The Nevada Sagebrush

Nic Dunn

The debate on whether or not to lower the drinking age has seen particular intensity in college communities like ours. Many say that there is a difference in the legal status of adulthood between 18 and 21, leading to confusion and problems, especially the discrepancy between certain “adulthood rights” being awarded in intervals.

The solution? Lower the drinking age, and at the same time lower everything else that requires an age of 21. Every right that you are afforded at 21 should be available at 19, thereby setting a uniform age for adulthood.

Why 19? Setting the age at 19 instead of 18 will act as a middle ground in the debate, and ensure that individuals are out of high school before they are given the responsibilities of adulthood.

While I understand many will gripe about the alteration of the voting age, such a universal age clarification will likely resolve many of the ongoing debates today, starting first with the drinking age.

There are many reasons to lower the drinking age. In fact, many faculty members at universities around the country are getting behind the idea.

David J. Hanson, an alcohol policy expert at the State University of New York-Potsdam, said that raising the drinking age to 21 in 1984 had good intentions but a bad outcome.

“Just like during national Prohibition, the law has pushed and forced underage drinking and youthful drinking underground, where we have no control over it,” Hanson said.

In recent years, many groups and organizations joined the cause of lowering the drinking age on the premise that the current law does not work and needs reform.

The hinge, of course, would lie in all other adulthood rights being awarded at the same age, making for a fair, balanced and consistent right of passage.

This means that an individual should also be able to purchase handguns at 19. Anyone who is at least 18 now can already purchase rifles and shotguns, but must be 21 to buy a handgun. This current law is inconsistent, unneeded and quite frankly, conflicting.

The Nevada Constitution states that “Every citizen has the right to keep and bear arms for security and defense, for lawful hunting and recreational use and for other lawful purposes.”

The operative word in that sentence is, naturally, citizen. But when should a citizen should be awarded adulthood rights? The problem boils down not to if we should lower or raise certain ages, but to keeping a consistent and dependable system as to when to determine adulthood.

Under our current system, our laws have made a confusing labyrinth of yes, now you’re an adult and can vote, smoke, buy certain guns and die for your country all at 18, but you have to wait to drink and buy other types of guns.

By establishing a legal age of adulthood, every individual would be considered a full citizen with full adult rights.

Nic Dunn can be reached at perspectives@nevadasagebrush.com.

Related Posts:

• No Related Posts