Expert: Druideck - 12/10/2009

Question
Hi his is mazin, a student at University of Caterbury.Im doing a research about legal drinking age. Could you please answer this question, should legal drinking age be increased or decreased and why?  

Answer
Mazin,

In my opinion the legal age is fine
if set at the age a person is considered
an adult.
My reasons are that up until that time
the parents are responsible for
the discipline of their children.

There is no argument for lowering
the drinking age below the "adult"
age group. It gets too complicated
to sort out who is living like
an adult and who is not.

I think the usual age a person
becomes responsible for themself
is the best recourse for
setting the legal drinking limit.

Raising the drinking age has no
basis in my mind. Alcohol problems
are not age related. They are
due to individual choices and
possibly genetic influences in
regard to alcoholism.

I think it is more important
to provide information about
alcohol as an addictive chemical
substance to people of legal
drinking age.

You can not prohibit drinking
with laws but with education
and awareness programs.
Lowering or raising the drinking
age does little to prevent a
determined person from obtaining
alcohol illegally.

It is much better to provide
everyone with knowledge of
alcohols dangers and also
have programs for helping
those that want to get
help when experiencing problems
with alcohol.

Responsibility begins with
the individual, we need to
inform people to be responsible
or face the consequences of their
failure to do so.

The negative consequences of
problem drinking are well documented.
There are legal, moral, financial
and health problems involved.
Raising or lowering drinking
age is not going to affect
people's desire to take
responsibility for their
own behaviour.
Only good parenting, life experience
and education can accomplish that.
Some good roles models in society
don't hurt either.

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