Young vulnerable to alcohol

Wed., Oct. 21, 2009

The Spokesman-Review

Kayela Robertson (Letters, Oct. 16) made an argument that many voices have made before and are making with her today. She’s asking, “How can we expect a person to have the maturity to go off to war, but not drink responsibly?”

What Kayela hasn’t considered are the health reasons behind the legal drinking age. It doesn’t matter how “mature” a person thinks he or she is, it takes time for the brain and liver to develop to the point where alcohol consumption can be not as harmful.

According to why21.org, “A person’s brain does not stop developing until his or her early to mid-20s, and adding alcohol to the mix is a recipe for disaster.”

Alcohol can damage the long- and short-term growth process if taken too early in life. Therefore, the only “responsible” action for persons underage to take is simply: not to drink.

Megan Baler

Spokane

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