Right: Researchers have found that drinking - especially binge drinking - damages the adolescent brain. Calls for the raising of the legal drinking age in Australia have so far been rejected by the federal government.
Arguments in favour of raising the legal drinking age
1. Alcohol harms the adolescent brain
Recent research has indicated that although excessive alcohol consumption can cause brain injury to any person, irrespective of age, it is particularly harmful to adolescents and young adults. This is because the adolescent brain is still developing and its therefore very vulnerable to the toxic effects of alcohol.
Professor Ian Hickie, the executive director of Sydney University's Brain and Mind Research Institute, has stated, 'New research in neuro-science tells us that the brain continues to develop right through until the late teenage and early adult period. In fact, particularly in young men, it may not reach adult maturity till the mid-20s.
It is the frontal part of the brain that regulates complex decision making, forward planning and inhibition of impulsive behaviours that is undergoing final development at this age.
One of the most toxic things that a young brain can encounter is a high level of blood alcohol.
The evidence from animal models of teenage intoxication, and recent brain imaging studies among teenagers who binge drink, is clear.
Longer-lasting brain changes and related neuro-psychological impairments can result from excessive use of alcohol during this critical period.'
Similar points have been made by James Pitts, , who has written, 'Alcohol as a neurotoxin affects young brains in the area known as the amygdala, which controls rewards, gratification and risk taking. It also affects the pre-frontal cortex which is responsible for planning, logic, and judgement. By 18, half of males and females aged 14 to 24 are risky drinkers, and 264 young people aged 15 to 24 die each year because of it. The brain has its most rapid physical development between 12 and 24 years of age. Between 19 and 23 per cent of adolescents engage in binge drinking, and a fifth of 16- and 17-year-olds drink at least weekly.
Beyond what we need to do as parents and a society, it's now clear we need to consider raising the legal drinking age.
Many feel it wouldn't work, but given what we know about the effect of alcohol on developing brains, wouldn't the debate be worthwhile?'
Jon Currie, the chairman of a national expert panel on alcohol guidelines, has stated that the community would have to consider lifting the drinking age to 21, given the impact alcohol had on brain development.
2. It would reduce the incidence of alcohol-related violence
It has been claimed that increasing the legal drinking age would be an effective step toward decreasing the incidence of alcohol-related violence.
Professor Ross Homel, of Griffith University, has claimed that overseas research overwhelmingly demonstrates that raising the drinking age, increasing the cost of alcohol and reducing hotel opening hours were the best ways to cut violence.
Professor Homel has stated,'If you increase the cost of a schooner in Kings Cross from $5 to $10 there will be a difference in terms of people drinking and a direct impact on all forms of alcohol-related harm.'
David Crosbie, the chief executive of the Mental Health Council of Australia, has stated that research shows that the higher the drinking age, the less problems there were with youth drinking.
Mr Crosbie has stated, 'There is little doubt that if the drinking age in Australia is increased, there would be less deaths and hospitalisations among young people. While the extent of benefit is debated, I have never seen anyone argue that alcohol-related harm would be higher if the drinking age was higher.'
3. It would reduce the incidence of alcohol-related road fatalities
It has been noted repeatedly that where the legal drinking age and the legal driving age coincide this is an effective encouragement to young people to drink and drive. Overseas experience seems to bear this out. In many states in the United States the legal driving age is 16, whereas the legal drinking age is twenty-one. This gives young people five years' experience as drivers before they are legally able to drink. It is claimed that the effect is reduced road fatalities involving young drivers and alcohol.
Professor Hickie, the executive director of Sydney University's Brain and Mind Research Institute, has rejected claims that raising the drinking age would merely encourage more under-age drinking. He notes that countries such as the US, where many states have a drinking age of 21, experienced lower rates of accidents and violence involving young people.
Drug Free Australia has claimed, '"Raising the drinking age back up to 21 was a successful strategy in the United States. This is a country that has a far greater population base and diverse legal system to contend with, than we do in Australia. The research from the US (from its National Traffic Safety Administration) has revealed that by raising the drinking age back up to 21, 16,409 lives have been saved from road death in a sixteen year period. The estimates from the study show that the raised minimum age drinking laws in all states have reduced traffic fatalities in 18 to 20 year olds by 13%.'
4. It would send a significant message to adolescents below the legal drinking age
It has been claimed that allowing legal drinking at 18 helps to normalise alcohol consumption and effectively encourages adolescents to begin drinking earlier. Those who hold this view argue that the lower the legal drinking age the lower the illegal drinking age is likely to be.
In a study of residents in treatment at Odyssey House, 90 per cent nominated alcohol as their first drug of intoxication and claimed to have begun using it at between 12 and 13 years of age.
In the general Australian population the proportion of 12- to 15-year-olds consuming alcohol at risky levels for short-term harm has doubled since 1990 from 2.5 per cent to 5 per cent. Critics of Australian attitudes to alcohol note that drinking to excess has become an entrenched and normal behaviour. It has become a way for many young people to establish their identities and thus ensure themselves a 'place' within their preferred peer group.
Professor Ian Hickie, executive director of Sydney University's Brain and Mind Research Institute, has stated, 'The benefits would be most direct for those in their last year of school or their first year of university or employment. However, the benefits would also extend to a younger group since there is a clear relationship between the legal drinking age and first use of alcohol.'
5. The higher legal drinking age in the United States has had positive effects
Countries such as the United States with higher legal drinking ages appear to have a lower incidence of alcohol-related problems.
Professor Ross Homel, of Griffith University, has stated, ' A number of countries have bitten the bullet and raised the drinking age, particularly for high-alcohol beverages, and seen a reduction alcohol-related harm for that age group and in the tendency of younger people to become heavy drinkers.'
A recent US literature review of a wide range of previously-conducted studies of the effect of a higher legal drinking found the following, 'In conclusion, the preponderance of evidence indicates that higher legal drinking ages reduce rates of traffic crashes. Of all analyses that reported significant effects, 98% found higher drinking ages associated with lower rates of traffic crashes. Only 2% found the opposite.' Referring to health and social problems, the survey concluded, 'Of all analyses that reported significant effects, 75% found higher drinking ages associated with lower rates of problems. Only 25% found the opposite.'
The review's final conclusions were 'Compared with a wide range of other programs and efforts
to reduce drinking among teenagers, increasing the legal age for purchase and consumption of alcohol to 21 appears to have been the most successful effort to date...
The social costs from injuries, deaths and damage associated with under-age drinking remain high. The benefits of the legal drinking age of 21 have occurred with little or no active enforcement in most areas. Simply by increasing enforcement levels and deterring adults from selling or providing alcohol to minors, even more injuries and deaths related to alcohol use among youth are likely to be
prevented each year.'
Wendy Herbert, Drug Free Australia's spokesperson on alcohol issues, has stated, 'This is a solution that has worked in the United States.
The research from the United States (from its National Traffic Safety Administration) has revealed that by raising the drinking age back up to 21, 16,409 lives have been saved from road death in a sixteen year period. The estimates from the study show that the raised minimum age drinking laws in all states have reduced traffic fatalities in 18 to 20 year olds by 13%.'
Ms Herbert has also noted, 'Apart from reducing road carnage, raising the drinking age is one of the key issues to reducing overall alcohol and drug abuse. Alcohol is the main gateway drug. When people delay the start of alcohol use to 21 they are less likely to develop addiction to alcohol or any other drug.'
6. Governments are only refusing to act out of political cowardice
A number of those who support an increase to the legal drinking age in Australia have accused Australian governments of political cowardice for refusing to take this action. They argue that governments are afraid of a backlash from young voters if they take the legal drinking age above 18.
Professor Ian Hickie, executive director of Sydney University's Brain and Mind Research Institute, has noted, 'The Prime Minister and the Health Minister are out touring the country and asking for serious health reform proposals, particularly in the areas of preventative and youth health...
It is clear to those of us in health and social policy that simply lifting the age to 19 would break the current impasse and deliver immediate benefits...
Given that Prime Minister Kevin Rudd meets all the premiers on December 7 to discuss health reform, our national government has an ideal opportunity to put a simple clear proposal on the national agenda.'
Despite what Professor Hickie sees as the common-sense appeal of increasing the legal drinking age as part of the federal government's preventative health measures he has little confidence that Australian governments will actually take such action. He appears to believe that they are too afraid of alienating young voters by removing their legal access to alcohol.
Professor Hickie has stated, 'While the evidence related to the benefits that could be derived from lifting the drinking age are clear, to date, there has been little political stomach for the task.'