Essay
Bill HF 0184 essay
My bill talks about allowing 17 year-olds to serve alcoholic beverages. A good argument can be made as to why 17-year-olds should be allowed to serve alcoholic drinks in certain controlled environments. This essay will talk about the potential benefits of allowing 17-year-olds to serve alcohol in Minnesota. I will be discussing responsibility, maturity, and the opportunity for the 17 year-olds to grow their professional career .
1. Responsibility and Maturity Development
At 17, individuals are at the brink of adulthood and often show somewhat good levels of responsibility and maturity. In many places, 17-year-olds are already entrusted with a lot of responsibilities, such as driving, working jobs, balancing school life and work life. Allowing them the right to serve alcohol can be viewed as an extension of these responsibilities. When they are trained in responsible alcohol service, the 17-year-olds who are serving can learn the importance of watching alcohol consumption, learning valuable lessons like checking IDs, and identifying intoxicated customers which will be good for them in the long run.These skills can help them develop a deeper understanding of alcohol’s potential risks, preparing them to manage it responsibly in the future.
2. Opportunities they will gain
Allowing 17-year-olds to serve alcohol in MN would also open up more job opportunities for young people, mostly in the hospitality and food service industry, ever since the pandemic that industry has been struggling with hiring. Many 17-year-olds are looking for part-time jobs in MN, and serving alcohol provides a chance for them to have a job. It also gives them experience in customer service, they gain the skills like teamwork, and problem-solving, which are skills that will benefit them in any future career, whether in hospitality or other fields they will pursue. The 17 year-olds will gain life experiences. research shows that part-time jobs can provide young people with a range of skills that help them prepare into their adulthood and future careers, including them being financially independent, communication skills, and time management skills . 17-year-olds are mostly students so having a part time job helps with preparing for college and also saving up for college if they are planning to go to college. Allowing 17-year-olds to serve alcohol could also help reduce the unemployment rate among teens by increasing the availability of jobs in certain industries like in busy restaurants or bars that need younger staff to meet demand.
3. Supervision and Safety Through Training
One of the main concerns about underage people having access to alcohol is safety. However, if 17-year-olds are allowed to serve alcohol, it should be through proper training and supervision. These young servers would go through training programs on responsible alcohol service, guaranteeing they understand how to handle intoxicated people, check IDs properly, and spotting signs of alcohol poisoning in a consumer. In many jurisdictions where this is allowed, such as some European countries, young workers in the foodservice industry are required to complete this type of training I'm talking about. 2 other states already allow this and one other state allows 16 year-olds to serve alcoholic drink’s and this is why I think Minnesota should follow suit.
4 . Rethinking alcohol laws for 17-year-olds
In many places, 17-year-olds are already allowed to take in activities that involve alcohol, for example drinking at home with their parents supervision of what they consume, working in a licensed business in some contexts, or buying alcohol for certain family events. Allowing them to serve alcohol would be consistent with these existing practices and recognize that 17-year-olds can be trusted to handle alcohol in responsible, controlled environments. This could reduce confusion and create clearer, more thought through laws regarding alcohol use among 17- year olds.
Conclusion
Allowing 17-year-olds to serve alcoholic drinks would benefit both young people and society as a whole. It would provide the 17-year-olds with job opportunities, promote responsibility and maturity, and contribute to a more deep understanding of alcohol. With proper training and legal standards in place, 17-year-olds can be trusted to serve alcohol safely and responsibly, much like their counterparts who are legally able to provide this type of service .Rather than treating alcohol as a forbidden substance, allowing 17-year-olds to serve it in a controlled environments would encourage/promote responsible drinking and have a healthier attitude toward alcohol in society for when they grow up.
Sources
Child labor FAQs | Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry. (n.d.). https://www.dli.mn.gov/business/employment-practices/child-labor-faqs#:~:text=Children%20ages%2014%20and%2015,under%20the%20age%20of%2016
Students and Part-Time work – Counselors | College Board. (n.d.). https://counselors.collegeboard.org/counseling/prepare/work
Minimum ages for on-premises servers and bartenders | APIS. (n.d.). APIS APIS - Alcohol Policy Information System. https://alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov/apis-policy-topics/minimum-ages-for-on-premises-servers-and-bartenders/38
When is it legal for minors to drink? (2023, September 13). Alcohol.org. https://alcohol.org/laws/underage-drinking/
