Should the Drinking and Smoking Age be Lowered?

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Should the drinking and smoking age be lowered?
Barlow, Rich. No Drinking or Smoking Until Age 21. 10 July 2015. /articles/2015/raising-the-smoking-age-to-21/.
The article explores smoking among young people in the state of Hawaii and implicitly supports the governor’s decision to raise the smoking age to 21. According to the article, other strategies employed to stem smoking have failed, which makes the approach of raising the legal age more appealing. The article intimates, for instance, that retailer non-compliance has significantly dropped since the enactment of the requirement into law. Equally, it interrogates the possibility of nationalizing the minimum purchase age of cigarettes, surmising it would be a far-fetched idea since it would require a change in federal law.
John Oyston. "A fresh approach to tobacco control: raising the minimum legal age for access." Canadian Medical Association Journal 189.8 (2017): 293-294.
The article highlights smoking-related harms, including cancer and other chronic diseases. Most importantly, it posits that nicotine, an addictive substance, is a neurotoxin that impedes brain development to young adulthood from the fetal stage. That, according to the author, underscores why it is essential to raise the legal minimum age for purchasing or accessing tobacco products from 18 to 21 or above. The approach would significantly reduce smoking initiation and prevalence, besides improving general health and saving lives. In addition, the article elaborates further on why teenagers need protection concerning smoking. It intimates that their prefrontal cortex is undeveloped, which makes it difficult to plan and be decisive.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Age 21 Minimum Legal Drinking Age. 7 December 2022. /alcohol/fact-sheets/minimum-legal-drinking-age.htm
This article looks at the benefits accruing to the Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA), which is 21 years. In this regard, it explores the outcomes of enforcing this legal requirement. One of the most notable outcomes is that drinking among persons aged 18 to 20 declined significantly. Additionally, MLDA has helped reduce motor vehicle crashes by 16%, besides protecting teenagers from alcohol and other drug dependence, suicide, and homicide. In short, the article explicitly suggests that the drinking age should not be lowered. This is because underage drinking causes, among other disastrous effects, changes in brain development, suicide and violence, and school performance problems.
Heba, Dani. Lowering the legal US drinking age just makes sense. 22 April 2021. https://theticker.org/3626/opinions/lowering-the-legal-us-drinking-age-just-makes-sense/.
The author posits that the current legal minimum drinking age is backward, and relevant stakeholders must initiate efforts to lower it from 21 to 18. To give heft to this stance, the author wonders why people should not be allowed to drink at 18, yet they can sign up for the U. S. military and sign contracts, among other risky undertakings. As such, and from a moral standpoint, the requirement is discriminating and repressive. Further, the author contends that the current legal age has done more harm than good. For instance, drunk accidents continue to rise while persons under the age of 21 continue to drink anyway. What is more disturbing is that they get their drinks from shady establishments and drink in unsafe environments, the more reason the age should come down.
Wyoming Prevention Depot. Minimum Age of Purchase for Alcohol and Tobacco. 2023. /strategies/strategies/minimum-age-of-purchase-for-alcohol-and-tobacco/.
The article explores the Minimum Legal Purchase Age (MLPA) and the Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA). To be precise, it looks at the effectiveness of the two legal stipulations. According to the article, MLPA, which stands at 18 years, has reduced tobacco use among youth. However, an increase from 18 to 21 would decrease smoking prevalence by a further 12%, alongside lower future mortality rates (Wyoming Prevention Depot). Regarding MLDA, which stands at 21 years, the article notes that evidence shows the legal requirement has significantly reduced alcohol-related crashes. In addition, it has seen a sharp decline in alcohol consumption among young people. In short, the article is against lowering the drinking and smoking age.
Kowitt, Sarah D., et al. "Should the Legal Age for Tobacco Be Raised? Results From a National Sample of Adolescents." Research Brief 14 (2017).
The article bases its argument on the benefits of raising the Minimum Legal Purchasing Age from 18 to ...