History of the Drinking Age

http://www.indiana.edu/~engs/articles/cqoped.html 

Ruth Engs makes a valid point, all of her information is based on facts, however she only discusses one side of the issue thereby diminishing her credibility. On the contrary, the facts the she does present are hard to ignore. After the raise of the drinking age in 1984, the negative effects after drinking increased. Most notably among college students vomiting after drinking, being too hung over to go to class and being in a fight after drinking saw the biggest increase in percentage of drinkers. In addition to this Engs talks about how this drinking age mirrors the issues of prohibition in the 1920’s. During that era even though the sale and consumption of alcohol was illegal, people still chose to ignore that law and it caused other social problems. As well as those issues the prohibition laws were almost impossible to enforce, causing for even more reckless abandon from citizens.

 In 1984 when the drinking age was raised, the effects were disastrous. Most recognizably in college students. After the age was raised to 21 most college students were forced to keep their drinking underground. Thus causing them to drink more because of the lowered ability to. Also because drinking became "wrong" again it became more enticing to drink more. Even after all of this, the rate of drinking and driving incidents has decreased from 1980 to today.


During the 1920's prohibition took place. This was the national law that the sale, consumption and possession of alcohol was illegal. This made alcohol the most attractive its ever been. Speakeasies started popping up everywhere and it became an impossible law to enforce. Today we have the same issue, the drinking laws are almost impossible to contain and law enforcement find it unimportant as well.