Lowering the Drinking age
Ever since the end of prohibition in 1933 the United States government has placed the issue of MLDA (minimum legal drinking age) sensitively in the hands of the states. letting each decide for itself what the minimum age should be. At that time all agreed that the minimum legal drunken age should be 21, where it remained for all states until 1970. Between 1970, and 1975 a number of states (29 to be exact) played around with the idea of lowering that age to 20, 19, and even 18 for some states. At this time the minimum age for other activities, like the right to vote were being lowered as well. The argument was that if a person is considered an adult at 18, and can serve his or her country and vote in it's elections, he or she ought to be able to have a drink. (Toomey 1)During the period in the 70's when many states were lowering their drinking ages scientists started doing studies to determine whether or not the younger drinking ages had any effect on automobile accidents. These studies generally concluded that traffic accidents significantly increased among teenagers after the MLDA was lowered.(Toomey 1). It can, However, easily be argued that since these studies came out right after the drinking ages
By making young adults wait until their 21st birthday only breeds disaster, and makes underage drinking seem more mysterious and desirable. Prohibition didn't stop the American people from drinking, it just forced them to do it in secret, much the way in which states with an MLDA of 21 do today. Popular though dictates that lowering the MLDA to 19 would not have a harmful result, but a positive one instead. (Drinking 1) had been lowered, they would naturally show that there was an increase in death among teenagers. Anytime you change something dramatically it takes a while for things to settle into a routine. If all of a sudden, for instance, you allow 18 year olds to drink alcoholic when before they couldn't, it's going to take a while before that becomes the norm, and therefore less exciting and alluring. These studies would have been far more accurate if they had been done after society had adapted to the change. In Klug's plan The government would completely let the states choose their own Minimum Legal Drinking ages and stay completely out of it. The opposition to the proposal is strong, but likewise, it also has many supporters. Three house members in particular are in favor of Klug's plan. Representatives Collin Peterson from Minnesota, Gary Condit from California, and Bill Tauzin from Louisiana are all co-sponsoring the proposal along with Klug. Collin Peterson, when asked about the proposal said, "states should be left on their own, " and added, "I'm not in favor of the federal government tying transportation aid to anything." (Tumulty 1) The controversy over lowering the MLDA is a seemingly endless one that affects more people than just the ones who live in the states that propose change. This is why Jason Gain, a 19 year old student at West Virginia has created a web site devoted to this sensitive issue. Gain is quoted in his web site as saying, ``I don't see how 21 keeps alcohol out of the hands of younger people. They are drinking anyway,'' Scott Gorton Marine spokesman at camp Pendelton in San Diego also feels as Gain does and adds, "`If you're going to ask a young
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1416
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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