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Should the drinking age be 18? Should the drinking age be 18?
Yes, the drinking age should be 18. Yes, the drinking age should be 18.
No, the drinking age should be 21. No, the drinking age should be 21.
The ideal drinking age depends on the jurisdiction. The ideal drinking age depends on the jurisdiction.
There should be no drinking age. There should be no drinking age.
Adults should have the right to decide to drink Adults should have the right to decide to drink
18 is the safest minimum age for drinking 18 is the safest minimum age for drinking
A minimum age of 18 normalizes responsible drinking A minimum age of 18 normalizes responsible drinking
Drinking alcohol is medically risky Drinking alcohol is medically risky
Younger people are too immature to drink Younger people are too immature to drink
A higher drinking age reduces drunk driving A higher drinking age reduces drunk driving
Cultural and religious beliefs vary widely about drinking Cultural and religious beliefs vary widely about drinking
Historically, there were no drinking age laws Historically, there were no drinking age laws
Young people drink regardless of the drinking age Young people drink regardless of the drinking age
Underage drinking is not a priority for law enforcement Underage drinking is not a priority for law enforcement
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Should the drinking age be 18?
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There should be no drinking age.

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Historically, there were no drinking age laws

The drinking age is a fairly recent invention in legal history, and there is no real need for it.
Harry Levine Dwight Heath David Pittman
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The Argument

Minimum legal drinking age laws are largely an invention of the early 20th century, and still do not exist in many nations in Africa and Asia. The United Kingdom did not have a national minimum drinking age law until 1923, when the Intoxicating Liquor (Sale to Persons under Eighteen) Act was passed due to the advocacy of members of the temperance movement, which had declined by the mid-20th century. Given that drinking age laws have little effect on underage drinking, and that many nations (past and present) have gotten by without them, these relics of the legal past should be abolished.

Counter arguments

Proponents

Premises

[P1] Drinking ages are a reasonably recent invention; society got along without them for a long time. [P2] Drinking ages are pointless, and we do not need them.

Rejecting the premises

References

This page was last edited on Friday, 7 Feb 2020 at 18:12 UTC

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