Unfortunately, some states have elected to enforce a
legal drinking age of 21 instead of the
legal drinking age of 16. In these jurisdictions, it is believed that minors may be easily manipulated into drinking by influential friends or being offered alcohol by someone else they know. This can be dangerous for them because the
legal drinking age in these jurisdictions may well not take into account potential problems like alcohol dependency which might develop in underage drinkers. For this reason, many parents would prefer to choose an alternative approach and to set the
legal drinking age at the point where the child is capable of making informed decisions for himself. One of the better approaches to take would be to consult with a child care attorney who has experience in these matters and will be in a position to make informed decisions on behalf of their clients. There are two broad options open to a parent in terms of establishing the
legal drinking age of their minor children. The first option is to establish the
legal drinking age at the point at which the child is able to decide for himself and then follow through. This means that he can make his own decision and not be influenced by others in his life whether he wants to or not. The other option is to establish the
legal drinking age at a point where the child may be physically capable of doing so and has attained such age where his parents have sufficient knowledge and information about the effects of alcohol and about the problems that it can cause. The latter option offers a degree of protection for the minor that extends beyond those provided under the first option. While the
legal drinking age at which a child is considered to have the capacity to make his own decisions may be 16, there are many arguments as to why this age should be established as being later than that. Some parents may desire their children to be at a
legal drinking age of 21 because this is seen as being closer to their actual age and may therefore give them more confidence about themselves and about the future.