Alcohol Consumption By Youth in The United States - Controversies

Controversies

Gallup reports that seventy-seven percent of the population over 21 supports the current 21-year drinking age. As it stands, any state that lowers its alcohol purchase or possession age would lose 10% of its federal highway funding. This could range from a $6 million–150 million loss for any single state.

In 2007, the drinking age debate in the United States was renewed when Choose Responsibility began promoting lowering of the drinking age coupled with education and rules to persuade people to drink responsibly before they are of legal age. Before one is eligible to buy, possess and consume alcohol, an alcohol education class must be completed in its entirety and each teen must pass a final examination before licensing can occur. If a teen has any alcohol-related law violations before they turn 18, they will have a minimum of one year per violation before they are eligible to be licensed.

In 2008, McCardell and the presidents of over 100 U.S. colleges and universities launched the Amethyst Initiative, a campaign to debate the effectiveness of present alcohol laws.

Although the incidence of underage drinking is still significant, government, university and national statistics have confirmed that alcohol use and binge drinking among high school students has declined steadily over the past three decades, and continues to decline annually. However, it is not clear whether or not this relationship is a causal one.

Many believe that anyone under the age of twenty-one can not consume alcohol in the United States. However, this is incorrect because underage drinking is allowed in 31 states with parental consent and 17 states with spousal consent, if the consenting spouse is over 21.