The debate about the legal drinking age has been argued about, for a decent amount of time now, since the US is different from other countries. Although it was set at 21 since the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984, many have argued about it from both public health and social perspectives. This argument has been discussed through many articles and authors, including Kennedy Lawrence, who wrote the article "The Drinking Age Should be Lowered". In this article, Kennedy Lawrence talks about why she thinks the drinking age should be lowered, and gives her thoughts on it all. Kennedy Lawrence seems to be a writer who is very engaged with social and political issues, such as those that impact young people. While there isn’t much detailed biographical …show more content…
One of the main values she focuses on, is “personal freedom”. Lawrence argues that at the age of 18, individuals are granted many adult responsibilities, such as voting and joining the military, yet are not allowed the right to drink and experiment with alcohol. She points out this unfair law and argues for the freedom of young adults to make their own choices with their bodies, saying that if people are old enough to serve in the armed forces, they should also be trusted to drink responsibly. Another major value that Lawrence brings up is “responsibility”. She argues that lowering the drinking age could lead to more responsible drinking behaviors, as young adults would be introduced to alcohol in a safer, more controlled environment. She says that “if drinking were legalized at a younger age, young adults would have the opportunity to learn moderation and how to drink responsibly from a younger age, reducing the likelihood of binge drinking.”(Lawrence) This shows the value of teaching responsibility early on, rather than restricting access to alcohol which leads to young adults drinking without