One of the laws I’m not sure why we still have is the law about drinking age not being until 21.
Most countries don’t have this law, and one common example is countries in Europe. I find that many European attitudes towards drinking are much healthier than the United States as well.
In Italy, it’s common to have a glass of wine with lunch or dinner, or a spritz at 5 p.m. for an aperitivo. Any time an Italian drinks, it is an opportunity for them to relax, enjoy the moment and chat with friends or family.
I noticed this more relaxed, and what seemed to be healthier, attitude toward alcohol while I was studying abroad in Florence.
In general, it seemed like Italians had more opportunities to drink, like during lunch, but didn’t drink as heavily as Americans do.
The alcohol culture in Italy was also focused on the act of drinking itself and appreciating the flavor of the different drinks rather than trying to get drunk.
In contrast, Americans tend to do most of their drinking on the weekends, and they usually drink heavily. These attitudes toward alcohol are most prevalent in young adults and college students.
Going to college for the first time, many students finally taste the freedom that comes with living away from home. This may also include drinking and partying.
Though most underage college students still find a way to drink, they have fewer options for obtaining alcohol safely or enjoyably.
The heaviest underage drinking undoubtedly comes from house parties. This can be less safe than drinking at bars because there is no specification about the strength of the alcohol students consume.
Coupled with frat culture, party drinking can be unsafe for college freshmen, especially women.
Having a higher drinking age also restricts social opportunities for college students. For better or worse, most American social events, especially in Wisconsin, take place in bars.
Bars are a classic place to go socialize with friends or meet new people, and one of the only remaining institutions that have a regular community.
One of the great things about bars is that people go because they want to socialize. The conversation thåt flows in a bar is often unique.
Many music events in Eau Claire specifically are hosted at bars, which makes them for people 21 and older. This means many students may miss out on performance events.
In most countries around the world, drinking is a part of adulthood, so keeping young adults away from alcohol infantilizes them.
The law says adults under 21 should not be trusted to handle alcohol, but they can still be drafted, vote and even get married.
The law making the drinking age 21 actually wasn’t created until 1984, and before that, drinking age laws were left up to the states.
I find it interesting that this law is something that is almost never discussed, even though I think it’s possible that it could change because it’s not as polarizing an issue as some of the other things in politics today.
I think it’s likely that even very conservative politicians could agree to change this law if it went back to the states to decide.
Sonnek can be reached at sonnekrl6881@uwec.edu.
