Ryan ChartrandOK, before I get massive amounts of hate mail, I want to say that I know there are plenty of responsible 18-year-olds who work hard and deserve the option of coming home to a frosty pale ale beer after a long day.
No one deserves this more than the people who put their lives on the line to protect this great nation from threats: the brave men and women of the armed forces, who of course can be drafted at age 18.
But to lower the drinking age to 18 will only induce more binge drinking, which will result in more deaths. No whats, ifs, ands or buts about it.
Just think about it. How many times were you left dry when someone of age wasn’t around to buy it for you? If millions more get access to alcohol legally, there will be a spike in underage drinking and more drunk drivers.
Many people drink before they’re of age – I did – but to use this as an argument displays a person’s ignorance of how the world operates. All you need to do is talk to police officers, doctors, nurses and family members who see the aftermath of irresponsible drinking by teenagers.
Believe me, I’ve heard every reason why the drinking age should be lowered. Here are some of my favorites:
1) The rest of the world drinks at 18 or younger
2) How are we going to be responsible if they won’t give us responsibility?
3) If we can die fighting for our country at 18 then why can’t we drink at 18?
This is why: the truth is that we are not like the rest of the world.
In France, England or Mexico for that matter, where most peoples’ modes of transportation are bicycles, buses, trains, subways, rails and cabs, a lower drinking age can work. But in America, where the most recent United Nations statistical yearbook shows there are 765 motor vehicles per 1,000 people, it means that more intoxicated young people will result in more deaths on the road. It’s that simple.
Even President Barack Obama agrees. Love him or hate him, he understands what will happen if more young people are allowed to drink.
“I know it drives you nuts. But I’m not going to lower the drinking age,” Obama told a young veteran on MTV, and referenced the drop in deaths due to alcohol when the age was set at 21 in 1984.
Still don’t believe me?
According to the Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2006, alcohol-impaired driving accidents accounted for nearly one-third of all traffic accidents in the U.S.
Young men ages 18 to 20 self-reported driving while alcohol-impaired more than any other age group. What does that tell us about how responsible we are? There is a reason our insurance rates are so high.
And the argument that we can volunteer to fight and die for our country would make sense… if people age 18 to 21 were volunteering in record numbers. The truth is we’re not, so to change it for the rest of us is just plain selfish. The reality is that there is no draft in place or the likelihood of a draft soon.
Let’s be grown-ups and admit that we have not fully matured. Even if you think you have, statistics show that we are the least responsible age group, from voting to driving. So unless our lifestyles, society and transportation options change, we’re stuck waiting three more years before we can head downtown for pint night.
Omar Sanchez is a journalism senior, news page designer and Mustang Daily reporter.