Weighing the Pros and Cons of Lowering the Legal Drinking Age

The debate started in the 1970s and it's heating up again. At what age is the average person sufficiently responsible and trustworthy to drink alcohol safely? Should states lower the legal drinking age to 18? Various legislators and organizations are voicing strong opinions on both sides.

The phrase "legal drinking age" wrongly suggests there is a federal law dictating the age limit country-wide. In reality, states are free to set their own age limit - well, free in theory at least. Every state has agreed to set the legal age at 21 because Congress passed a law in 1984 that withholds 10 percent of highway funds from states that set a lower limit. With that threat looming, 49 states had complied by 1988, with Louisiana joining after years of court battles.

In recent months, supporters in a number of states have pushed ballot initiatives to lower the drinking age. Legislation introduced in Kentucky, Wisconsin, and South Carolina would lower the drinking age for military personnel only. An initiative in Missouri would apply to everyone 18 and older, while an initiative in South Dakota would allow all 19- and 20-year-olds to buy low-alcohol beer. A Minnesota bill would allow anyone 18 or older to buy alcohol in bars or restaurants, but not in liquor stores. With states considering all of these options, what are the arguments for and against lowering the drinking age?

Arguments in Favor of Lowering the Drinking Age
The United States has the highest legal drinking age in the world. Most countries allow people to drink at 16 or 18 years of age. Others, like China, Portugal, and Vietnam, have no minimum drinking age at all.

Legislators argue that men and women who are old enough to vote, get married, adopt children, purchase firearms, and defend our country can be trusted to drink responsibly. Libertarian groups and some conservative economic foundations have long advocated for lowering the drinking age, and in recent years many academics and non-partisan policy groups have joined the cause.

Proponents of the idea argue that the current law has forced youths to hide and sneak alcohol, which means lawmakers and responsible adults have no control over underage drinking. These groups argue the law doesn't actually reduce drinking among people under 21 years of age, which renders the law ineffective. In support of their position, they point to the federal government's 2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which found that 85 percent of 20-year-old Americans had used alcohol. Two out of five said they had binged (on five or more drinks at one time) within the previous month.

By offering better education and taking away the appeal of doing something "forbidden," some groups believe a lower drinking age will actually keep people safer. Nonprofit group Choose Responsibility proposes lowering the drinking age to 18, but only in conjunction with "drinking licenses" and mandatory alcohol education. The group believes this change would educate young people about how to drink responsibly with the oversight and guidance of older adults.

Arguments Against Lowering the Drinking Age
During the Vietnam War era, 29 states lowered the drinking age to 18, reasoning that thousands of men and women were dying for their country without even having the right to drink legally. Within a short time, the lower drinking age resulted in a significant increase in alcohol-related traffic fatalities.

Those who oppose the lower drinking age argue the law saves lives. Based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's review of nearly 50 peer-reviewed studies, it found that lowering the minimum drinking age to 18 increases fatalities by 10 percent.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says laws setting the drinking age at 21 have cut traffic fatalities involving drivers ages 18-20 by 13 percent and have saved an estimated 19,121 lives since 1975. When Vermont voted to increase the age in 1985, alcohol-related traffic fatalities reportedly dropped by 40 percent, according to Vermont State Police. Since alcohol is still the leading cause of death among teenagers in highway crashes, activist groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving argue the law is serving a valuable purpose.

Since states would pay a high price - 10 percent of their federal highway funds - to lower the drinking age, it is unlikely the movement will gain any ground. In most states, the legislative efforts have died without much support. Some organizations are hoping to reopen the issue for the 2010 election.

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