Critical thinking is a paramount skill that would facilitate a reduction in the degree of erroneous or misguided schools of thought employed in analysing a situation, policy, or object. According to Tittle (2011), it is vital that critical thinking is invoked in deducing a rational view of an issue. However, critical thinking involves playing the Believing Game so as to understand the rationale for the opposition view of the issue (Elbow). Considering a controversial issue such as lowering the drinking age from the gazetted age of twenty-one to a relatively lower age, it is notable that there are opposing views and supporting perceptions to the issue. For the sake of the moral uprightness and health of the young American population, it would be cardinal to dismissing the petition to lower the drinking age.
According to ProCon.ORG (2016), lowering the drinking age would deteriorate the medical condition of the youth people. Alcohol consumption interferes with the brain development process of young adults, thus impairing their judgement at a tender age. Moreover, other medical; condition associated with drinking such as liver cirrhosis may occur at a tender age. Also, the rowdy behaviour related to alcohol consumption will have shambolic implication on the young people.
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In contrary, groups championing for the lowering of the drinking age claim that the young people become adults ate age eighteen. Therefore, from the age of eighteen years, the young people should be allowed to make an individual decision regarding alcohol consumption. Also allowing 18 – to 20- year old individual to drink alcohol within moderate condition will reduce the dangers associated with unsafe drinking activities. Lowering the age of legal alcohol consumption from 21 to 18 will diminish the thrill of defying the law (ProCon.ORG, 2016).
The view that adulthood is recognised from the age of eighteen and therefore, young people above this age should be allowed to make their decisions regarding alcohol consumption is rational. Entrusting the decision on whether to drink or not to the young people above eighteen years of age will foster the culmination of responsible individuals. Hence, such persons will drink responsibly. The bottom line is, this view would diminish dangers associated with irresponsible drinking behaviour. However, this view will be true if intensive guiding and counselling will be coupledto the reform so as to guide the youth in making the right decision regarding alcohol consumption (ProCon.ORG, 2016).
Moreover, allowing 18- to 20-year-olds to consume alcohol under controlled and supervised condition would be integral in diminishing unsafe behaviour and binge drinking. Prohibiting young people over the age of eighteen years from drinking from restaurants, bars, and other licensed location will motivate them to drink from unsupervised locations such as parties. Hence, believing this view promotes a realisation that allowing the young people to drink in supervised locations will be key to eradication of irresponsible drinking behaviour. However, this view will be applicable when stringent regulations have been formulated and implemented in supervising the 18-year-olds alcohol consumption (ProCon.ORG, 2016).
Furthermore, allowing 18-year-olds to drink will normalise alcohol consumption hence reducing the thrill of infringing the laws to get a drink. It is interesting that the over 21 MLDA has instigated enormous curiosity for the young population to drink alcohol. Therefore, reduction of MLDA would normalise the endeavour that reducing the thrill of breaking the law. Believing in this view triggers a realisation that young people under the MLDA drink to get thrilled for breaking the law. However, this view will only hold if intensive guidance and counselling are conducted in learning institution to encourage the youth to decide wisely (ProCon.ORG, 2016).
In conclusion, the MLDA should not be lowered so as to protect the young people from the dangers emanating from alcohol consumption. However, if conditions such as the formulation of stringent policies to govern the supervision of 18-year-olds drinking , and intensification of guidance and counselling service are met , only then can the MLDA be lowered.
References
ProCon.ORG. (2016). Should the drinking age be lowered from 21 to a younger age?. Retrieved on June 16, 2016. From:http://drinkingage.procon.org/
Elbow, P. The believing game and how to make conflicting opinions more fruitful. Retrieved on June 16, 2016. From: http://www.procon.org/sourcefiles/believinggame.pdf
Tittle, P. (2011). Critical thinking: An appeal to reason . New York: Routledge.
