21 or 18? The Drinking Age Debate Returns
© Colleen Graham
Voice Your Opinion and
It’s not that all of the colleges involved necessarily want to switch from 21 to 18 now, but they do want the issue to be reexamined to determine if this may stop the epidemic of binge drinking at college. This is a touchy subject with supporters on both sides bringing up some very good points. On one hand, if you can vote, pay bills and have all of the other responsibilities of an adult than you’re responsible enough to drink alcohol and it has worked in other countries, why not here? On the other hand experts say that the 18 year-old is still developing emotionally and physically, especially in the brain, and that they’re still too young to handle the responsibility and drinking may damage the developing minds.
There is no doubt, it is a tough call and it will be interesting to see if Congress picks this up. Where do you stand on the issue?
Comments
I don’t think there should be a drinking age, period. I grew up spending summers in Italy, where there wasn’t a drinking age, and winters in the US, where the age was 18. My Italian high school friends weren’t at all interested in getting drunk, but my American high school friends all were.
Kyle
I think it depends on the culture and family. If you grow up seeing wine on the table during meals as a natural part of a meal, as in Italy, Spain and France, drinking is not a big deal. On the other hand, in Spain young people have started buying 2-liter soda bottles and vodka, gathering in large groups in parks and plazas, then drinking to get drunk instead of the slow tapa bar hopping like their parents did. The culture is changing.
I feel the drinking age should be 18.
If these 18 year olds can fight in a war for us, they sure should be able to drink legally!!!!