Many governments all over the world have faced the challenge of dealing with alcohol related fatalities. Despite policy implementations and bans, the consequences are still widespread and are a risk to health and to the young generation. The essay will talk about the history, goals, challenges, and solutions for the policy of drinking age in the United States.
In the early 1980s, America registered the highest drunken driving problems. Many individuals were charged with driving under influence as well as hit-and- run indictments. During this period, President Reagan called together a commission under the Presidential Commission against Drunk Driving (PCDD). The commission came up with thirty-nine recommendations to assist in the reduction of the epidemic. On a broader perspective, the recommendations objectives were to cover a holistic approach with the intention of lowering the rates of drunk driving on several highways within the country. Specifically, the eighth recommendation was about the Minimum Legal Purchasing Age (MLDA), which was established to be twenty-one years. States that were not in agreement with this clause were to face loses on the charges of the federal highway dollars. Even though the final target of the recommendations was to curb the increase in drunk driving, the nation’s attention was captured by the age limit. Absolute concentration concerning raising the drinking age undermined the other thirty-eight recommendations. Some of these included youth sensitization programs, creation of public campaigns, and raising the penalty charges for arraigned drunken drivers. After a period of two years since the establishment of the thirty-nine proposals, different organizations like MADD petitioned President Reagan to sign the National Minimum Drinking Age Act to be twenty-one (Carpenter &Dobkin, 2011). The president complied with the age and by 1987, all the fifty states had effectively activated the Act.
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The goals for implementing the legal initiative did not only target the young adults, but it was for the entire population. However, the focus was on the teenagers because statistics indicated an increased number of alcohol consumption among college students all over the country. According to the results of the National Health Interview Survey 2006-2007, individuals aged 18-25 reported that they drank on thirty-six days a d consumed 5.1 drinks on their drinking days. The Diagnostic Statistical Manual clinically defines the consumption of five bottles of alcohol in one sitting as “binge” or “heavy episodic” drinking. Such consumptions contribute significantly to public health issues. According to Bonnie and O’Connell (2004), motor vehicle accidents in the United States in this specific age group are because of alcohol consumption. The goals of implementing the law was to reduce the intake of alcohol among young adults since about eighty percent of the deaths were caused by diseases such as cancer which is viewed to be an internal forces.
Even after the implementation of the minimum drinking age American people have been having mixed reactions regarding this issue. Whereas some believe in the effectiveness the legal age, some do not. For instance, some of them claim that the rate of traffic accidents for all the age groups started to reduce in 1969 even before the legal age of twenty-one was embraced. Moreover, research also indicated that before the introduction of the legal age, 1969-1975 registered low road accidents due to drinking. The adoption of seat belts and air bags have helped in saving more likes as compared to restricting the drinking age to twenty-one. According to a survey conducted by the NHTSA (2008), the highest number of alcohol-related accidents happened among the twenty-one year olds. Based on these results, some Americans have thought of the legal age to postpone fatalities but not reduce them. On the other hand, some Americans believe in the effectiveness of the legal age. The combination of other factors such as the manufacture of safer cars, having “designated drivers,” and serious law enforcement may contribute to fewer fatalities. It is not necessary that the legal age must be raised to a more “mature” age. However, these factors can lead to better results of the law and improve on the public health.
The National Minimum Drinking Age Act has been countered by several challenges since its establishment in 1984. For instance, in 2008, a collaboration of more than one hundred college students’ leaders and education representatives petitioned for signatures for the Amethyst Initiative. The sole purpose of the policy was to re-evaluate and the ceiling for drinking age in the society. They compared the drinking age policy with other countries such as Canada and majority of the European countries, which were 18 or 19 respectively. According to their argument, the legal drinking age policy of twenty-one would result to more fatalities; hence, the age would be effective if only it was lowered. Amethyst Initiative liaised with and organization referred to as Choose Responsibility and several states to lower the drinking age from twenty-one to eighteen.
It is quite difficult to establish the connection between the minimum legal age and the repercussions of alcohol consumption. Over the past centuries, there have been studies and public health researches showing a strong connection between the use of alcohol and its consequences. However, the publications offer limited assistance in resolving whether the age should be raised or lowered. The primary limitation of the relationship between alcohol use and age lies in the individual lenience for danger. The variation of risk tolerance among different people is a challenge in implementing the policy. Whereas some teenagers within this age bracket have self-control in alcohol consumption, others lack it. Therefore, there have been national debates on the effectiveness of limiting the legal age to twenty-one.
Moreover, the initiative has faced the delays in effective implementation because of the persistent comparison with other countries’ minimum legal age. Some believe that it is not the age that reduces accidents, but the use of safety belts and air bags. According to them, the policy is insensible no matter the age implemented. All that matters is strict laws and ensuring safety on the highways and not the age.
Consequently, the rising rates of misconduct and indiscipline among teenagers in the United States have undermined the effectiveness of the initiative. Research has shown that many teenagers start to abuse alcohol as early as age twelve. In most cases, parents are unaware of the activities their children engage in making it difficult to control them.
The initiative will be effective if stakeholders do not dwell so much in the age and focus on educating the youth about the risks of consuming alcohol. In the past years, some Americans have had a different perspective as compared to Amethyst Initiative and Choose Responsibility organization. This group believe that increasing the drinking age will help to strengthen the original initiative because the extra years will involve public sensitization and education. Moreover, the federal government can start an initiative whereby it increases the tax rates for alcoholic beverages that have high levels of toxins. Since such drinks have potential to cause massive health problems, part of the money collected can be used to finance treatment and rehabilitation as well as sponsor prevention plans.
Furthermore, the federal government can introduce policies that limit business owners from acquiring licences to run liquor store. It means that each state government should have limited alcoholic premises within their jurisdiction. Also, the frequency of advertising alcohol should be reduced and limited to the public. Majority of children tap information from their environment through social learning, hence, limiting the sideshows and reinforcing public awareness of the risks of alcoholic beverages would reduce the intake.
In conclusion, having a drinking age limit is effective in curbing alcohol related accidents no matter the age bracket. Young adults should be subjected to education and constant reminders of the health risks that are related to alcohol use.
References
Bonnie Richard J., O'Connell Mary E,. (2004). Editors Reducing Underage Drinking: A Collective Responsibility. National Academies Press; Washington, DC
Carpenter, C., & Dobkin, C,. (2011). The minimum legal drinking age and public health The Journal of Economic Perspectives , 25 (2), 133-156.
Choose Responsibility. (2011).Only 2 out of every 1,000 instances of underage drinking result in arrest or citation Retrieved 28 July 2016, from https://www.chooseresponsibility.org/legal_age_21/
Retrieved on 28th July 2016 from https://www.chooseresponsibility.org/legal_age_21/
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,. (2008). NHTSA Traffic safety facts 2000: Pedestrians. (Report DOT HS 809311)
