A coalition of 100 college presidents have a plan to address alcohol related problems on their campuses. That plan is to push for a renewed debate on the drinking age, which can only happen if the federal government repeals a law that would deny states 10% of their federal highway money if they set a drinking age below 21. In my opinion, this decision should be left to the states based solely on respect for states’ rights, but there are some other good reasons to consider changing the legal drinking age.

The first is simply that America is supposed to be a free country, but every other western industrialized nation allows people to choose whether or not to consume alcohol before the age of 21. Take a look at world drinking ages, and it quickly becomes clear that the United States have a policy that is more in line with Muslim nations than the free and secular countries of the world. In fact, an 18 year old can purchase beer in Egypt or Morocco, but not in any of the 50 states. It appears that our own federal government has beaten the ‘Islamic extremists’ to the punch when it comes ‘taking away our freedoms’.

I’m not going to delve too much into the statistical arguments over public safety because, quite frankly, it’s boring. There are some studies that point to a reduction in traffic related deaths since the US went to a minimum age of 21.  There are also a similar number of peer reviewed studies that show no correlation between the higher drinking age, and lower rates of alcohol related crashes among young people. It is important to point out that drunk driving accidents involving young people, ages 18-21, have declined at almost exactly the same rate in Canada during the same period of time. Canada has allowed provinces to set their own drinking ages, so the drinking age in Canada is either 18 or 19 depending on where you live.

I am the most aggravated by the inconsistency of telling people who are otherwise considered adults that they are too irresponsible to consume alcohol. Here is a breif list of things that people in my own state of New Hampshire can do at the age of 18. An 18 year old can, purchase a rifle or shotgun, operate a motor vehicle, hold a private pilot’s license, do business as a real estate agent, work on a fire department or ambulance service, enlist in the military, enter into legal contracts, represent themselves as adults in court, work as police officers, and operate a business. I personally have done these things, or know people who have, and the crazy thing is I’m only 20 years old.

The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 uses language which says that states must enforce a minimum age of 21 for the purchase and public possession of alcohol, or lose highway funding. Many states still don’t legally prohibit minors from consuming or possessing alcohol in private settings. In my opinion the federal meddling needs to stop, but in the mean time the states could have the decency to allow adults to drink on private property without facing arrest.