There’s a saying I heard a lot when I was in the Marine Corps: “If you’re old enough to fight for your country, then you’re old enough for a beer.”

This has often led to much debate about why the drinking age is 21 and if it should be lowered to 18. I believe the drinking age should remain how it is and that it shouldn’t be lowered.

I have no issues toward alcohol or those who consume it sparingly or regularly. While I choose not to drink, I don’t see any problem with people having a beer after a hard day at work or a glass of wine with dinner. However, I am very much opposed to any efforts to reduce the drinking age to 18 years old, for both personal and scientific reasons.

According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving on its web site madd.org, the reason why the drinking age is 21 as opposed to 18 is based on research that shows young people react differently to alcohol: “Teens get drunk twice as fast as adults, but have more trouble knowing when to stop. Teens naturally overdo it and binge more often than adults.” According to the madd.org article, the main reason why teens react this way to alcohol has to do with the development of their brains.

According to toosmarttostart.samhsa.gov, brains are still maturing and developing when people are well into their 20s. Underage drinking could affect the development of parts of the brain, particularly the frontal lobe which is used for planning, decision making, forming ideas and self control. There’s a chance that by moderately drinking alcohol underage, one could possibly damage their ability to use their frontal lobe or could cause some serious damage.

My personal opinion is more from experience than scientific fact. Just because one is old enough to serve our country doesn’t mean a person is mature enough to handle the responsibilities that come with drinking. Yes, Marines do things that normal 18- and 19-year-olds don’t normally do, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that we are mature enough.

While in the field training or on a deployment, Marines have to have that level of maturity to survive. Outside of the field, I’ve noticed that Marines don’t always possess that same level of maturity. There were several Marines senior to myself who were constantly getting into trouble from underage drinking incidents which led to them being reduced in rank and, on occasion, being hospitalized. While in the field training or on a deployment they’re stellar Marines, but they don’t always maintain that level of maturity at home when alcohol is involved.

Now, I don’t believe that once you’re 21 you magically develop the necessary responsibility to handle drinking. In fact, I know plenty of people who are in their 30s and 40s who drink too much and wind up doing things they regret. I just believe we should continue to play it safe and keep our drinking age at 21.