DRINKING+AGE+TWO

There's No Benefit to Lowering the Drinking Age

I. Having the Legal Drinking Age at 21 is one of the most successful laws in generations. The opposition uses the same arguments and clichés over and over again.

II. Countering Clichés A. Going to War and Drinking are unrelated B. Forbidden Fruit proven wrong statistically C. Binge Drinking tends to be higher in Europe D. You are lucky that you are OK if you drank as a kid, because an average of 11 teens die in alcohol related crashes everyday.

III. Changing the law would only benefit those that sell alcohol.

IV. Drinking Decisions Should be all in the family.

The Case Against 21

I. If you can wear a US military uniform you should be able to be able to drink "a red white and blue can of Budwieser"

II. The United States is too strict, almost as strict as an Islamic country A. The common safety statistics overlook too many factors B. McCardell: "...They can't point to any data that show cause and effect." C. Seat belt use has probably played a bigger role in decrease in crash fatalities in recent decades. D. Alcohol related fatalities declining because of designated drivers E. Raising the drinking age only delays alcohol related fatalities.

III. Negatives of Higher Drinking Age A. Encourages disrespect for the law B. Cut parents out of the alcohol learning process C. Binge Drinking is a college campus problem.

IV. Pete Coors A. Believed in teaching responsibility at a younger age by lowering the legal drinking age B. Kids drink anyway, this law makes unnecessary criminals of them C. Created scandal in his senate race, still follows him.

V. UNpopular ideas are not all bad, and it is time to lower the drinking age.