According to the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984, it is illegal for a being, under the age of twenty-one, to purchase or publicly possess alcoholic beverages. Why the age of twenty-one? At the age of eighteen, one is considered an adult. One is capable of enlisting into the U.S. Military, and risk their life for our country. One can be tried as an adult in court, they aren't given the option to be tried as a juvenile. One is given the opportunity to vote, and to have a say in who you wish to run our country. But they are not responsible enough to publicly drink?  

          On a college campus, it is estimated that at least eighty percent of students consume alcohol. A national survey states the sixty percent of college students, ages eighteen to twenty-one, consumed alcohol in the past month. On almost every college campus underage drinking occurs. It is impossible to stop all of these students, so why continue to allow this law to be broken. If numerous students, and others, are going to continue to break this law by consuming alcoholic beverages, the law might as well not exist. 

          I propose that the legal drinking age be lowered to eighteen. By lowering the age, people (of the age of eighteen) will finally be able to accept all responsibilities. An eighteen year old is legally an adult, therefore they should legally be allowed to enjoy a drink. 

          Also, by opening up the age, there will be less "private drinking." They would be able to consume their alcohol in a regulated environment. Today, underage age drinkers have to sneak around to get their alcohol. On a college campus, fifty-seven percent of underage student drinkers reported that they would pay less money for their alcohol than they would if they had legally purchased it in a store. They stated that they would often spend less than a dollar, or they would get it for free. By allowing people eighteen and up, bars would be able to do their job, and sell their alcohol to more people, and those people would have to pay full price. 

          Lowering the legal drinking age to eighteen would do no harm. It would result in less underage drinking and more economic opportunities for bars and restaurants that do sell alcohol. An eighteen year old needs to have the opportunity to accept all responsibilities. They can enlist in the military, they can be tried in supreme court, they can vote, and they should be able to drink. Regardless of what age the law says, people under the age of twenty-one are going to continue to consume alcohol, we might as well make is legal. 

Sincerely, 

Olivia H. Blatt