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Historical Context of Alcohol Consumption in the US
There has been a long debate regarding reducing legal drinking age in America to follow the footsteps of the rest of the world (or at least the majority of countries). The debate is far from over but with the rapid change of the world and increasingly growing pressure that is being put on young adults, it is important to reconsider the legal age of consuming alcohol in the United States. Throughout its, history America has tried different laws to control or confront the alcohol consumption including complete ban of any alcohol products, as of today the legal age is 21. The legal history of this restriction (as any other in the US) has a long story that greatly varies by state to state, but the final result is the same one shall not buy an alcohol drink before turning 21 years of age. In 1984, Congress passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act, which required all states to increase their ages of purchasing alcohol to 21. But lets go deeper into the alcohol-regulation policy.
Modern Alcohol Policy and Consumption Patterns
The term ‘alcohol policy’ originated in the Scandinavian countries and in the 1960s. began to receive more and more distribution and importance. With the spread of modern approaches to public health, the states alcohol policy began to be seen as a potential tool for improving public health. The generally recognized goal of the states alcohol policy is to reduce mortality, morbidity, and social problems associated with alcohol. The interests of the public sector of the state and national producers of alcoholic beverages are taken into account only to the extent that they do not contradict the main goal. Another major principle of modern alcohol policy is its focus on society as a whole, and not exclusively on people suffering from alcoholism. Alcoholism is a social disease, and for its treatment, it is necessary to affect the entire population. One of the main goals of modern alcohol policy is to reduce alcohol consumption to a relatively safe level. World Health Organization experts call it 8 liters of ethanol per adult per year. Especially important is the reduction in the consumption of strong alcoholic beverages. About 70% of alcohol is still consumed in the form of strong drinks, which is about 10 liters of ethanol per year per adult. In the most developed countries, this figure is 2-3 liters, a significant part of which is sold in the form of cocktails. Reducing the consumption of legal and illegal strong and super-strong drinks, which are the main source of global mortality, should be a priority goal of the worlds alcohol policy. Another important priority is the maximum reduction of alcohol consumption by young people. There is a clear correlation between alcohol consumption in youth and the likelihood of alcohol-related problems in the future, including the formation of alcoholism and violent death. Community support greatly facilitates the implementation of alcohol policy. The state should not count on the support of society as a matter of course – this requires constant, focused work. Studies show that the promotion of sobriety and moderation itself has little effect on people’s behavior. However, such work is necessary, since it contributes to the formation of public support for the states alcohol policy.
Effective Measures in Alcohol Policy
Effective alcohol policies include reducing the availability of alcohol, especially strong drinks by increasing its minimum price, restricting points of sale, reducing the time during which you can buy alcohol, and increasing the age from which alcohol can be purchased. In relation to modern realities, these measures must necessarily be combined with the fight against the production and sale of illegal alcohol. Price regulation is an effective way to reduce alcohol consumption. Higher alcohol prices, like any other product, should help reduce demand.
Measures aimed at limiting the physical availability of alcoholic beverages include a ban on the sale of alcoholic beverages at night and after hours, as well as punishment for the consumption (drinking) of alcoholic beverages in prohibited places. A significant number of deaths in the world are due to the fact that drinkers decide to ‘add’ and go at night to the nearest working store. An effective ban on the sale of alcohol or at least strong drinks at night could help reduce mortality, crime, and injuries in the country. Effective measures of state alcohol policy include steps aimed at reducing the number of outlets selling alcohol. There is a relationship between the number of outlets and alcoholism, mortality, crime. If you go far to the nearest point selling alcohol, then not every time a person will go for a bottle. If, having gone to the store for bread, a person sees alcohol on the shelves, this often provokes the purchase of alcoholic beverages.
Two main ways to regulate the number of outlets selling alcohol: permit licensing and the state monopoly on the retail sale of alcoholic beverages. Such a monopoly implies the sale of alcoholic beverages, as a rule, stronger than 4.7-5%, only in government stores. The prices here are high, especially for strong drinks, their working day is limited to daytime, the number of such points is limited.
The American Alcohol Protest Movement
No alcohol Law , the earliest protest movement aimed at alcohol and its distributors in America began at the end of the 18th century. The fact is that during this period the colonies had obvious social problems related precisely to the problem of alcohol. That is, the number of drunken murders, violence, and robberies in the years following the American Revolution sharply increased. The very first protest and criticism of drunkenness came from Dr. Benjamin Rush, who signed the Pennsylvania Declaration of Independence. In particular, he opposed the daily portion of whiskey given to soldiers in the Congress forces. In addition, the customs of the Americans of that period included the daily acceptance of up to several mugs of whiskey, from morning to evening, instead of coffee and tea, as was customary in Europe (this, the followers of American self-identity and independence, distanced themselves from the Old World, but it became so rampant that public representatives and politicians were forced to turn their attention to it). After all, coffee and tea are colonial products delivered to the colonies by the mother country, and whiskey was produced locally (in the northern states – from rye, in the southern – from corn). In other words, the new country needed a certain national drink, and, by some chance, he chose whiskey. A more focused and uncompromising protest was launched by the Presbyterians in Connecticut in 1825. At first, their demands were limited to a reduction in the number of drinking establishments in the country, but by 1840 they reached ultimatum statements in favor of a complete ban on alcohol in the United States. In 1851, 12 states mutually agreed to adopt local anti-alcohol laws. After the civil war in 1869, the Prohibition Party was created, in 1873 the Women’s Christian Abstinence Union (WCTU) was created, and in 1893 the Anti-Saloon League of America (ASLA) was created. In addition, in the United States, there were numerous organizations that called themselves ‘progressive.’ The program of these associations was as follows: the prohibition of alcohol, the implementation of Christian Protestant values and principles in the country’s politics, the protection of family values, that is, the combination of spiritual and material progress in one nation. All of these organizations chose lobbying for anti-alcohol legislation as their main activity.
Rationale for Lowering the Drinking Age
Turning directly to the question of the feasibility of reducing the age of alcohol consumption from 21 years to 18 years, the following main reasons should be highlighted. One of the main reasons is common sense. 18 years is the age of majority in most countries, including the United States. A person who has reached this age, in addition to such rights as disposing of property and entering into contacts, has the right to join the army, take up arms and fight for their country. Giving a person the right to make a decision about depriving someone of his life, but without giving such an elementary right as drinking a can of beer, looks immoral. The question of the relationship between the age of alcohol consumption and the number of road accidents remains a controversial issue. In other developed countries, where the age of alcohol consumption is 18 years, there are fewer accidents involving drunk drivers than in the United States. The same applies to the general trend of a decrease in the number of victims and car accidents. Various studies show that in European countries where the age of alcohol consumption is 18 years, the number of accidents is steadily decreasing. A study by Barry M. Sweedler affecting the end of the 20th century shows that the number of car accidents in the USA decreased by 33% and in Germany by 37% in the period 1980-1990. a legal ban on drinking under 21 years of age (as well as under 18) does not have a sufficient effect to prevent the use of alcohol by minors. People who want to buy alcohol do this anyway, in particular using shops that violate the law or sell alcohol of dubious quality. Another reason for this is that often people under the age of 21 commit a crime by forging an identity card in order to acquire the coveted goods. Having in their hands a fake id, many do not stop there and go on to other more serious crimes using a fake ID, not to mention the fact that faking an id itself is a very serious crime. Given the tendency of young people to commit misconduct, it makes sense given this when deciding whether to set a certain age for people to consume alcohol.
Conclusion: Reevaluating Age Restrictions in a Changing Society
Summing up and summarizing all of the above, it is necessary to emphasize once again that decisions to reduce or increase the age of drinking alcohol (or any other law) should be made based on a variety of studies and should take into account the potential consequences as well as the social context. Laws restricting the age of drinking as mentioned earlier were largely adopted for religious and moral reasons, and not just for security reasons. Given the rapid change in society and its liberalization, it makes sense to review a number of old restrictions.
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