The United State’s Folly
... health will not be affected more severely by alcohol than a 28 or 38 year-old’s. Alcohol, if consumed in small and safe proportions is even know to be beneficial for one’s health; if a woman drinks a glass of red wine a day, she will be reduce the risk of acquiring coronary heart disease. Therefore, tobacco is a much more dangerous and risky substance than alcohol, and it is ridiculous to allow the use of it at the age of eighteen but enforce the twenty-one age for consuming alcohol. Males, upon turning eighteen in America, are bound by law to register for the draft and, along with females, are allowed to join the armed forces to help protect the country. If the country were to be in a long standing war, it is possible that eighteen year old guys, just out of high school, could be sent to fight. The United States believes an eighteen year is old enough to into battle and possibly die- they have the capacity to kill someone, see others die, and put their life in harm’s path- yet they are not adult enough to have alcohol. This does not make any sense, as joining the armed forces requires much more maturity than drinking responsibly. In many European countries, children are introduced to alcohol as young teens, and as a result, become more comfortable and safe with drinking. European kids are taught to consume a sensible amount of alcohol in a protected environment with adult supervision. In the United States, it is infrequent that one drink with their family before the age of 21, and often, they binge and are unable to control their consumption in a safe manner. It is no rarity in the United States that young drinkers get alcohol poisoning from drinking beyond their bodies’ limits. If America followed Europe’s good judgment, young people would be more familiar with alcohol and make better decisions when faced with drinking. After high school and turning eighteen, many leave home to attend college, work, and begin a life of their own. At this point in life, freedom from parent’s rule is most often accompanied by partying and drinking alcohol. College campuses across the country are the most popular locations for underage drinking. The laws forbid it, yet there is no way to stop the availability and incidence of alcohol at the schools. Therefore, the laws are useless and only put the students in a difficult position, in which they break laws to fit in and join the college festivities. If the government were to lower the drinking age to eighteen, the United States would benefit in many ways. Because alcohol would be permissible in college, children in high sch...