The topic of this post has been on my mind for over a year now. I really didn't know how to put my thoughts into words for this one...but I feel like its appropriate now.
I'll be 21 soon and will be of legal drinking age. I get asked by most people "What are you gonna do for your 21st birthday?! Going to go out drinking?!" And I can honestly say that I'm not going to go out drinking. That's just not my thing. That's not to say that I won't order a glass of wine or something like that when I go out to dinner with my family, but I want to control myself and make sure that I'm not just drinking to be drinking because I can. This issue also brings up the debate of whether or not the drinking age should be lowered or raised. Those who argue for it to be lowered say that places like Europe who keep the drinking age low don't deal with as many instances of alcoholism and underage drinking. Others argue that it should be raised because even 21 year olds are not responsible enough to handle alcohol. The debate goes back and forth.
While I see that both sides make good points, I can only say that no matter what age people drink at, it can cause them to make bad decisions. A lot can be done to take away the glamorous side of drinking that is portrayed in the movies and television shows. That might alleviate the many instances of teen drinking. I also think that teens (as well as all people) should make better choices for themselves concerning alcohol.
I could go on all day, citing arguments from each side of the drinking age debate, but to sum up my feelings on the issue, I say, "BE RESPONSIBLE, THINK OF OTHERS, THINK OF YOURSELF."
What are your thoughts on this debate? Should the drinking age be lowered, raised, kept the same? I’d love to hear what you think!
Blessings!
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4 comments:
Hi Juana,
I'm going to respond in order of your thoughts.
1. I will be 21 within the next year and intend to have a drink. However, I do not plan to get drunk. My ideal 21st would be going out for a nice dinner and having a glass of wine alongside. That's it. It's casual and I will not leave the restaurant tipsy.
2. One main argument I have seen about the drinking age is this: If you are old enough to enter the military, you should be able to drink. It's an interesting thought. Honestly, I don't have a problem with 21 as the age. 18-year-olds in 2010 are way different than in 1970 during my parents time. Most 18-year-olds are still students, dependent on their parents, and not ready to completely leave the nest. 21 is a good, mature, adult age.
Thank you for commenting, Christen!
I agree with both comments...I'm actually excited to be able to order that glass of wine, but as you said, not leave the restaurant tipsy. On a recent visit to NV, we saw a young girl who was reeeaaallly drunk and had to be carried by her friend. It scared me...I don't ever want to lose control like that.
And another argument that I have heard is that one could get married at 18 or younger, so why not let them drink? The thing is that drinking can have such a bad result...drunk driving, bad desicions, loss of control...and the more mature someone is, the less likely it is that they will encounter any of those bad things that come from drinking too much alcohol.
Jauna, I know this is a late response, but I wanted to add that it is also a question of the attitude that is displayed by parents and role models toward alcohol. In some families, drinking alcohol is a normal thing and it is done responsibly. In others it may not be done responsibly. Most importantly I think parents need to be open with their kids and honest about alcohol. My mom shared with me when I was a preteen that she has not drunk any alcohol since she was 23, when God stopped her dead in her tracks in a bar and asked her what she was doing? My dad too, has not drunk anything since his teen years when he got drunk and shamed his family (he is from Haiti, so he was culturally disrespectful).
Alcohol was never a big deal in my family, and because of that I did not have much interest, but nor did I feel like I was missing out on anything. To make matters worse, last year I took an addictive substances course adn learned how easy it is to become addicted to alcohol, drugs, caffeine...anything. It;s scary to see that some people lose all control to the drug of choice.
Yet, when I turned 21 earlier this year, I felt myself wanting to try things. Initially I felt kind of guilty and afraid, but I think that it's okay to try things. Like you, I am scared of getting drunk because I hate the idea of losing control of myself. It's not right. I want to be able to make conscious decisions all the time. But I understand the stupidity of not having any experience with alcohol. It is important to be educated about it in order to make healthy decisions and understand what your body can tolerate.
I have probably only had 4 or 5 drinks since I turned 21 in April and I already know some important things about drinking for myself. I have found that I just don't care that much about alcohol anyway. I enjoy a fruity drink, but it's no big deal if I don't have one. Haha. But I never would have known if I had not tried in a moderate fashion. It's dangerous when someone goes headlong into drinking. That's when you get wasted and end up with hangovers and drinking issues. Plus, you can totally have a much better time without alcohol...at least you'll remember what you did ;)
Hope you had a great birthday!
Thanks for your comment :) I agree that our attitudes about alcohol do stem from our family's attitudes about it. It was never that big of a deal around our house, so when I turned 21 I knew I didn't want to go hog wild with drinking. Sure, I'd like a glass of wine or (like you said) a fruity drink, but being out of control with it scares me. I trust myself to make the right decisions :) And I agree, hangovers and drinking issues totally outweigh any "good" reasons to drink. I'd like to remember my night for the amazing fun that I had/caused and not because I was drinking. Again, thanks for your comment!
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