The drinking age use to be 18 in some states. Many parents of today's teenagers were legally allowed to drink at 18. Today's teenagers face more responsibility and are treated more like adults than their parents were. This makes the 21 restrictions seem out of date. At 18, people are considered adults. Some people say people under 21 are not mature enough to drink responsibly. These same immature people are allowed to vote, risk their own lives in the armed forces, smoke, have sex with whomever they wish and live on their own. Yet, it is still illegal to drink.

Today's legal drinking age is unrealistic. Prohibiting the sale of liquor to young adults creates an atmosphere where binge drinking and alcohol abuse become a problem, especially for the majority of college students. Bann

With the focus on education about safe drinking instead of restriction, many problems would decrease. American teenagers, unlike European teenagers, do not learn how to drink gradually, safely, and in moderation. Though the per capita consumption of alcohol in countries like France, Spain, and Portugal is greater than in the US, the rate of alcoholism and alcohol abuse is lower. This comes from educated and gradual drinking. Alcohol is not seen as a magic potent, there is little social pressure to drink, irresponsible behavior is not tolerated, and young people learn at home from their parents how to handle alcohol in a responsible way in Europe.

If the drinking age would be lowered to 18, everyone would benefit from it. Students would drink less and their drinking environments would be safer, and the general public's tax money would be put to better use. Even though many would say that there are many benefits to the higher drinking age, but the benefits of the lower drinking age outweigh the benefits of the higher drinking age. Because the 21-year-old drinking age is not working, they need to change the law and teach responsible drinking for those who chose to drink. In every other aspect of society, people 18 and older are considered and treated as adults. They have all the other rights and privileges given to people 21 or older. Only one

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Approximate Word count = 916
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)