A Debate: Should the Drinking Age be lowered? 

This debate has two sides. I will summarize both sides and state my opinions at the end. 

The Pro's: Professor Nancy Lynn Hogan 

Fighting for the drinking age to be lowered Hogan brings up the fact that the drinking ago has done nothing for creating boundaries for behaviour. At the age of 18 youth in America are considered adults in every sense of the word except for drinking alcohol. If at 18 they are considered adult and are able to make adult decisions, what difference would the drinking age limit make. In reality 18 year old's are drinking alcohol. Furthermore, the state of Michigan has taken the drinking age limit a step further and charges anyone under 21 with a minor in possession. This causes a large number of college students to leave school with both a degree and criminal record. Lastly, Hogan closes out by emphasizing the law cannot shape morality and that the way that alcohol is culturally advertised it unfair to call a group of individuals adults and then tell them they cannot enjoy adult behaviors. Moreover, she stresses that giving an adult a criminal record for participation in adult drinking is wrong and instead the governments should be focusing on how to promote more responsible drinking. 

The Cons: Eva Erskine

Erskine starts off making it clear that she opposes the topic of lowering the drinking age, especially since it does not guarantee that persons between the ages of 18-21 would drink responsibly. Furthermore, Erskine encourages persons to look up the large number of alcohol related deaths amongst teens as well as the cost of healthcare and psychological care. Moreover, she Korsakoff's syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome, and alcoholism. She then goes on to challenge her opponents on the economic benefits and social responsibility of lowering the drinking age. To close, Eva questions the motives of the college president's; whether it is to make their own lives easier. Lastly, Erskine states " When Ivory Tower academics can back up and substantiate their position with scientific research, maybe I will listen to them." 

My Thoughts 

I can see both sides but I feel more obliged to agree with Miss Hogan than Miss Erskine. I am from the Caribbean where we have an early drinking age, so I am able to see things from a unique point of view. In my opinion it does not matter if you start drinking at the age of 18 instead of 21 why? no matter anyone says, persons always end up drinking alcohol before the age they are officially allowed to do so. America is strict when it comes to drinking and persons because there are such tight restrictions are likely to abuse that power. People like the trill and adrenaline that they get when they are doing something that they are not supposed to be doing and because of this you might find person going a bit overboard. This is not all persons though. Teenagers abuse alcohol and so do adults. The points that Erskine brought up were not points that specifically affected teens, because the deceased rate of course. If there is a decrease in the drinking age to when they are actually considered adults and also more education on drinking then maybe persons would be more responsible and also get into less trouble trying to sneak alcohol. 

Textbook: Scarry. S; Scarry. J. (2010). The Writers Workplace with Readings. Seventh Edition. Page: 584