Drinking Age
On the Mike and Juliet Show this morning, they brought up the issue of the legal drinking age. Most of the guests they interviewed have the opinion that it should remain at 21 or should be raised (if it would be altered at all). One brave soul, Alex Koroknay- Palicz, a youth advocate made a great point about what the drinking age does to that topic in youth.
If we didn’t make alcohol forbidden, would it be less enticing for people? His example was Europe. Many countries do not have a legal age to drink. Children are taught by parents how to moderately enjoy alcohol. Since they are taught how to deal with it, and it is available to them at any age, they are less likely to pursue it so much.
What is the first thing anybody wants to do? The thing they are told not to touch, look at, think about or consume. While alcohol does have adverse affects on young children. Alcohol can cause problems in a developing body. How come there are not a lot of European mutants?
Parents must be involved. Parents cannot be worried about infringing on the child’s rights. Children need to be taught right from wrong before having the liberty to choose for him or herself. That would be the equivalent to asking a Marian about Environmental Protection of Earth. The alien will not have a frame of reference, have a skewed frame of reference, or it won’t matter because it is irrelevant.
On the other hand, others made more points about making alcohol more available will make things worse. While it is still a highly debatable topic, with many good arguments from both sides, I don’t think that he was given fair voice. Koroknay- Palicz made an excellent point; he was not able to completely voice his side. He was the only one there represented his side. His argument was discredited by a disembodied voice saying “that’s a myth.”
The only way that we as a nation can make a decision will be to here the full argument from BOTH sides. Some people will never move in their stance of their point on this matter. The reason some people will not change mostly is a personal reason. The people that have been touched by this issue will not be an unbiased participant.
Making alcohol unavailable will not reduce anything. We are going to heighten the allure and drive the youth towards it (the same thing that would happen with guns). What has happen now that we have made this bed? The allure of alcohol is already there.
If we remove the drinking age right now, it could be catastrophic. We need to come up with a multi- phase plan on how to institute the allure reduction of alcohol, which is the only way that we cannot have a vehicle massacre. Driving ages have been raised for the environment and congestion issues…we must reduce the hype of alcohol…and Hollywood could be a role model…if they decide to.
