According to a new review published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, the current legal drinking age of 21 saves lives. New demands to lower the age limit should be ignored.
The researchers examined studies conducted since 2006 and found that the minimum drinking age is associated with a reduced rate of drunk-driving crashes and lowers young people’s risks of other health threats associated with heavy drinking, such as dating violence and suicide.
A study from 2011 showed that 36 percent of American college students have done binge drinking within the past two weeks. This is a decrease from 43 percent of college students in 1988, which is the first year that all states established the legal drinking age of 21. High school seniors’ decrease in binge drinking was greater, lowered to 22 percent from 35 percent.
Lead researcher William DeJong of Boston University’s School of Public Health said, “The evidence is clear that there would be consequences if we lowered the legal drinking age.”
Sophomore Maya Waldrep said, “I think that it is perfect where it is right now. Since many teens are still dying from drunk driving and other health reasons from drinking, lowering the age minimum would give them a reason to continue what they are doing and not worry about getting in trouble.”
Some proponents of lowering the age, including college students, have been trying to get laws passed in recent years. The argument that is constantly proposed is that many young people break the law anyway.
The new findings, though, show that the legal drinking age does have a positive effect and that rather than lowering the age, tougher enforcement of the law is needed.
Sophomore Janette Bow-Keola said, “I think teens wouldn’t drink if more people got caught. It seems that often, teens never really get in trouble or the punishment is not that severe. Because of this, teens just risk the chance of getting in trouble and take the punishment believing that it is not going to affect them seriously.”
Other studies have shown that when college towns boost their enforcement of the law, student drinking declines.
