When you turn 18, you get to do a lot of things you’ve never been able to legally do before. You can be drafted into war, buy tobacco products, participate in the lottery, manage your own bank account, and even get married. But you can’t purchase or drink alcohol.

Let’s take a minute to compare cigarettes and alcohol.

Cigarettes contain nicotine, causing addiction in most everyone who smokes them. Alcohol has no added substance that causes addiction. People can become dependent on alcohol, but the drink itself isn’t causing the dependency -- it’s the person doing the drinking.

I’m not saying that drinking can’t be dangerous, but having an occasional beer or glass of wine is far safer than smoking these addictive cancer sticks.

Now let’s talk about the government.

Our government requires all males to register for Selective Service, a government agency that is responsible for imposing a military draft, when they turn 18. However, the government prevents them from being able to buy a six-pack of Bud Light at a gas station. So we can go to war, but we can’t have a drink?

I can understand not being able to purchase or drink liquor until the age of 21. A shot of liquor has the same amount of alcohol as the average beer or glass of wine. Liquor does far more damage in a much shorter time period than a simple beer or glass of wine.

If our government wants to prevent us from drinking, why not take away our ability to purchase and use tobacco products also? Both alcohol and tobacco have negative effects, so why not just prevent 18-and-ups from partaking in both?

I’m 19 years old and I’ve done my fair share of drinking (shout-out to college), but I drink responsibly. I have never gotten behind the wheel of a car after drinking; I always organize a ride home for myself or others. I keep track of how much I’ve had to drink and know how different drinks affect me personally. I’m smart about it.

Under-aged kids are already drinking, whether it’s illegal or not. It’s happening everywhere and has been for years. So what is the point in continuing to punish these kids for simply having a few drinks, yet simultaneously allowing them to (potentially) become addicted to cigarettes and forcing them to sign up for the draft?

Reform needs to happen, and the conversation needs to be brought to the attention of those who hold political power who can actually put pen to paper and make the change.