Drinking ages Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Drinking ages - Essay Example These laws encompass an extensive range of actions and issues associated with alcohol consumption; they clearly indicate when and where alcohol can be imbibed. However, the legal age for consumption of alcohol can be different from the legal age for purchasing of alcohol (Kindelberger 197). Furthermore, these laws are variable among different countries and many laws have room for exemptions under special circumstances; and most laws only restrict the imbibing of alcohol in public places, with no imposition of restriction on alcohol consumed at home. Many countries have different age restrictions for different kinds of alcoholic beverages. The United Kingdom is the only country that has set a minimum age restriction for imbibing alcohol at home. Whereas, in some countries minors are not restricted to consume alcohol, but the alcohol can be seized, and some restrict selling of alcohol to minors. Although the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 clearly specified that individuals of 21 years of age or older are allowed to purchase and consume alcohol, there have been intermittent debates whether the drinking age should be 21 or be lowered to 18. Scientists supporting either side come with substantial evidence. However, popular sentiment tells that there are more people supporting the legal drinking age of 21 than those supporting 18 years of age. The arguments from both sides are primarily centered on adults of age 18-21, and college and university students (Kiesbye 57). A large number of college and university officials have sparked debates that current alcohol drinking laws have poorly failed; that instead of drawing students away from alcohol, they have simply forced students to take underage drinking in secrecy toward dangerous extremes, and it has established a wide-spread culture of clandestine drinking among young adults,