduce or increase the age of drinking alcohol (or any other law) should be made based on a variety of studies and should take into account the potential consequences as well as the social context. Laws restricting the age of drinking as mentioned earlier were largely adopted for religious and moral reasons, and not just for security reasons. Given the rapid change in society and its liberalization, it makes sense to review a number of old restrictions.

Increase the legal drinking age to 21? Why stop there? When neuroscience tells us that young people don’t reach maturity until 25 — and when higher age limits are proven to decrease booze-related fatalities — go ahead and hike it from 18 to 25. There is fat chance of this happening — I can already hear the cries about a nanny state — but anyone serious about tackling Australia’s destructive relationship with grog knows that what is being done currently is simply not enough.

Nicholas Talley, president of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, has told a Senate inquiry into alcohol-fueled violence that immediate and drastic measures are needed. A higher minimum age to buy alcohol is just one of the RACP’s recommendations. The idea has merit. It’s worked elsewhere. In 1984, the US government under Ronald Reagan lifted the drinking age from 18 to 21. States which fought it had their funding for highways withheld. By 1988, all had complied.

Raising the age limit by three years was reported to have resulted in a 16 per cent fall in the number of crashes involving young people. A review of no less than 57 studies by University of Minnesota researchers came to the same conclusion: raising the drinking age saves lives. So successful, in fact, has it been in reducing harm to youth that it has been adopted by the anti-smoking lobby — last month, in liberal California, it became illegal for anyone under 21 to buy cigarettes. When people see things working, they are more likely to support them.

A recent Nationwide Insurance poll found three in four American adults believed underage drinking laws should be further toughened. And every year there is at least one announcement that the legal age will rise to 25. Admittedly, these “news stories” that go viral on the internet are hoaxes — some finish with a photo of a cocktail-swirling Leonardo DiCaprio, in a scene from The Great Gatsby, declaring that you’ve been tricked. But the tricks are telling because they fire up debate. One contends that “21-year-olds are too young to make decisions” and “not mentally responsible to drink”. Neuroscience would agree.

We now know the brain, once thought to be fully formed after puberty, is still evolving into the mid to late 20s and, says neuroscientist Jay Giedd, people manage risk and make decisions better in their 30s. Additionally, the impact of alcohol on a developing brain is far more acute than on a mature one, as is the risk of addiction. The earlier people start drinking, the more likely it is that they will be hazardous boozers later in life.

Most Aussie kids begin experimenting with alcohol by 14, according to the Australian Institute of Family Studies. In other research, 40 per cent of 16 to 17-year-olds admit they drink to get drunk. With 18-24 year olds, this ignoble pursuit jumps to 63 per cent. One in 10 kids aged 12-17 binge drink and most get their grog from friends or family — almost half say their parents buy it for them. While it is not illegal for parents to supply children with alcohol in a private residence, it’s time we got smarter with how we treat alcohol. Of course, those who prefer to ignore the facts would keep the legal age at 18. If people are old enough to go to war, vote or drive a car, they reason they should be able to have a beer. And if booze were taboo until 21 — as it was before 1974 — then drinking would be driven underground and bingeing would get worse. These arguments are irrational and ill-informed. Find me a doctor, psychologist, paramedic, street chaplain or police officer at the coalface of a typical Friday night who thinks otherwise.

Adolescent psychologist Michael Carr-Gregg supports a rise in the drinking age but admits it would be difficult to enforce; so does the outspoken Gordian Fulde, head of A&E at Sydney’s St Vincent Hospital. Would politicians get on board if the public broadly supported it and if they had the temerity to stand up to the powerful alcohol industry? The RACP not only wants a new minimum purchase age for alcohol, it is pushing for increased taxes on alcoholic drinks with higher health risks and the revenue to be used on alcohol treatment and harm prevention programs. It is calling on local councils to be given the power to reduce the number of licensed premises in their communities, for sports sponsorship by alcohol companies to be banned and for alcohol packaging to carry warning labels.

The legal drinking age is only one piece of a complex puzzle, complex because at its heart is a deeply flawed yet culturally entrenched bond with booze. Alcohol is not the only drug harming young people, but it is the most socially accepted. Yet problem drinking doesn’t only affect the drinker, it impacts families and communities and the socio-economic cost is exorbitant and unsustainable. Young people deserve the best shot at life, and if lifting the legal drinking age will help, then let’s give it due consideration instead of dismissing it as an attempt by the fun police to stymie personal freedom.

Around the world, different countries have different drinking ages. The lowest drinking age in the world is in Cambodia where there is no limit on the drinking age. The highest legal drinking age in the world is 21 (excluding countries like Afghanistan where alcohol is banned).In the legal drinking age is 18, in the USA it`s 21 and in Italy, it`s 16. In the Uk, there is much debate on whether the age to purchase alcohol should be lowered or raised. In this essay, I`m going to discuss this and the pros and cons of raising or lowering the drinking age in the UK, as well as the effects increasing or decreasing the drinking age, has had on other countries.

The Negative Effects Of Alcohol

In this first paragraph, I`m going to talk about the symptoms and effects of alcoholism, how much alcohol can harm people, and how alcohol can affect mental health. Some statistics issued by public health say, 10.4 million people are drinking at levels of increasing risk or higher risk. Broken down, 8.6 million people are drinking at increasing risk, and 1.8 million are drinking at higher risk. Another figure issued by public health said 1 in 10 patients have an emergency alcohol-specific readmission within 30 days following an alcohol-specific admission. A final statistic issued by public health about how to treat alcohol harm said the economic burden of alcohol is estimated between 1.3% and 2.7% of annual GDP. From this it is clear alcohol can negatively impact people`s health and finances. Alcohol can impact people`s health the most out of all the other factors. Alcoholism can cause many health issues all over the body from the Brain to the stomach. Alcoholism can cause dementia and memory loss later on in life. In the heart, it can cause irregular heart rate strokes, and high blood pressure. Abnormally high drinking can cause lung issues, breathing difficulties, and lower levels of nitric oxide in the lungs. The muscles are also affected but the liver is affected, maybe worse for all organs. The liver can become swollen and alcoholism can bring hepatitis and cirrhosis. The effect on people`s physical health can be just as bad as the effect on people’s mental health. Alcohol uses combined with conditions like stress and depression, leads to an estimated 300 teen suicides a year in the USA. Alcoholchange.org.uk said Alcohol has been described as the`s favorite coping mechanism. For people struggling with mental health problems, alcohol can be used as a form of self-medicating Although alcohol can help you feel relaxed and can bring brief euphoria the effects are short-lived and can have long-term negative effects like the health issues mentioned earlier. Overuse of alcohol can cause symptoms of many mental health issues to worsen. With all these very widespread and very bad effects on physical and mental health, you would think the drinking age should be increased to stop people from coming to the harms of alcohol earlier on.

The Positives Of Raising The Legal Drinking Age In The Uk

The positives of raising the legal drinking age would be it would stop younger people from drinking and having all this harm done to them. Lowering the drinking age would give secondary school students easier access to alcohol. Another reason for the drinking age to increase is people tend to be more mature at 19,20 or 21 so they are more responsible with their drinking. Not drinking alcohol gives people more energy, can help them save money, and can improve mental health. The MLDA is not a priority for law enforcement so if you raised the drinking age it would cut out some of the work for law enforcement. Not to mention the many health problems alcohol can bring so why would you want to expose younger people to these health problems?

The Benefits Of Alcohol

I have talked about the bad alcohol can do to the body but alcohol can also provide health benefits if used in moderation. Beer for example if drunk in moderation can increase brain health, reduce the risk of heart disease and also reduce the risk of diabetes. Although drinking excessive amounts and alcohol addiction is dangerous to health, beer can also aid in digestion, promote urination, and lower the risk of kidney stones. Drinking alcohol for most people is a social activity and socializing and spending time with friends is a severely underused way to improve mental health as humans are social creatures and socialization is very beneficial to humans’ mental health which can also affect their physical health too

The Positives Of Lowering The Legal Drinking Age In The Uk

Banning drinking by young people could make drinking more attractive and make more people want to drink because they aren`t meant to and it`s illegal. Teenagers can`t drink in safe areas as they aren`t allowed In pubs and bars without having to go in with fake IDs and the fear of getting caught. Otherwise, they`re not allowed in pubs and bars and have to find places on the street or in kids’ parks to drink. This is nowhere as safe as in pubs or clubs. Alcohol is widely accepted and enjoyed in western culture so why would you ban people from drinking it? I`m not saying let your 7-year-old drink but as they get older introduce them to alcohol and how to drink in moderation and safely. Countries with higher age limits on buying alcohol (except Muslim countries) tend to have a lower rate of alcohol abuse and alcoholism. Like all things in life, it has to be enjoyed in moderation and I think safe drinking should be taught in schools the same way as safe sex and sex education is in schools. Teenagers should be informed how to drink gradually, safely, and in moderation. Many other countries in the world have lower drinking ages or are more relaxed on alcohol laws, for example, France and Spain and their rates of alcoholism are lower than s. This could be partly to drinking being a bigger part of their culture though. In the Netherlands, most drugs have been legalized and this has taken money out of the hands of dangerous criminals, gangs, and organized crime. Lowering the drinking age could do a similar thing but with alcoholic beverages.

Has The Drinking Age Ever Been Raised Or Lowered Before

In the drinking age was raised to 18 in 1923 and has not changed since. The sale of alcohol in shops is set at 18 but an adult can buy you a beer if you are eating food in a pub. Before 1923 in 191 an act was put in place by the government on the sale of spirits to people under sixteen. The first minimum drinking age was set in 1886 when intoxicating liquors were not allowed to be sold to people under the age of 13. According to you go.co.uk, the vast majority of Uk adults say they have tried alcohol before the age of 18. Most Uk adults said they have had alcohol by the age of 15. If most adults have tried alcohol before they are 18 what is the point of having a drinking age of 18? In the USA after prohibition, the drinking age was set at 18 the same as in the Uk and a lot of other countries. But in 1984 many states changed the drinking age to 21 years old. This is ridiculous as in the USA you can drive a car, vote, pay taxes, and take out loans but you can`t buy alcohol. This law has had no effect really on teenagers drinking and most American teenagers have also drunk before the age of 21. The USA also shows the Uk isn`t an outlier and most teenagers have drunk before the legal age in their country. This gives evidence that in the western world most people have drunk underage and this leads me to question why the age is still high even though it doesn`t really restrict teens from drinking.

Conclusion

In my opinion, I think the legal drinking age should be reduced to 16 or 17. I think this because most people have already drunk illegally,y by then so what difference does it make? It stops teenagers from buying fake IDs and stealing alcohol which could potentially get them into quite serious trouble. The law in place obviously isn`t working if most teenagers have drunk before the age of 18 so why have it in place? Why have a law in place if it isn`t working? Like prohibition after years of not working they changed the law why not change it in the Uk? And yes some people will disagree with this as they want to protect their children but not exposing teenagers to alcohol will most likely make them more reckless with it. You can learn to drive at 17 so I think you should be able to buy a beer.

1. Introduction

Alcohol has been readily and easily available since the earliest of times of our childhood for the use of celebrations and gatherings. Over recent years, there has been evidence of an increase in alcohol consumption by the youth in developed countries. This is because of the change in consumption patterns and alcohol percentage from old and traditional use with limited alcohol percentage to increased percentages in these beverages used for recreational purposes sold commercially. As a result, has caused social issues in a lot of aspects of life, including the lives of underage individuals and society. To combat the rise of issues caused by increased underage consumption, various countries have put regulations in place for limitations, business hours, restrictions, and sales points. (Reference)One of the most important limitations provides for the minimum drinking age as 16 years. The question that rises from all these provisions put in place by authorities, is whether they are sufficient to maintain an orderly and safe society that is safe for everyone living in it. The purpose of this essay is to prove that the effects of underage and early drinking have a negative effect on social life and therefore, the legal drinking age should be raised to 18. This will be achieved by discussing the effects of underage drinking on the youth, the effects it has on society, and in the long run, what will the future look like if measures for change are not made.

2. Underage drinking

The use of alcohol at a young age causes developmental problems related to adolescence that influences various aspects of the underage drinker. It should be noted that the brain does not fully develop until at least 18 years, and consumption of alcohol could have severe effects. These include damage to brain functionality and causes delayed brain development which causes poor to fail grades and decreased performance or academic achievement in school. This lack of performance results in failure and leads to stress, anxiety and depression, and risk of suicide. Suicides as a result of depression and stress have been recorded as the 3rd leading cause of death among the youth. In addition, drinking from a young age creates an increase in impulsive behavior as it impairs and blurs reasoning capacity and judgment, which increases the risk of behaviors that can be harmful to everyone and in turn society.

3. Effects of alcohol abuse on society

Underage drinking has harmful effects on society, in that it poses a risk to the safety of others and disturbs the order of society. This was made evident with the implementation of legislation for the minimum drinking age to be 18. This resulted in a decrease in underage drinking, fewer motor vehicle crashes due to individuals being under the influence of alcohol, and fewer deaths among people below the age of 18. Proving that the legislation of alcohol and availability at a young age is harmful and should be raised to 18. Furthermore, due to impaired judgment caused by alcohol, increased consumption and abuse can lead to more unintentional injuries, increase risky sexual behavior such as rape, HIVAIDS and assault, and other severe conditions of health linked to alcohol.

4. Long-term effects

The long-term effects of underage drinking include co-dependence on substances in the future and cause binge drinking. As alcohol is a gateway substance to other illegal drugs, it could open the gate for the development of potential alcohol and other illicit substance dependence or abuse in the future. This will affect the users’ health such as cancer, stroke, and liver diseases. In addition, it can have a negative effect on social surroundings in terms of interpersonal relationships, causing marital instability and breakdown of relationship ties. As a result of the above-mentioned arguments,