Turning 18 is one of the most exciting thing that ever happens to any teenager. With turning 18 comes freedoms that teenagers have never had before. For example, one can vote, donate blood and do many other activities that they were not able to do before. But one of the most important decisions an 18 year old can make is whether or not you want to enlist in the military.

Joining the military is one of the most important decisions someone can ever make, obviously because you put your life at risk. I am extremely thankful for the military for protecting the United States. Because of this, I believe that soldiers, as well as the general public, should be allowed to consume alcohol legally at the age of eighteen.

Lowering the drinking age to 18 would not be a complete shock to the rest of the world. According to alcoholproblemsandsolutions.org, 101 countries around the world have a drinking age of 18.  Fiji changed its drinking age from 21 to 18 in 2009. This shows that other countries have had no trouble with a drinking age of 18 and is just another reason the drinking age should be lowered.

The main reason for the drinking age to be lowered is because it is a way for the troops who sacrifice their lives to enjoy alcohol legally if they are under 21. If they are overseas risking their lives to allow citizens back home to be free, then they should be able to drink a beer if they want. By lowering the drinking age, it will allow many troops to unwind and have a good time in-between fighting for our freedom.

Many people also agree that the drinking age should be lowered to 18 for many reasons.

“I agree that the drinking age should be lowered to 18 because if you are able to serve in the military and you are able to go off to college alone you should be able to drink if that’s what you want to do,” sophomore Emma Rowe said.

As seen in many different countries, people at the age of 18 have been able to tolerate drinking at that age. According to worldlifeexpectancy.com, some of the countries that have a drinking age of 18 have the lowest alcohol related deaths. People also agree that even at 18, one should know when enough is enough.

“If you’re old enough to vote for our next president then you should be old enough to drink at 18 and know when is enough,” sophomore Camryn Jacob said.

Although people want the drinking age to be lowered, they understand why the United States has not taken action on the subject.

“They (the United States Government) may feel like it is their duty to protect us,” Rowe said.

Changing the drinking age can have a huge impact on American’s lives, especially those who immediately after graduating high school enlist in the military to fight for our freedom.