Lowering the Drinking Age to 18

Binge drinking is defined as:  the modern definition of drinking alcoholic beverages with the primary intention of becoming intoxicated by heavy consumption of alcohol over a short period of time.  It is a growing epidemic, especially in the United States. The legal drinking age has not always been 21, and was raised in the 70’s. The issue with the raised drinking age is that it has given drinking the contraband status, making the younger generations wanting to drink…and in excess. There are stats showing that in other countries such as Europe where the drinking age is nonexistent, there are far less issues with binge drinking. When something is permitted, it is highly less desirable to do. It does not really seem fair that at the age of eighteen, one can legally vote, smoke and buy tobacco products, get married, and enlist in the army, but cannot have a beer. If these people are granted all these rights as “adults”, it does not make sense to restrict them from legally drinking alcohol. Binge drinking would not be nearly as big of an issue as it is today if the legal age were just lowered back down to eighteen. There were of course issues back when the legal drinking age was lower, but they weren’t quite as extreme as the issues the younger generations face today. If the contraband status of drinking were eliminated, it would not be nearly as attractive and desirable, causing less and less people to be facing the dangerous consequences due to excessive drinking. 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20249460/ns/health-addictions/