Should We Lower the Drinking age?

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Our local news station had a poll on this question today. I am glad to say that 67% said to keep it at 21. And, 21% said to lower it to 18. I'm assuming the 21% are 18 or under or around that age because anyone who has lived long enough to be exposed to alcohol abuse know that alcohol and kids don't mix. I realize that they may be considered adults in some ways but in a lot of ways, they just don't have the wisdom to make right choices at that age. I'm not including everyone because there are exceptions to the rule. However, as an aunt to 2 young people who are 17 and 20 and have already got alcohol and drug problems because of a lenient mother, who is my sister, I am all for keeping the drinking age at 21. I just think that keeping the drinking age at 21 gives kids a chance to mature just a little bit and maybe have some experiences that will cause them to choose more wisely when it comes to alcohol. When I was in high school in Texas, it was legal for kids to drink at the age of 18. One of my high school mates died in a drunk driving accident and he was the one drunk. The night before I graduated from high school, several of my classmates were in an accident involving alcohol and were so injured that they were unable to graduate. When I was in college, my younger sister, who was 15 at the time, came to visit me for a few days. She was my responsibility and I had taken care of my siblings since I was 8 so I took that responsibility very seriously. I was not as lenient as my parents were when it came to alcohol so the idea of my sister drinking while in my care was out of the question. However, one day when I got back from class, I discovered my roommate and my sister having a beer. I promptly removed the beer from my sister's hand and told my roommate not to give alcohol to my sister who is a minor. My sister didn't argue with me because she knew that was a lost cause. And, fortunately, she respected me enough not to go against me. I just don't think giving alcohol to minors or to someone who isn't yet mature enough to make wise choices when in the midst of peer pressure to do things that can lead to all kinds of problems is a smart thing to do.