Today, on its 28th anniversary, we celebrate the 21 Minimum Legal Drinking Age law, which has saved more than 25,000 lives and continues to prevent tragedies.
You may have heard a variety of arguments against the 21 Minimum Legal Drinking Age: “Lowering the drinking age will encourage more responsible drinking”, “Europeans let their kids drink at an early age, yet they do not have the alcohol-related problems we do”, and “if I’m old enough to go to war, I should be old enough to drink.” But none of these are true. Click here to see the facts behind these myths.
The age limit for alcohol is based on research which shows that young people react differently to alcohol. Teens get drunk twice as fast as adults, but have more trouble knowing when to stop. Teens naturally overdo it and binge more often than adults. Enforcing the legal drinking age of 21 reduces traffic crashes, protects young people’s maturing brains, and keeps young people safer overall. Click here to find out more reasons to support 21.
But it takes more than a law to keep our kids safe. Parents have the power to help kids make healthy decisions. In fact, research shows that parents are the primary influence on their kids’ decisions about whether or not to drink alcohol. That’s why MADD launched the Power of Parents™ program. The goal of the program is to educate parents about the dangers of underage drinking and give them the tools they need to start talking with their kids about alcohol. The program has two major parts:
- A website for parents that includes information and tips based on the best available research, along with access to a free parent handbook.
- Free parent workshops to equip parents with strategies for having these potentially lifesaving conversations.
MADD knows that informed, caring parents can make a difference, and we’re here to help. So today, in honor of the anniversary of the 21 drinking legal drinking age, talk with your kids about the dangers of underage drinking. Start by visit the parent section of our website to get the handbook and other tips and expert resources for talking with your kids about alcohol.
Submitted by Michael at 09:48 AM on July 17, 2012