Alcohol and Drinking - Challenging the Legal Drinking Age...

Challenging the Legal Drinking Age Do the current laws involving the age at which adults can start drinking really make sense? There are many reasons why the government changed the legal drinking age to 21, but has this actually caused a decrease in the amount of alcohol consumed by persons between 18 and 21? Alcohol related crime and traffic accidents have gone down in recent years, but the source of this drop may not simply have to do with raising the drinking age, as the government would like you to believe. There is a theory in psychology called the Reactance Theory, which disagrees with the idea that by making more restrictive laws, drinking will slow down. The governments intent to lowering the†¦show more content†¦The proportion of underage drivers on the nations highways on Friday and Saturday nights, who tested positive for alcohol, has decreased from 10.9% in 1973, to 4.6% in 1986 and 2.8% in 1996 (Roeper Voas 755). In a study published in the American Journal of Public Health, Roeper and Voas try to focus on whether these drops on drinking and driving are due to young drivers drinking less, or by separating drinking from driving. The results of this study showed that even though drivers under the age of 21 were far less likely to drink and drive, they were also significantly more likely to have more than 6 drinks in one sitting then older drivers (Roeper Voas 756). This shows that although people drivers under 21 drink more, they still drive less. The reduction of drinking and driving probably has more to do with the zero tolerance laws, rather than having to be 21 years old to drink. The zero tolerance laws would still be a good idea even if the drinking laws were raised back to 21. As anyone who drinks alcohol somewhat regularly knows, when you first start drinking you feel it more and lose control faster. It would make sense to restrict driving even more when someone first starts drinking because of a persons low tolerance, but the age limit on when someone can first start drinking can be an independent law. Many psychologists argueShow MoreRelatedChallenging The Legal Drinking Age1689 Words   |  7 PagesMackenzie Schultz Mrs. Hamilton AP English Language 25 July 2014 Challenging the Legal Drinking Age The Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA) has been challenged since the passing of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 that raised the drinking age to twenty-one in all fifty states (Ogilvie). Advocates for lowering the MLDA to eighteen years of age argue that this change will eliminate the thrill of breaking the law for young adults entering college and boost the national economy. SupportersRead MoreThe Debate Over A Proper Legal Drinking Age1243 Words   |  5 Pagesover a proper legal drinking age has been ongoing for decades. Some people believe twenty-one is the right age for legally consuming alcohol, while others believe twenty-one is too old. There are many supporters of an age limit of eighteen on alcohol consumption, but it has not been enough to sway Congress away from their set age of twenty-one. One major advocate for the age of twenty-one is the organization MADD, or â€Å"Mothers Against Drunk Driving†. 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The age at which young people are starting to experiment with alcohol is younger than ever. Dr. Don Macdonald explains that this may most likely be due to the fact that it is legal for the majority of th e population.