Jimmy. Alcohol on Shelves. Digital image. Alcohol. Jimmy’s In Tension, 23 Aug. 2015. Web. 19 Nov. 2015.
Let’s face it: most students will consume alcohol during their time at University. Whether it’s a glass of wine with friends, a cup of beer at a frat party, or shots out of your University’s personalized shot glasses, alcohol is everywhere. Although having a couple of drinks and partying with friends doesn’t seem like a bad way to de-stress, if you’re under the age of 21, it’s illegal.
While underage drinking itself isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it sure does create a lot of problems. In the United States, “alcohol is the most commonly used and abused drug among youth” (Fact Sheets – Underage Drinking). Also, 4,358 deaths per year are due to underage drinking (Underage Drinking). All of these problems raised the question: how can we prevent alcohol-related deaths?
The most well-known solution was to raise the price of alcohol. Although many found fault with this solution, studies show that “raising the price of alcohol is an effective policy instrument for reducing excessive drinking by young adults” (Higher Alcohol Prices and Student Drinking). In 2010, Tennessee had the lowest binge drinking rate of all the states. They also have the country’s highest combined taxes on beer (Chedekel, Lisa). Coincidence? I think not.
While many people are opposed to raising the prices of alcohol, I’m not one of them. Although I enjoy having a couple of drinks with friends as much as the next person, if it helps to decrease the number of alcohol-related deaths, I think every country should consider raising the prices of alcoholic beverages.
External Sources:
Chedekel, Lisa. “Higher Alcohol Taxes Lead to Less Binge Drinking | BU Today | Boston University.” BU Today RSS. N.p., 04 Feb. 2015. Web. 04 Oct. 2015.
“Fact Sheets – Underage Drinking.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 31 Oct. 2014. Web. 04 Oct. 2015.
“Higher Alcohol Prices and Student Drinking.” Higher Alcohol Prices and Student Drinking. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Oct. 2015.
“Underage Drinking.” Underage Drinking. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Oct. 2015.
