Lower drinking age pros and cons

The evidence for and against lowering the minimum legal drinking age from 21 to 18:

Support for age 21 laws:

* Alcohol-related traffic accidents have declined since the early 1980s.

* Earlier onset of drinking leads to a higher risk of later alcohol dependence.

* The brain develops through the early 20s and alcohol may harm the developing brain.

* Countries with lower minimum drinking ages have had serious problems with binge drinking among youth.

* Rates of drinking among high school students have dropped.

Support for a lower minimum drinking age:

* The decline in traffic accidents may have to do with other factors besides a higher drinking age.

* The biggest effect on later risk of alcohol dependence is for people who start drinking in their early teens as opposed to ages 18 to 21.

* There is little evidence that mild or moderate drinking harms the developing brain.

* Some evidence exists that teens in countries with a lower drinking age are less likely to drink to intoxication.

* Rates of binge drinking among college-age youths have increased.

-- Shari Roan