Minimum Drinking Age

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses the many arguments for lowering the legal drinking age, but refutes them and strongly contends that keeping the drinking age at the status quo is imperative to preserve the health and safety of youths who lack proper judgment and maturity. The paper argues that in light of all the evidence that the legal drinking age saves lives, Montana must resist the urge to lower the age to 18.

From the Paper:

"In the 1970s a campaign took place on the national level to increase the legal alcohol consumption age to 21 rather than the then standard 18. In the years since then numerous campaigns have sprouted up around the country both opposing the "21" year old limit, as well as supporting the status quo. Organizations such as MADD, mothers against drunk driving, claim that the age restriction has saved more than 21,000 lives since its inception. However, numerous statistical comparisons have shown that other factors may have influenced the decline in alcohol related deaths since the 1970s. Regardless of these truisms a campaign has revived in Montana to lower the legal drinking age to 18. Although there are many arguments for lowering the legal drinking age, these arguments for the most part are extremely fallacious. Keeping the drinking age at the status quo is imperative to preserve the health and safety of youths who lack proper judgment and maturity."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Wagenaar AC. Minimum drinking age and alcohol availability to youth: Issues and research needs. In: Hilton ME, Bloss G, eds. Economics and the Prevention of Alcohol-Related Problems. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) Research Monograph No. 25, NIH Pub. No. 93-3513. Bethesda, MD: NIAAA; 1993:175-200
• Single E. International perspectives on alcohol as a public health issue. J Public Health Policy. 1984;Sum:238-259
• Wagenaar AC, Wolfson M. Deterring sales and provision of alcohol to minors: A study of enforcement in 295 counties in four states. Public Health Rep. 1995;110:419-427
• Birckmayer J, Hemenway D. Minimum-age drinking laws and youth suicide, 1970-1990. Am J Public Health 1999 Sep;89:1365-8.

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