Dylan Carbone (edison) You can die but you cant drink

2. April 2010 by student.

Many people today know that the drinking age in America is 21 and that it is lower mostly every wear else in the world. Yet most people don’t know why it is 21. And I will tell you… it is because of the roads. During the 1980’s the federal government decided to make a standard drinking age of 21 but they could not force this on the states because federalism (division of power between different governments within one nation federal->state->county….). The blackmail the federal government used was highway funding. It was passed that any state that did not move its drinking age to 21 would not be given funds for their roadways. Gradually the states gave in the last one being Vermont who fought it all the way o the Supreme Court. The reason for 21 was that the human brain continues to develop until 21 and alcohols will have a greater negative impact at 20 and 364 days than 21. But then again students in much of the developed world where the drinking age is lower do much better on standardized tests than US students. Another reason why 21 is ridiculous is because in America at 18 you are considered mature enough to marry, to sign a contract, to vote, own a deadly weapon and fight and die for this country. Yet at 18 the Government says you are not mature enough to decide whether or not to have a beer.

Posted in Introduction to Sociology | 2 Comments »