New Hampshire's Virtual Town Hall
Pros and Cons to raising the drinking age
The following content was provided by Professor Tama Andrews POLT 502 class at UNH.
Pros:
Pros:
- State will see increased revenue based on an increased population that is legally permitted to purchase alcohol.
- There would be a perceived fairness by those in opposition to the legal limit for those who are fighting for the country but not allowed to consume alcohol.
- Those in opposition believe lowering the drinking age would remove the novelty of alcohol for minors, thus letting younger people know that drinking is not all that it may be cracked up to be.
- Lowering the drinking age would perceivably allow for 18 year olds to drink under the supervision of bars rather than unsupervised parties on or away from campus.
- According to those in support of the increase in the drinking age, lowering the drinking age would increase the number of young people drinking, which would increase cases of drunk driving.
- Supporters of the increased drinking age cite statistics that say that delaying drinking in young people reduce risks of development problems and alcoholism or additional drug use at later points in life.
- These same supporters cite statistics that claim an estimated 17,000 lives were saved in states since they have enforced drinking restrictions in 1975.
- The argument may go from “fairness for those fighting for the country” to “how low will the drinking age go?” The point can be made that underage drinking may begin at an even earlier age.
- Under Federal law, any state that doesn’t comply with the drinking age of 21 will have highway funding stripped.
Tags: drinking age
Views: 904
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Alex Lamb Joselow on -
A Twenty-one year old drinking age is all I knew growing up. And, I understand the relation drinking age has with drunk driving incidents. However, I feel strongly that adolescents, specifically, late high schoolers and college underclassmen are actually more harmed than helped by the current drinking age. The aforementioned age group learns that alcohol is to be hidden and consumed rapidly. In turn, their personal health is more at risk. Strong arguments can be made for either side. Nonetheless, change is a difficult path to take, and for now, if fear the drinking age will remain the same.
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