Keep drinking age at 21; prevent irresponsible sex

By Ethan Snow

Sunday, Jan. 4, 2015 | 2 a.m.

About 1,000 students from high schools throughout Southern Nevada participated in the 58th annual Sun Youth Forum on Nov. 13. The students were divided into groups to discuss a variety of topics. A representative was chosen from each group to write a column about the students’ findings. This essay addresses the issues covered by the group Potpourri.

I had the opportunity to attend the Sun Youth Forum with diverse, articulate students from throughout the valley in order to discuss political issues. Las Vegas City Councilman Ricki Barlow served as my group’s moderator and guided our discussion well. Two issues that were the most passionately discussed within our forum: lowering the drinking age to 18 and access to contraceptives without parental consent at age 16.

The underlying theme that arose from discussing these issues revolved around a concept of citizen responsibility and how it works with the role of government. We agreed that while the government cannot stop people, especially teenagers, from doing whatever they want, government’s duty is to protect, guide and help its citizens. It does this by passing laws that meet those goals.

There were many opinions discussed concerning lowering the drinking age. Many thought the drinking age ought to be lowered to provide opportunities to gain and learn responsibility at a young age. Others said teenagers drank illegally anyway, and legalizing it would be fitting since responsible drinking already was prominent among teenagers. While many agreed with these arguments, they did not represent the majority.

Most of us agreed responsible drinking was likely among older people, and young people were more likely to drink in excess and thus were more likely to make poor choices. Alcohol affects everyone’s judgment once they are intoxicated.

By keeping the drinking age at 21, young people who already have poor judgment are prevented from making the wrong choice. This would protect the individual and society at large from negative consequences such as DUI accidents. Therefore, government is doing its job by keeping the drinking age higher to protect, guide and help its citizens.

While there was more diversity in opinion concerning the drinking age, most of the group agreed on the issue of access to contraceptives. Our group agreed that government would do its job by allowing access to contraceptives at age 16 without parental consent. We also believed that education on how to use contraceptives was key to solving the problem.

Just like drinking alcohol, we concluded that teenagers will have sex no matter what they are told. Teenagers who want to have safe sex might have difficulties obtaining contraceptives because of parents who might not want to support their child’s sexual activity. Because of this, unwanted teenage pregnancies occur all too frequently. The resulting “accidental” children are often raised by unprepared or even unloving parents.

Here in the Clark County School District, the sex education program is based on abstinence. Our students, therefore, have no formal education on how to have safe sex. If government is supposed to protect, guide and help its citizens, then it ought to allow sex education and access to contraceptives in order to protect us from creating unwanted life too early.

It may seem contradictory to prohibit youths from drinking alcohol but then also allow them access to contraceptives, but it is actually consistent with government’s role. Without these laws, harmful consequences such as DUI accidents and teenage pregnancies would likely occur more often. If government is supposed to protect, guide and help, then it ought to prevent irresponsible drinking and irresponsible sex in our society.

Ethan Snow is a senior at Las Vegas Academy of the Arts.