An Alternate Policy: Goal

Goal: To change the legal drinking age in Ontario from the current age of 19 years to 18 years.

Ideologies of youth as irresponsible paired with a sense of collectivism maintain strict social control of alcohol consumption in Ontario. Our research of current policies and their implications have displayed an overall pattern of oppression and marginalization of youth as a result of these notions. Youth have been socially constructed as inferior and incapable of judgment making which maintains the current drinking limit at age 19.

These implications are the result of the strong focus on youth alcohol consumption in Ontario. However, our research has also shown that the legal drinking age of 19 does not significantly decrease alcohol consumption in underage youth. Research has also shown that a significant number of underage youth attempt to buy alcohol although they are not legally allowed.

It appears that there is common perception that the legal drinking age curbs the desire of youth to drink yet this perception is not supported by research. This has prompted us to consider an alternative to this policy that will address the oppressive nature of the legal drinking age in Ontario while promoting personal and social responsibility. Therefore, our goal is to affect policy change that indicates a legal drinking age of 18 in Ontario.

We believe that lowering the legal drinking age can reinforce positive images of youth. It may also decrease the emphasis on youth as responsible for all alcohol-related harm. Accomplishing these tasks will benefit both the collective and individual identities of youth in Ontario. In addition, it could assist in informing the public as to the dangers of alcohol consumption that occur across all age groups.

The following video comes from the USA but highlights the common debates regarding the legal drinking age:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBmwvqQyix0