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Eric Smith
Professor Griegel-McCord
12/05/15
At 18 is it time for a drink?

Throughout the United States the drinking age is twenty-one

and illegal to consume or purchase under the age of twenty-one.
Strict laws are enforced so legal adults do not sell or purchase
alcohol for minors. Enforcements of these laws include prison time
and even large fines. Teens under the age of twenty-one are still
consuming alcohol even with the age set at twenty-one. This
raises concern for safety of young teens and whether or not the
drinking age should be lowered. The Federal Government has
control and the most power in enforcing the law, but it is the small
organizations that have the most say and little power to
encourage a change in the drinking age.
College life is filled with many changes for young adults; it is
filled with many new experiences. As college students, we are on
our own, adults. As adults we are responsible for own safety and
being aware of current news that can affect us. One issue that
affects college students nationwide is drinking. The current
drinking age is set at twenty-one. Not always has it been is age, in
1984 the Federal Government rose the drinking age from
eighteen to twenty-one (APIS). Even with the current drinking age
at twenty-one many people under that age choose to consume
alcohol. Survey in February of 2015 showed high school seniors
binge drink, having consumed five or more drinks in one
occasion within the past two weeks (New York Times). In 1996,

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the government surveyed high school seniors showing that fiftysix percent of them reported drinking within the last thirty days
(Hanson). Ten years later and drinking age had not had an effect
on the life style of those who chose to drink. College is one of
these life styles that will not change, an environment known to
consume alcohol at a young age. College is meant to explore new
environments and meet new people. Social gatherings in bars and
restaurants are common for college life and play a major role
underage consumption of alcohol. While having fun is nice, there
comes a consequence in many ways. Cutting class
after drinking jumped from nine percent to
almost twelve percent and missing class
because of a hangover raised from twenty-six
percent to twenty-eight percent (Engs). If
drinking age was lowered to eighteen or
nineteen in a controlled environment such
as a bar or restaurant there could be a
1 Girl Hungover from drinking
decrease in the amount of students
missing class because they need to hide their drinking/hangovers.
The Amethyst Initiative is a group formed by presidents of
college who are for reducing the drinking age to eighteen on
college campuses. The Amethyst Initiative organization states,
Twenty-one is not working. Adults under twenty-one are deemed
capable of voting, singing contracts, serving on juries and
enlisting in the military, but are told they are not mature enough
to have a beer (Amethyst Initiative). This initiative is to
encourage the drinking age to be lowered because as an adult, at
eighteen, you are responsible for yourself, your safety, and your
life choices. The Amethyst Initiative also suggests why should we
relearn the lessons of prohibition. Encouraging the awareness
that minors will continue to drink and it is a matter of time that,
those who oppose lowering the dinking age, the best option is to
lower the age of alcohol consumption. Lowering the drinking age
will not only better the students of self-awareness but it could

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greatly increase sales on campuses. Allowing students under

twenty-one to buy beer or other alcoholic beverages at events
would bring in more money to the college and for vendors
sponsored at campuses.
The Amethyst Initiative has a large impact on campuses
because they are reaching out to the students and bringing in
publicity for the campus and events that take place on campus.
This group also has a major influence
from the amount of people around the
country that follow them and speak on
campuses to get the drinking age
lowered to a more reasonable age for
college students. Members of this
organization set up speeches at
2 Drinking at university event
campus, much like the one at Missouri
University (Pearl), to gain the attention of students, professors,
and even the president about lowering the drinking age and what
it could mean for college students. The Amethyst Initiative also
has a large number of people who register to be a part of their
organization online which brings in a ton of different views and
aspects to look for when considering lowering the drinking age.
Viewers on their websites can discuss the potential opportunities
that could come from lowering the age and you can also partake
in events to bring awareness to your campus. The Amethyst
Initiative has a tremendous influence on getting the drinking age
to be changed because of its vast group of supporters and the
diversity of supporters and where their supporters come from.
Not only does this group have a large number of members
but it also contains members that are scholars from universities,
former and active presidents and other university workers that
are fighting with them to change the drinking age. One founder of
the group, John McCardell, is also a speaker for the Choose
Responsibly organization. This organization expresses the reality

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of drinking in young adults and hopes to change the drinking age

as well. The Choose Responsibly organization also has many
supporters that partake in bringing in awareness to lowering the
drinking age and being supporters for the Amethyst Initiative
founders. This is one of many reasons I believe that these
presidents created this Initiative in hope that the law will change
one day.
MADD, Mothers against Drunk Drivers, is one opposing group
who wants to keep the drinking age as is. According to MADD
since the drinking age was raised to twenty-one in every state
more than twenty-five thousand lives have been saved. They
encounter the agreement that lowering the drinking age will make
it less attractive to teens. MADD also says history is key for that
when the drinking age was lower than twenty-one we had a far
worse problem with teens getting behind the wheel after having
alcoholic beverages. MADD also concludes that having the
drinking age at twenty-one reduces traffic accidents and protects
young maturing brains. Mothers against drunk drivers also states
that teens are going to drink but with a controlled and strict rules
enforced by the parents there could be a decrease in binge
drinking at young ages. Even with a decrease in binge drinking, it
is said that the earlier someone starts drinking the more likely
they are to be alcohol dependent. This is why the MADD group
strongly encourages parents to be strict with their children and
not allow them to drink at all, or at least very minimally. Not only
does this group discourage drinking at a young age because of
the likelihood of alcohol dependency, but the consumption of
alcohol at young ages can interfere with brain growth and
development. An example they use is drinking in European
countries, here they say that even though having a class of wine
at dinner can cause alcohol dependency and even lead to higher
crime rates as well as discouragement in school activities.
Although, nothing has proven to show drinking can cause this,
MADD still discourages the idea of drinking in the home because it

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can lead to a friendship only parenting style rather than being a

parent that a child can come to with concerns and questions. The
Mothers against drunk driving communicate this message through
their online chat rooms, website, Facebook, Twitter, and even host
events at schools and local events such as 5ks and law
enforcement benefits. Enforcing their message about drunk
driving and drinking age in multiple ways gives MADD the ability
to reach out to everyone.
MADD is not only an organization that is against lowering
the drinking age but they are a group of people there to help
concerned or questionable parents when in a time of need. The
Mothers against Drunk Driving also have support groups for teens
that may be too afraid to consult a parent or adult in certain
situations. The MADD group is great for parents and teens, not
only do they teach the affects and possible reactions your body
may experience with alcohol but they also teach about other
harmful things that can happen to your body, such as drug abuse
and unprotected sex. The MADD group may have a large number
of teens who do not support them, but there is an immense
amount of people who do and will continue to support them. The
MADD organization continues to have support group meetings
and even speak on campuses and at other schools to teach teens
at an early age about the effects of drinking. Some of their major
supporting groups are Nationwide and State Farm, both of which
have driving classes that express the consequences of driving
while intoxicated. This may not have the biggest effect on the
students in the class but it has a great influence on the parents of
the students that are in the class which helps the parents get
involved and be aware of the MADD organization. The MADD
organization is one of the largest groups against lowering the
drinking age in the United States and has a large amount of
supporters. The supporters started this group in 1980 with just a
few people and now have members across the nation that are

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supporting to keep the drinking age at twenty-one and bring

awareness to young teens and adults
about drugs and drinking. This
organization is one that has a large
impact on
the decision of changing the drinking age
because of their connections with
national organizations such as Nationwide
and
State Farm insurance. The MADD
organization is one that will continue to have
an immense
impact of the drinking age and will
3 MADD speaker
continue to fight for the drinking age to
stay the same or increase the age as some have discussed.
In general, the younger people start to drink the safer they
are (CNN). This states that the idea of the forbidden fruit is okay
to consume at a young age. By educating the young on
responsibilities of drinking one could rob drinking of its taboo. This
would greatly decrease underage drinking and encourage teens
to not hide from their parents or law enforcement. Educating the
youth in drinking can also decrease the traffic accidents that
occur while being intoxicated with alcohol. Consuming alcohol in
small amounts, such as at dinner, for young teens and children
have not shown any complications relating to brain growth or
development. Proving that consuming alcohol in a controlled
environment can lead to better education on future consumption.
Representative Phyllis Kahn also wants to lower the drinking
age to eighteen where he said, Its a very good way to deal with
the serious problem of binge drinking, particularly on college
campuses and there is some evidence that a lower drinking
age has some impact on the drinking problem (Kahn). During an
interview Kahn talks about the forbidden fruit idea and what he
plans to do in getting a bill passed to hopefully lower the drinking
age. Kahn also says that he does not plan to sell alcohol at stores
to those who are eighteen but allow them to drink in bars and

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restaurants; showing that while Kahn shows support to those who

want the bill passed he still suggests that eighteen should not be
able to purchase alcohol in stores unless they are twenty-one. He
presents the situation in which it gives support to all viewers of
thee subject. Kahn gives hope and great power in the fact that he
is a representative of a state and leader for others, showing that
he is with the people for change. In controversy though, there are
many people who disagree with his choice but they do not have
nearly as much power because they are small groups. One group
in particular, the Governors Highway Safety Association.
The Governors Highway Safety Association is in favor
keeping the drinking age at twenty-one and educating teens on
the effects of alcohol, but this group does not receive the support
it needs to be done. The GHSA has events and speaks with teens
at local schools, driving courses, and local events, but still is a
small organization with little power/movement on keeping the
drinking age at twenty-one. The GHSA is slowly gaining support
from Mothers against Drunk Driving and other some associations,
but none of them have made a huge impact whereas Kahn makes
an impeccable impact because of who he is and what he does for
a living. This just proves that the government will always have
control over the opinion of the general people. The large and
small organizations all produce some type of publicity through
events and being online via Twitter and Facebook, yet none have
yet to make such an impact that the government will allow them
a chance to have a vote to lower the drinking age. Giving the
chance to have a vote gives the people an opinion and lets the
smaller groups come together to form two base opinions; for or
against lowering the drinking age in the United States.
The Federal Government has so much control over the
decision making process that it is almost unfair to the people to
get a say and contribute to a decision that impacts the entire
country. In 1984 the government took it upon themselves to rise

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the drinking age from eighteen to twenty-one because of the

amount of car accidents that occurred within teens between
sixteen and twenty that had alcohol in their system. Once
changed, there was an improvement among the car accidents
that were occurring but there was also a downfall to this law,
teens took it upon themselves to still get alcohol and continue to
drink underage causing a huge binge drinking epidemic that still
occurs to this day. The government had no consideration to what
would happen if the law was changed and did not allow
supporters from each side of judgement to come forward and
present themselves. Not allowing these groups to represent
themselves creates an issue to why the government has so much
power and say over the people, yet has the least to say/comment
on the issue at hand; whereas the people who have little to no
power but the strongest voice and opinions are forced to follow
these laws without the opportunity to speak about their beliefs.
The beliefs of the majority of the people are what the United
States is supposed to be about, but in this case particularly the
government has chosen for us, the people. The people who are at
risk and are the most affected by these changes were not given
an equal opportunity which brings up many questions to why the
voice of the people are not heard.
The drinking age may be stuck at twenty-one but that does
not mean it will never change and that the people should stop
voicing their opinion; whether that be a small organization or a
large one. The Mothers against Drunk Driving are a great example
as to never give up because they started as a small group of
mothers that lost a child due to a drunken driving incident.
MADDs association has increased over the years voicing their
opinion in hopes of increasing the education of drunk driving and
gaining supporters of major businesses. Another organization that
has gained a great amount of voices includes the Amethyst
Initiative. A group of former and active presidents of colleges and
universities that are for lowering the drinking age to eighteen. An

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association so big it stretches from New York to California with the

help of social media and active speakers at universities and
colleges. Help from the large group of supporters is what gives
the small organizations hope that they will be heard as well, and
that is the ultimate push to get an opinion shown to the
government in hope that one day there will be an equal
opportunity to vote against lowering the drinking age.

"APIS - The 1984 National Minimum Drinking Age Act." APIS - The 1984 National
Minimum Drinking Age Act. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.
"MADD - Mission Statement." MADD - Mission Statement. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec.
2015.
Engs, Ruth. "Why Drinking Age Should Be Lowered: Dr. Ruth Engs." Why Drinking
Age Should Be Lowered: Dr. Ruth Engs. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.
CNN. "Should the U.S. Lower Its Drinking Age? - CNN.com." CNN. Cable News
Network, n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.
New York Times. "Should the Drinking Age Be Lowered?" The Learning Network
Should the Drinking Age Be Lowered Comments. N.p., 19 Feb. 2015. Web. 10 Dec.
2015.
McCardell, John. "Choose Responsibility." John McCardell. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec.
2015.
Amethyst Initiative." About. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.
http://www.theamethystinitiative.org/about/
Boston News. "Why 21? A Look at Our Nation's Drinking Age." Boston.com. The New
York Times, n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.
Kahn. "Legislator Wants to Give Lower Drinking Age a Shot." NewsCut. N.p., n.d.
Web. 10 Dec. 2015.
http://blogs.mprnews.org/newscut/2015/02/legislator-wants-to-give-lower-drinkingage-a-shot/
GHSA. "Underage Drinking." GHSA Issues:. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.
http://www.ghsa.org/html/issues/impaireddriving/why21.html