At 18 years old, Americans are trusted to vote in elections that shape the country, sign contracts, serve on juries and most importantly, be drafted or volunteer to serve in the military. Despite all these responsibilities, 18-year-olds are prohibited from drinking.
If 18-year-olds are considered legal adults, why are they treated like minors when it comes to drinking?
Junior Morgan Sternthal firmly stated, “If the government is drafting me into the army at 18, then I would like to believe that they trust me with a glass of alcohol. Soldiers make life-threatening decisions every day in combat.”
Military service requires discipline, responsibility and the willingness to face life or death situations. Soldiers are often shipped thousands of miles away to dangerous countries to serve.
Drinking requires far less judgment than combat and poses less risk.
In fact, the current drinking age of 21 worsens the problem. Since alcohol is forbidden for those under 21, it often becomes more appealing and is consumed in unsafe and hidden environments.
A higher drinking age contributes to the large drinking culture that is predominant on college campuses.
Sophomore Logan Gladstone said, “Here in the States, teenagers view alcohol with a scarcity mindset, making many drink irresponsibly. The opposite is true in countries with a lower drinking age.”
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), approximately 49 percent of full-time college students drink each month and around 27.5 percent have reported binge drinking.
Strict drinking laws have not stopped drinking. Instead, they have expanded it.
Junior Kayla Brach said, “Teenagers are going to drink regardless, so restricting it can actually create more danger. When alcohol is illegal for them, people become desperate for it and irresponsible with it, leading to serious injuries and deaths.”
There have been several instances of young people dying from consuming alcohol laced with drugs. If they were allowed to purchase it legally at 18, they wouldn’t have to take those risks.
Lowering the drinking age encourages safer habits and lowers teenage drinking rate. This has worked in countries like New Zealand which lowered or relaxed their drinking age restrictions.
According to New Zealand Alcohol Beverages Council (NZABC) in 2006, 75.4 percent of 15-17 year-olds had drunk alcohol in the past year, but in 2022, 57.1 percent had.
In many countries where the drinking age is 18, alcohol is introduced in more controlled social settings, often with adult supervision rather than secretive parties.
Teaching responsible drinking earlier, while still under guidance, reduces harmful behaviors later on.
Opponents may argue that lowering the drinking age would increase alcohol-related harm.
However, that reality is far from the truth since harm is already occurring under our current system.
The drinking age is rarely enforced. Millions of people under 21 drink every day with little punishment.
Ignoring that fact does not solve the problem.
The United States needs to decide what adulthood truly means. If 18-year-olds are old enough to vote, serve in the military and be treated as legal adults, they should be granted the same rights across the board.
Our drinking age is outdated and desperately needs change. Lowering the drinking age to 18 would be a step towards consistency, honesty and a realistic approach to young adulthood.
