According to an online website, the United States has the highest drinking age in the world. When someone turns 18, they are legally considered an adult and can make there own decisions. There is only one thing stopping them from being a true adult, and that is the drinking age of 21. Dr. Ruth Clifford Engs of Indiana University, an internationally-known health educator and alcohol researcher, believes that the minimun drinking age of 21 in the U.S. is too high.
After reasearching this topic a little, I realized that around 60 countries in the world have a drinking age, which all are under the age of 21. How come all these countries are not very strict on the drinking age? And why is the U.S so stuck on the age 21? How come they picked 21 and what makes that number so important?
I feel that when teenagers turn 18, they should be able to make their own decisions about whether they want to drink or not. I know that there is peer pressure to drink, but many people out there do have self control when it comes to things with peer pressure and such. There are some exceptions where people underage can drink, but there aren't many.
There was one law online that I found interesting. Anyone under the age of 21 who takes out household trash containing even a single empty alcohol beverage container can be charged with illegal possession of alcohol in Missouri. This situation seems to be a little extreme and doesn't seem very realistic. I feel that is the drinking age were lowered by even a year, people would not be tempted to drink illegally that much because they would actually be able to wait.
