Lowering the drinking age

For many years there has been a debate about whether or not the legal drinking age in America should be lowered. Now a days, the legal age for someone to buy or consume alcoholic beverages is 21. Many people who are against lowering the age limit feel teenagers are not mature enough to drink responsibly. On the other hand, there are many reasons, that support my position that America’s legal drinking age should be lowered to 18. America’s legal drinking age should be lowered to 18 because 18 year olds are already given many adult rights in our country. In the United States 18 is considered the “age of consent.” People at that age are permitted to vote in government elections and serve their country in military service. They are also old enough to get a driver’s license and buy cigarettes. If 18 year olds are considered mature enough to earn these important rights, they should also be allowed to buy and drink alcohol.

Another reason the age restrictions on alcohol should be lowered is because lowering the restrictions would not necessarily make more people drink. It would only make it possible for a larger portion of adults in the country to drink legally. Moreover, lowering the legal drinking age might even lessen alcohol’s appeal to young adults since they are often attracted to things that are “forbidden.”

The legal drinking age should be lowered in the United States because many other countries permit people under 21 to buy and consume alcohol. European countries such as France, Germany, England and Ireland all permit people aged 18 years to buy and consume alcohol. Some countries, like Italy, do not even have a legal limit for alcohol consumption. If it is possible for so many productive and successful countries to have lower age restriction on alcohol than the United States, we should have lower limits too. In conclusion, the legal drinking age in the United States should be lowered to 18 for several reasons. Individuals who are 18 years old are already granted many other adult rights, so they should also be permitted to buy and purchase alcohol. Additionally, many other countries have age restrictions that allow teenagers to legally consume and purchase alcohol. Based on evidence I have provided, it is clear that maturity, and not age, are the best ways to determine whether people should be permitted to drink alcohol or not.