The legal drinking age should be 18 years of age

R1: Kids are gonna consume alcohol anywayYeah I have had a few sips of alcohol here and there, but I am supervised so I do not go drunk. (Alcohol tastes like... ) You provide no statistics on how lowering the drinking age would lower or not affect the amount of drinking deaths, you just say kids do it anyway. Sure they will, but you need stats to prove that lowering the drinking age has no effect, whereas I have stats showing a higher age lowers the amount of users.Seniors who lived in states with a drinking age of 21 drank less then ones with lower drinking ages. [1] [2] When 18 year olds can legally drink they give a role model to younger kids to drink at younger ages, having a higher drinking age lowers the... effect of this role model aspect as the 18 yer old is still "teenage". [3] As I have proven, a higher drinking age lowers users. So my next argument relies on that one: Kids who start drinking at a younger age are more likely to drink heavily in college. They re more likely to have problems with work, school, or problems with the police. [4] My point is the 21 age lowers users, heavy drinkers, and prevents them from getting addicted at an early age.R2: Drink and driveOnce again you needed to prove that lowering the age to 18 would decree or have no effect on these areas. Also you have not fulfilled the BOP, as you are advocating a change in the status quo. s you have only said they will do it anyway, which is only partially correct, I will prove a higher drinking age would lower the amount of DWI and drunk crashes:Lowering the drinking age for beer to 18 in 48 states in the 1970s saw a 11% increase in fatalities. [5] When Arizona lowered its drinking age to 19 they say an increase of 25% in alcohol related deaths and a 35% increase in traffic fatalities. [6] A study in Michigan found when the drinking age lowered to 18 crashes increased by 35% and crashes for young men rose by 17%.[7] Another Michigan Study showed when the drinking age went from 21--->18 DWI arrests rose 141% for 18-20 year olds. [8]My point: A higher drinking age prevents people from dying, and that lowering the drinking age increases deaths related to alcohol.R3: NothingDropped my teenage and brain development argument.Conclusion: The drinking age SHOULD NOT BE LOWERED. The current age saves lives and helps make sure the youths brain doesn't get fried. Vote CON!!!Sources:O’Malley, PM and AC Wagenaar, “Effects of Minimum Age Laws on Alcohol Use, Related Behaviors and Traffic Crash Involvement Among American Youth: 1976 - 1987,” Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 52(5):478-491, 1991. [1]Laixuthai, A and F Chaloupka, “Youth Alcohol Use and Public Policy,” Contemporary Policy Issues, 11:70-81, 1993. [2]Bonnie, RJ, “Discouraging Unhealthy Personal Choices Through Government Regulation: Some Thoughts About the Minimum Drinking Age,” In Minimum-Drinking-Age Laws, Wechsler, H (Ed.), Lexington, MA: DC Heath Co., p39-58, 1980. [3]Barnes, GM, et al., “Alcohol Misuse Among College Students and Other Young Adults: Findings from a General Population Study of New York State,” The International Journal of the Addictions, 27(8):917-934, 1992. [4]Cook, PJ and G Tauchen, “The Effects of Minimum Drinking Age Legislation on Youthful Auto Fatalities, 1970 - 1977,” Journal of Legal Studies, 15(4):159-162, 1984. [5]Arizona Department of Public Safety, “An Impact Assessment of Arizona’s Lowered Legal Drinking Age and a Review of Previous Research,” Statistical Center, 1981. [6]Douglas, RL and JA Freedman, “Alcohol-Related Casualties and Alcohol Beverage Market Response to Beverage Alcohol Availability Policies in Michigan,” The University of Michigan, Highway Safety Research Institute, 1977. [7]Hammond, RL, “Legal Drinking Age at 18 or 21 -- Does It Make Any Difference?” Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education, 18:9-13, 1973. [8]