In 1984 the National Minimum drinking age act was issued in by law. This law states that the minimum age for all Americans to acquire and/or consume alcohol was 21. This act was not the first law inforced for this issue but it was the last. There are some countries with the same policy as America but most countries do not. For example in countries like Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and the Netherlands the minimum drinking age is only 16. Also there are over 80 countries, making up 62 percent of the world with alcohol laws, with the drinking age at 18. ( "International Guide to Minimum Legal Drinking Ages (MLDAs) in 138 Countries - Drinking Age - ProCon.org." ProConorg Headlines. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2013.) This includes place like China, Costa Rica, France, Nigeria, and Mexico.
So I can't help but wonder why the drinking age is 21 and not say 18 or even 16? With much of the talk about legalization of Mariuana is it time we bring up the discussion of the proper alcohol consumption age? Should America for take in the global acceptance of the alcohol age? Or are we more stuck in our ways to change a law that could affect our society's young adults. America's never been a country for conformity with the rest of the world. We still haven't even changed to the metric system. So is it even plausible that the stance on the drinking age will change anytime soon?
I believe the real question is how old is 21 really? What I mean by this is, is it when you are completely an adult. Is 21 the age at which your brain has developed into it most mature state? In a study, at Dartmouth college in 2009, the scientists found that the brain is not fully developed and at its most capable state until the age of 25 ( "Brain Changes Significantly after Age 18, Says Dartmouth Research."Brain Changes Significantly after Age 18, Says Dartmouth Research. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2013) In fact at age 18 and 21 your brain has not completely exited the puberty stage. Which begs the question is brain development a real argument for the drinking age to be 21 and not 18.
It could be a strong possibility that the age is 21 do to the fact that most young adults 20 and younger still rely on parental guidance in finances . So this could be why the government doesn't consider these ages adults. Their argument would be, if you can't handle your own finacies how can you be trusted with a substance that if used improperly can kill you. Although a study, by NBC News ( "Alcohol Linked to 75,000 U.S. Deaths a Year." Msnbc.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2013.) , found that underage drinkers only make up 6 percent of the fatality rate when it come to alcohol related deaths.
What if instead of 21 the drinking age was really 25? Would that make more sense? At that age most people are not dependent on their parents. Also the brain has matured into its most prominent state. Could this be the real age that your are considered an adult? Even though a man or woman can place the life on the line when fighting by their country? Is that really fair to consider a person still a child but send them over seas to fight a war? All I know is that I am 19 and I consider myself and adult but I do know some people who are from the ages of 18 to 25 that still do not act like adults. Maybe it's just a person to person type issue. Where some people can be trusted with the responsibility and others just can't. If this is the case how do we regulate this problem? If the maturity level in every person is different at different ages whose to Who is responsible and who isn't? With as alcohol related deaths being the third on the list of preventable deaths, ("Alcohol Linked to 75,000 U.S. Deaths a Year." Msnbc.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2013.) 1st is this a substance that can get the better of anyone no matter the age?
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