Backwards Booze Laws: The Aftermath that Hurts More than the Hangover

The American decision to place more value on holding a beer than owning a home.

In regards to technological and philosophical advancements, many European nations seem to have figured out a seamless intersection between happiness and effectiveness much quicker than the US. It’s no secret. America hasn’t quite attained, or maybe even strived, for that same level of sustainable ‘utopia’ that, say, Switzerland or the Netherlands has achieved. Though factors such as resources, money allocation, country size, etc. are natural obstacles and potential reasons for an easier success, or lack thereof, there is an alarming difference between the lifestyles of Western European vs. American youth.

I was born in and briefly resided in the Netherlands and have grown up with both an American citizen parent as well as a first-generation immigrant from England, getting a sense for both styles of life through family, travel, etc. The allure of the European lifestyle has manifested itself through the exchanging and comparing of childhood stories between myself and my friends. The differences in our habits of life, interests, do’s and don’ts, etc. have woo-ed me and my other American peers as it became undeniable that the European youth has more freedom and therefore maturity than most Americans.

I find the most fascinating difference between the two cultures to be the effect of legislation surrounding age requirements. This encapsulates the mandated age for drinking, driving, entering the military, and other vital aspects of the ways of life. British law states that individuals 18 and up have access to all drinking rights and can purchase alcohol for 16 and 17-year-olds in public, and all people ages 5-17 have the right to consume alcohol privately in their homes. Austria and Spain have set their drinking age to 16 along with others, and most of Europe at 18. America, though once also at 18, requires you to be 21 years of age to legally consume or purchase alcohol.

In places like England, they brilliantly allow minors to consume alcohol with supervision (according to their own family’s decision-making) while not being able to purchase it; thus, allowing them to gradually learn how to drink responsibly. Many alcohol-related mistakes fall from the initial buying process that this law prevents. If a group of kids has the drive and power to supply themselves with alcohol before their minds have matured, they typically are not aiming to each attain a glass or two of wine. They are likely looking to buy as much as they can, overestimating their abilities, or looking to maximize alcohol content in as little amount of money as possible. Without knowing when to stop, the negative impacts of drinking alcohol only reveal themselves after the fact. This is parallel to the logical reasoning of the United States that instead gives all freedoms to alcohol at once, after first building up suspension and excitement around alcohol prior to legality. It can be looked at similar to using any sort of complex, powerful machine. But in the US, we've said that we actually prefer to skip the tutorial classes and just hand over the keys with no training or simulations.

Once the American youth enters the college system at around age 18, most of them have already ingested alcohol or plan to do so— meaning that for universities, it may be asinine to try to prevent this. John McCardell, the president of the University of the South, claims,

“Right now we’re in an impossible position (on college campuses). Why should we be expected to enforce a law that’s ignored by 70 percent of students before they even come (to college)?”

So if alcohol education courses are the biggest proactive steps we can take, and most people have already accepted the reality of underage drinking, wouldn’t it be beneficial for us to follow the steps of our European associates?

The dangers of drinking are only one aspect of this argument. The other is the jarring juxtaposition with other American age requirements. Before American citizens can consume alcohol, they can vote, become a legal guardian, enter the war, purchase every other OTC drug, own a home, etc. So, if an 18-year-old independent wanted to cook a home-made pasta sauce with either vodka or wine, that could send them to jail for up to 6 months alongside a $1,000 fee. Additionally, Americans can drive a car, which holds an extreme amount of power, at an age as young as 14 upon receiving their permits. I find this to be extremely backward, especially when analyzing other studies around teen accidents. There was a much higher rate of recorded drunk driving accidents before the late 1980s; however, this is likely due to the underdevelopment of vehicle safety around technology and legal precautions. A public medical journal released certain statistics on this, noting that,

“Of the 79 quality studies that examined the relationship between the minimum legal drinking age and traffic crashes, 58% found fewer crashes associated with a higher minimum legal drinking age, whereas no study found fewer crashes associated with a lower minimum legal drinking age.”

With very little evidence supporting a higher drinking age, it would be naive to not consider the possibilities that this change could provide. Raising this age could be a start to destigmatizing the “cool” and “rebellious” intrigue to intoxication that has dominated much of the current younger generations. Instead of promoting underground activity, the publicly monitored bars and restaurants offer a much safer space for young drinking.

Additionally, granting kids more responsibility and tools to mature can work as a catalyst to altering habits of life in a hands-off approach. Europeans, for example, have become known to be more culturally educated, enter the work force quicker, and potentially have more drive to create community serving ideas. I personally argue that with more freedom and trust, society can easier mold well rounded citizens.

Though, when discussing the American government and policy making, it is never this simple. Frankly, I don’t think that any movement on this front is foreseeable in the near future. Since it is so controversial in this untouched state, it could be political suicide to announce any plans around this legislation. It looks like this one will have to remain as Europe: 1, USA: 0.