We actually had a very interesting conversation about legal drinking age, in my Spanish class in High School. Many other countries teach their children to drink responsibly. They allow them, as children, to have a drink at dinner. These kids learn that you don't need to get drunk every time you drink. Here, however, we teach them that it's forbidden until they are adults. That just makes them want it even more. Then, when they find someone to buy it for them, they drink until they can't walk straight because no one knows when they'll get more (plus, we tend to overdo those things we are told we can't do). Lowering the drinking age might not do much good on it's own. However, if we also (as a country) teach our youth how to handle alcohol responsibly, there would be a decrease in alcohol related problems (drunk driving, alcoholism, etc.). This is just my opinion, and I'm sure there are many that disagree. I really think, though, that it would make a huge difference if we taught them that it's ok to have a beer or glass of wine with dinner or while relaxing in the evening, instead of making such a big deal of it & forbidding it until they're 21. Many people who become alcoholics/drunks as adults, started drinking before they were 21. They started partying in high school (sometimes even younger) & got used to consuming as much alcohol as possible each time they drank. That habit then continues into adulthood & they end up having serious problems. If they were taught to be responsible with alcohol, they would be less likely to drink to the point of being drunk (at least most of the time). The problem with legal drinking age is that we assume that once they are 21 they will be responsible enough to handle alcohol, but noone is showing them how to be responsible with it.
