Should North Dakota Lower Its Legal Drinking Age?

If you're from North Dakota, you know there's one thing we rank highest in: consumption of alcohol.

Yes, North Dakotans love to drink, which begs the question, should we lower the legal drinking age?

Fun Fact: The legal drinking age was changed from 18 to 21 with the passing of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act in 1984, according to Study.com.

The Argument(s)

Those who wish to lower the legal drinking age are going to be those who are currently under the legal drinking age of 21 if I were to guess.

Their arguments are as follows:

1.Drunk Driving Stats

Young adults will find a way to drink if they want to; lowering the legal drinking age and softening the restrictions may promote healthier drinking habits and decrease unsafe drinking activities.

Allowing young adults to drink under supervision may lead to better overall choices and drinking behaviors.

According to Britannica.com, countries where the legal drinking age is lower actually have less drunk driving accidents and fatalities.

That said, Alcohol.org has contradicting findings on this subject.

2. Take Away The Thrill

A point made on Britannica.com, is that lowering the legal drinking age to 18 may take away the thrill of breaking the law and getting into mischief.

3. Good For The Economy

An argument you may have heard is that lowering the legal drinking age may help the economy. Personally, I'm not sure 18 year old's are stacked with cash, and that would create quite the boom as one might think, but I could be very wrong.

4. Legal Adulthood

One of the biggest and most compelling arguments for lowering the legal drinking age is that you can legally vote, enlist in the military, and drive at 18. You are legally deemed an adult at this age, so why wouldn't you be able to purchase alcohol?

Why We Shouldn't Lower The Legal Drinking Age In North Dakota

1. Furthering Your Education

Fighting the urge to take a break after high school may be more difficult when you've suddenly gained the right to drink.

Or, look at it this way, imagine if the legal drinking age were lowered to 18. Many seniors in high school are 18 for the majority of that final year. Drinking while trying to finish your general education may take you away from your studies.

Not only that, but it could make it more accessible to other students who haven't yet turned 18.

2. Health

Scientists and medical experts have stressed this for years. Alcohol is bad for your body.

Liver disease, violence, and addiction are just some of the many health-related concerns.

Not only that, but the National Institute of Mental Health suggests the brain doesn't finish developing until we're in our early to mid-'20s.

The longer you can wait to introduce alcohol to an adolescent's brain, the better.

3. Annoying

This is a personal opinion, but lowering the legal drinking age would be annoying. Imagine the bar scene full of 18-year-olds. So long to any chance of having an intellectual conversation at a bar, not that the chances of having one of those were incredibly high to begin with.

4. Because We Said So

If the health risks and general concerns about your future and education aren't convincing enough, how about because we said so.

I paid my dues. I waited to get a cell phone until I turned 18 and to drink when I turned 21.

You must do the same. Follow in the footsteps of your elders and wait until you're 21. Most kids get cell phones at 11 or 12 now, so this feels more than fair.