A mother stands over the stove, putting the finishing touches on the home cooked meal she made for her family. She makes her children’s plates, and pours them a glass of wine. They may decide on a beer instead, or choose a cocktail. In countries like Indonesia and China, where there is no minimum legal drinking age (MLDA), this scene would not be uncommon. However, In the United States, this scene could be penalized by a fine of up to $1000.   

Only six percent of countries (12 countries total)  have a MLDA of 21 or higher, the United States is among them, according to Metro News. There are 16 countries that prohibit all alcohol.

While there is reasoning behind the high MLDA, it creates more issues than it prevents. Underage drinking is taboo and dangerous, but not as dangerous as the party culture created by forcing legal adults to wait to drink.

According to ChooseResponsibility.org, the US put in place a MLDA of 21 in order to protect young people from alcohol. Alcohol has disorienting and potentially dangerous effects, which the government hoped to minimize by creating a higher MLDA. However, at 18 it is legal to smoke, vote, or buy a gun, and a person becomes legally independent at this age. These privileges also have potentially dangerous effects, but they are not limited once a person reaches the age of majority. Alcohol is arguably the safest of any of these privileges, yet it is more heavily regulated.

Another theory as to the high MLDA is to create a bigger gap between drinkers and new drivers. The idea is that drunk driving will be decreased if alcohol is not introduced until after a person becomes a skilled driver. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 10,200 people in the United States die yearly in drunk driving related accidents.

In China, however, where alcohol is a normal part of society at all ages, there are only around 2,200 drunk-driving related deaths yearly. When alcohol is normalized at a young age, instead of seen as taboo like it is in America, death by drunk driving is severely less common. Drivers can get used to the effects of alcohol before they drive, and they will know their personal limits, which stops them from pushing themselves when they don’t know how to handle alcohol. Creating a gap between drivers and drinkers does not make driving safer, it makes drinking more dangerous.

An MLDA of 21 creates more problems than it solves, and ultimately creates a dangerous party culture. While no MLDA is an opposing extreme on the spectrum, it seems incomprehensible that at 18 an American can’t order a beer, but they can die for their country.