Alcohol or Society?

The Real Problem: Alcohol or Society?

One of the most commonly debated topics in today’s American culture is whether or not the legal drinking age should be lower than 21 years of age. Most American citizens are not in favor of lowering the legal drinking age; however, there are a number of scholars, and American citizens who feel that lowering the drinking age would be beneficial to our society. There are a number of benefits to lowering the legal drinking age. Lowering the legal drinking age would cut down on binge drinking on college campuses across the U.S., teach today’s youth responsible drinking habits, and possibly lower alcohol-related crimes.

In today’s society alcohol is blamed for a number of problems across the U.S. instead of the real root of the problems. Binge drinking on college campuses is a result of alcohol? Violence in America is largely due to alcohol? Rape is due to alcohol abuse? The questions could go on and on, but the answer is not that alcohol is the problem. The real problem is society! Dr. David J. Hanson, Professor Emeritus of Sociology of the State University of New York at Potsdam and consultant with the Canadian government on the subject of alcohol, states, “Abusive drinking is, without question, a serious problem. But we will never make real progress against that problem until we take a hard look at the approach modeled by those cultures that have established a "truce" with alcohol--from Italians to Greeks, to Jews to many others.” An approach society needs to take is one that addresses real problems and does not “point fingers.”

If the legal drinking age was lowered one of the benefits would be a decrease in binge drinking on college campuses across the U.S. Dr. Henry Wechsler, Director of the Alcohol Studies Program at the Harvard School of Public Health, conducted a study where he surveyed 17,000 students from 140 different colleges in 40 different states and the statistics found were alarming. Of the students surveyed the results were startling. Forty-four percent reported binge drinking a minimum of one time over the last two weeks and 19% of that 44% were considered to be frequent binge drinkers. The frequent binge drinkers admitted excessive drinking on more than three different occasions within the two weeks prior to taking the survey. “College administrators agree with the findings of the survey conducted, stating that they have practical reasons to be concerned about student drinking. Reports of drunken brawls, sexual assaults, even deaths attributable to alcohol create public relations nightmares for schools competing for students,” says Wechsler. The reason that lowering the legal drinking age would be beneficial to addressing these issues is that students would learn to drink more responsibly. They would no longer consider going to college and drinking as a way of escaping the observant eye of their parents and other authority figures. Consumption of alcohol by individuals under the age of 21 would be permitted, so they would no longer have to sneak around in order to drink and socialize. They would no longer feel that had to take every opportunity to party and drink with friends if they could do so whenever they pleased.

Lowering the legal drinking age would also teach today’s youth more responsible drinking habits. They would no longer have to have to hide drinking from their parents or other adults, thus allowing them to learn more responsible drinking habits while drinking with older responsible adults. Some of the problems associated with irresponsible drinking include binge drinking, sexual assaults, and violence. Wechsler states in his article that The Commission on Substance Abuse at Colleges and Universities reported that 95% of violent crimes and 53% of injuries on campus are alcohol related. In 90% of all campus rapes, the assailant, the victim, or both had been drinking. Of the college women who acquire sexually transmitted diseases, including herpes and AIDS, 60% report that they were drunk at the time they were infected. In most sexual assault cases, the assaulted was heavily intoxicated and, in some cases, unaware of what they were experiencing. Ways of teaching safe use of alcohol to our young adults are presented by Dr. David J. Hanson in his article It’s Better to Teach Safe Alcohol Use. His article demonstrates ways of encouraging moderate use of alcohol by those who choose to drink. People who choose to drink should not be look down upon by those who choose to abstain from drinking, or vice versa. Hanson thinks that choosing to drink or not to drink should be demonstrated to today’s youth as equally acceptable choices by society; therefore, alcohol consumption would not be viewed a problem in society. It would then be just another part of our culture or society. Respecting one another’s choices is the cornerstone of Hanson’s ways to demonstrate safe alcohol consumption.

Efforts should be made to distinguish and promote the difference between acceptable and unacceptable drinking habits (Hanson). Today’s youth should receive more instruction on using alcohol than just being told not to drink in general. Unacceptable drinking should be strongly penalized, both legally and socially. Peers should help enforce these rules in social settings to let people know that belligerent drinking will not be tolerated. Embarrassment can sometimes be as effective as judicial penalties.

Another problem that needs to be addressed is the one that considers alcohol is the “root” of all drinking problems. Alcohol abuse is often seen as the cause of all drinking problems and the availability of alcohol determines the extent to which it will be abused. This approach is blaming alcohol for problems that are actually problems with society itself! Finally, alcohol should not be depicted as a poison or a drug that is harmful (Hanson). If society adopts these policies today’s youth will learn more responsible ways of consuming alcohol, therefore, cutting down on problem drinking among teenagers.

Another problem that would reap the benefits of lowering the legal drinking age would be alcohol-related crimes. If society adopted the policies listed above and taught young adults in today’s society the more responsible ways to consume alcohol, then there might be a decrease in alcohol related crimes and violence. People learn a substantial amount from their parents and their actions. They learn the difference between right and wrong, they learn how to drive, they learn about the responsibilities of having sex, and the consumption of alcohol in a reasonable and responsible manner is also something they should be taught by their parents or other authority figures. The best way for this to take place is by lowering the legal drinking age to an age where teenagers are still impressionable by their parents.

Alcohol consumption is definitely an issue that needs to be addressed in the U.S. but trying to protect today’s youth from having to make important decisions by making the decisions for them is not the way to address this issue. Put the responsibility on the youth and their parents and allow them the chance to “step-up” and take on that responsibility. The only way to do this is to lower the legal drinking age to an age that will allow society to teach its youth more responsible drinking habits. Putting the blame on alcohol itself is not the answer; society finally taking responsibility is!




Works Cited

Engs, Ruth C., “Why the Legal Drinking Age Should Be Lowered: An Opinion Based on
Research.” Applied Health Sciences. Indiana University. 1998. http://www.indiana.edu/ ~engs/articles/cqoped.html.

Hanson, David J., PhD. “It’s Better to Teach Safe Use of Alcohol.” Alcohol: Problems and
Solutions. 2007. State University of New York at Potsdam. http://www2.potsdam. edu/hansondj/YouthIssues/1044361545.html.

Heath, Dwight B., PhD. “Teaching Safe Drinking to Your College-Bound Teen.” Alcohol:
Problems and Solutions. 2007. State University of New York at Potsdam. http://www2. potsdam.edu/hansondj/YouthIssues/1044362486.html.
Stahl, Lesley. “The Debate On Lowering the Legal Drinking Age.” CBS News: 60 Minutes.
22 February, 2009. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/02/19/60minutes/ main4813571.shtml

Wechsler, Henry, PhD. “Alcohol - Drinking On Campus: A Rite Of Passage Out Of Control?”
1994. Journal of the American Medical Association. 7 December, 1994. http://law. jrank.org/pages/4218/Alcohol-DRINKING-ON-CAMPUS-RITE-PASSAGE-OUT-CONTROL.html.