From bartenders to nurses, people are divided on the issue
of lowering the legal drinking age from 21 to 18. Though supporters argue that a lower drinking
age would be safer, others say that the change would only cause more
issues.
Regardless of age, higher traffic accident and fatality
rates are found during the first few years of legal drinking, according to
Drinking Age ProCon.org.
Goddard Health Center Assistant Director Maggie Pool cited a
study in New Zealand that showed higher fatality rates when the drinking age
was lowered to 18.
“Generally, what we see is that with the drinking age being
21 we see less alcohol-related fatalities,” said Poole.
A study from the “Journal of Studies of Alcohol and Drugs”
found that people who drink at a younger age are more likely to use other
illicit drugs.
Bartender Marcus Mims said he is skeptical about lowering
the drinking age.
“There are already 21-year-olds trying to sneak their
younger friends into bars,” Mims said.
“If we lowered the age, we’d have 18-year-olds sneaking their high
school friends in.”
However, fellow bartender Nicole Cherry said she thinks
underage individuals will find a way to get alcohol whether the drinking age is
lowered or not.
“I think it’s a lot safer for kids to be drinking in a
public space, like a bar, than in the basement of some sketchy house,” Cherry
said. “That way if alcohol abuse does
occur, there are people around who know what to do and how to help.”
A Time Magazine article titled “Should the drinking age be
lowered?” supported Cherry’s opinion, and said that the 21 and over drinking
age encourages people under 21 to drink behind closed doors or in dangerous
situations.
However, the same article said that the data does not show
that binge drinking has increased since the states increased the drinking
age.
Underage drinking comprises 17.5 percent of consumer
spending on alcohol in the United States, according to the National Center on
Addiction and Substance Abuse.
For some, the issue is based more on convenience than
safety. Underage DJ Josh Durham said he
has had some trouble expanding his business because it is difficult for him to
schedule events at places that are 21 and over.
“In my experience, being underage has made it hard to talk
to bar owners because the person at the door won’t let me in,” Durham
said. “I would say the strict enforcing
of 21 and over only has caused some problems for me as an artist.”
University of Oklahoma pre-med student Courtney Wilson said
that lowering the drinking age and raising the age required to get a driver’s
license might eliminate some of the problems associated with drinking and
driving.
“I think you should be able to drink before you can drive so
that you know your limitations when you start driving,” Wilson said. “In
Germany, the drinking age is 16, but you can’t drive until you’re 18, so young
people who drink have to take public transportation, which is a lot
safer.”
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