Running head: THE MINIMUM LEGAL DRINKING AGE 1

The Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA)

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The Minimum Legal Drinking Age

The matter of the drinking age has raised a lot of debate within our nation. Some people

are pushing for the drinking age to be reduced to 18 years while others are not for the opinion.

Therefore, where are left wondering which side to support, the age be lowered or remain as it is.

But then before you take any side you just justify as to why you support that side. In an attempt to

investigate more about this burning matter in our country, I read two scholarly reviewed articles

and evaluate the authors arguments concerning the issue of lowering drinking age. Below are the

articles and authors arguments.

1. Article: The impact of the minimum legal drinking age on alcohol‐related chronic

disease mortality. Alcoholism: clinical and experimental research, 40(8), 1761-1768.

Authors: Andrew Plunk, Melissa Krauss, Husham Syed-Mohammed,

Michael Hur, Patricia Cavzos-Rehg, Laura Bierut and Richard Grucza

Summary: the authors wanted to investigate whether minimum drinking age during

adolescent has a connection with mortality later in life. The study investigated

whether persons exposed to permissive MLDA less than 21 years had higher danger

of death from alcohol related diseases than those exposed to drinking at 21 years.

Since previous studies had indicated that MLDA affects college learners

differently, the author conducted analysis grounded on ever having attended

college. In the study, the author used secondary records data of deaths associated

with alcohol using a quasi-experimental approach as theoretical frame work. The

research reported that persons who reported any college attendance did not show

significant relationship amid MLDA and mortality for cause of death investigated,

however, permissive MLDA for those who never attended college was associated
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with 6% higher odds for mortality from liver infection, 8% higher values for other

liver infections and 7% higher values for oral, lib and pharynx cancer. Therefore,

the author finally recommends that the MLDA need not to be lowered “the 21

MLDA probably safeguards danger of mortality from alcohol associated chronic

infections across lifespan, at least for those never attend college.” Again, the author

argues that the MLDA should be maintained at 21 to minimize future deaths

associated with early alcohol taking and harsh measures be taken for those caught

drinking while under age.

2. Article: