Drinking Age 21Drinking Age 21

A Problem Solver?A Problem Solver?

Problem:Problem: 7 countries world wide have a drinking age of 21 (193 7 countries world wide have a drinking age of 21 (193

countries on earth)countries on earth) Persons who are 18 or older are considered adults, can Persons who are 18 or older are considered adults, can

marry, serve in the military, vote, enter into legal marry, serve in the military, vote, enter into legal contracts, and shoulder adult responsibilities: no contracts, and shoulder adult responsibilities: no equality since no right to drinkequality since no right to drink

Social Problem: Friends of age 20 and 21 get separatedSocial Problem: Friends of age 20 and 21 get separated Excessive drinking when 21, even more addicts than in Excessive drinking when 21, even more addicts than in

other countriesother countries Teenagers see alcohol as a “mature” thing since you Teenagers see alcohol as a “mature” thing since you

have to be 21 => They are tempted to drink earlier to have to be 21 => They are tempted to drink earlier to become “mature”become “mature”

Drinking itself is seen as a problem: the real problem is Drinking itself is seen as a problem: the real problem is drinking abusively drinking abusively

Officially Reported Officially Reported Proportion of Proportion of

Fatal Crashes Involving Fatal Crashes Involving Alcohol Alcohol Italy 1% Drinking: 16 Driving: 18

Luxembourg 4% Drinking: 17 Driving 18

Belgium 8% Drinking: 15 Driving: 18

The Netherlands 8% Drinking 16 Driving: 18

Sweden 9% Both 18

United Kingdom 15% Drinking 18 Driving 17

Germany 20% Drinking 16 Driving 18

Finland 25% Both 18

Spain 26% Drinking 16 Driving 18

Denmark 29% Both 18

France 40% Drinking 16 Driving 18

Source: Directorate General for Transport of the European Commission 1995

The rate for 1995 reported in the US was 41.2%

Students get not Students get not responsible responsible

through age but through age but their own their own

experienceexperience

A seemingly implicit assumptionin most studies of teen traffic safety is thatthe increased MLDA unambiguously saved livesby delaying alcohol availability until youngadulthood when alcohol would be consumedresponsibly. However, this perspective mayoverstate the gains to higher MLDA if youngdrivers learn about the responsible use of alcohollargely through their own experiences andthose of their peers. More specifically, the existenceof learning-by-doing raises the disturbingpossibility that policies, which keep teensaway from alcohol, may to some degree simplyshift the attendant mortality risks to youngadulthood (Michael A. Males, 1986; Peter Aschand David T. Levy, 1987, 1990).

SolutionSolution

Lowering the Drinking ageLowering the Drinking age Drinking problems are reduced Drinking problems are reduced

when young people learn at home when young people learn at home from their parents how to drink in a from their parents how to drink in a moderate and responsible mannermoderate and responsible manner

Lowering the drinking age would Lowering the drinking age would clarify that drinking is not evidence clarify that drinking is not evidence of maturity but responsible of maturity but responsible consumption.consumption.