Drinking Age: 18 or 21?

I have recently stumbled across a proposed Bill (Liquor Amendment (Drinking Age) Bill) by Fred Nile in the NSW legislative council that is proposing to amend the drinking age in Australia from 18 to 21 years old. This would involve an amendment to the Liquor Act 2007. 

This has been a key issue raised repeatedly a number of times for a variety of reasons. Such that this isn't the first time Fred Nile has introduced this Bill (he did so back in 2011, and it was promptly rejected). But I believe that the legal drinking age should stay the same, in fact, 29 states in the US have actually lowered the age from 21 (I see this as a growing trend). 

Turning 18 marks an important time in a young persons life. It is seen in Australia as the becoming of an Adult; entering adulthood. You gain a number of responsibilities and freedoms including the right to vote, gamble and drink. Now, especially in a country where individuals are actually legally obliged to vote at 18, I definitely do not think that this Bill will gain any political traction or support.

People are still going to drink no matter what the drinking age is, and I don't see anything changing if the legal age is increased from 18 to 21 as teenagers will still find a way to get their hands on it. I would actually go as far to say that they would want it and yearn for it even more if the age was increased. 

This video showcases some of the opinions of some Australians on this vital question: "Should we raise the legal drinking age from 18 to 21?"

I therefore believe that increasing the drinking age will not significantly lower or decrease alcohol-related harm in teens. To combat this issue of intoxication, the Government and NGOs need to focus on the existing measures and policies in place, and work towards consolidating them before ever taking the drastic measure of increasing the legal drinking age; as I believe this will not change much. Therefore, I firmly believe that this is not a necessity in today's society, and we should focus on other means to fix the problem of the harms of alcohol and intoxication.

Reference for Text:
https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/nswbills.nsf/131a07fa4b8a041cca256e610012de17/0039557f593ef665ca257e3c0021ec74?OpenDocument

Reference for Image:

http://www.bu.edu/today/files/2010/10/18or21-beerfoam_h.jpg

Reference for Youtube Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DM3WzeJ0Btc