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Introduction of the legal drinking age lowered to 18
Sociological perspective on alcohol
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“The world today wouldn’t be where and what it is today without alcohol.” A bold statement yes, but there is some truth in that. One truth being there wouldn’t be a debate over whether the drinking age should be lowered. Another being history wouldn’t be the same because drinking and alcohol have been and continue to be big contubitors to history. The discovery of alcohol was initially used for health, but now alcohol is being abused and used to get drunk. This effects the body in many negative ways and can leaded to some life altering conditions. These conditions, aren’t only in adults but it children and teens as well, were drinking seems to be more binging. At the end of the day the nation has an internal debate to discuss whether the drinking age should be lowered or kept the same. Prohibition was a huge part of United States history and one of the biggest legiative failures in American history. The point of prohibition was to stop the consumption of alcohol in the United States and at first it was successful. Only about 30 percent of the people who drink alcohol continued to do so in the early stage of prohibition. However, this decline was short lived and the amount of people drinking rose back to 70 percent of how many people drank before it started (Miron). Though, Prohibition didn’t just start out of nowhere in 1920. There were many things going on in the country throughout history that brought about this change. From the beginning alcoholic drinks have been a hot top it, starting in the colonial period with the May Flower. Where being drunk was frowned upon and families were responsible for teaching good drinking habitats. The sales of strong alcohol was made illegal, but it didn’t stop there. Once the United States gai... ... middle of paper ... ... 1976-1987." Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 52.5 (1991): 478. Streeter, Ruth. "The Debate On Lowering The Drinking Age." CBSNews. CBS Interactive, n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2013. "Underage Drinking." Underage Drinking-Why Do Adolescents Drink, What Are the Risks, and How Can Underage Drinking Be Prevented? U.S Department of Health and Safetly, n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2013. Wechsler, Henry, et al. "Correlates of college student binge drinking." American Journal of Public Health 85.7 (1995): 921-926. "What Is Cardiomyopathy?" - NHLBI, NIH. NIH, n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2013. Williams, Allan F., et al. "Effect of Raising the Legal Minimum Drinking Age on Involvement in Fatal Crashes, The." J. Legal Stud. 12 (1983): 169. Ruth, Engs C. "Why Drinking Age Should Be Lowered: Dr. Ruth Engs." Why Drinking Age Should Be Lowered: Dr. Ruth Engs. Indiana University, 1998. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
In 1920 following the ratification of the 18th amendment the country became dry. The 18th amendment made it illegal to manufacture, sell, import, or export drinking alcohol. It would stay this way for a little more than a decade, which became known as the prohibition. Prohibition was a way to clean up the cities and improving the conditions of the US. Prohibition was approved because drinking was thought be a drag on the economy and the leading cause for some of the country's problems such as corruption, child abuse, crime, and unemployment. Fourteen years later in 1932 America had changed its mind and it was repealed. So what changed? The American people had changed their minds about the 18th amendment because crime had increased,
Lowering the legal drinking age would create problems such as infringing on the mental and physical development of the young drinker. As a respected author, Matt Nagin puts it, “The late teens and early twenties are formative years where character building, leadership in the community, and scholastic excellence should be emphasized. Alcohol detracts from all of these.” In other words, Nagin believes that the teen years are an imperative time of growth in a person’s life. Scientists have proven that the brain is not fully developed until the age of twenty five. If Nagin’s argument is correct, and I believe it is, then people should understand that scientists have proven the negative affects that alcohol has on the development of the brain. Alcohol has the power to kill brain cells and damage growth hormones. By making alcohol legally accessible to an eighteen year old, we are literally poisoning his or her brain.
Prohibition was designed to rid the country of businesses that manufactured, sold, and or distributed alcoholic beverages. The eighteenth amendment made it a violation of the constitution to do and of the before mentioned. This was a crime punishable up to the Supreme Court. The original idea was that Americans as a whole were unhealthy, there was too much crime and corruption, and that people were being burdened by excess taxes that poorhouses and prisons were creating. What happened? The cheap alcohol being illegally produced killed more Americans, crime and corruption went up, taxes were raised to fund the law enforcement needed to enforce prohibition, and the prisons became overcrowded.
"Underage Drinking: A Major Public Health Challenge -- Alcohol Alert No. 59." Underage Drinking: A Major Public Health Challenge -- Alcohol Alert No. 59. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2014. .
DeJong, William. “Should the Drinking Age Be Lowered to 18? No.” American Teacher 93.3 (2008): 3. Wilson OmniFile Full Text Mega Edition. Web. 3 Mar. 2010.
Engs, Ruth C.. " Why drinking age should be lowered: Dr. Ruth Engs ." Indiana University. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Oct. 2011. .
Prohibition in the United States was a measure designed to reduce drinking by eliminating the businesses that manufactured, distributed, and sold alcoholic beverages. The Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution took away license to do business from the brewers, distillers, vintners, and the wholesale and retail sellers of alcoholic beverages. The leaders of the prohibition movement were alarmed at the drinking behavior of Americans, and they were concerned that there was a culture of drink among some sectors of the population that, with continuing immigration from Europe, was spreading (“Why Prohibition” 2). Between 1860 and 1880 America's urban population grew from 6 million to more than 14 million people. The mass of this huge increase found itself toiling in factories and sweatshops and living in horrible social conditions; getting drunk was there only highlight in life.
Time to Lower the Drinking Age? U.S. News -. U.S. News & World Report, L.D., 07 May, 2014. Web. The Web.
People who think the drinking age should be lowered are because of three facts. Under the National Minimum Drinking Age Act, fewer young adults drink, but when they do drink they tend to drink more, which lead to a more serious problem - binge drinking. Furthermore, people can vote, adopt children, sign up for Iraq or become a commercial pilot at 18. Therefore, it is double standard to set the drinking age at 21. Another point is that kids are going to drink regardless of its legality. It is better to lower the drinking age so they can do it legally and parents can reach to them more easily. On the other hand, some people think the government should not lower the drinking age becau...
“Prohibition did not achieve its goals. Instead, it added to the problems it was intended to solve.” On 16th January 1920, one of the most common personal habits and customs of American society came to a halt. The eighteenth amendment was implemented, making all importing, exporting, transporting, selling and manufacturing of intoxicating liquors absolutely prohibited. This law was created in the hope of achieving the reduction of alcohol consumption, which in turn would reduce: crime, poverty, death rates, and improve both the economy, and the quality of life for all Americans. These goals were far from achieved. The prohibition amendment of the 1920's was ineffective because it was unenforceable. Instead, it caused various social problems such as: the explosive growth of organized crime, increased liquor consumption, massive murder rates and corruption among city officials. Prohibition also hurt the economy because the government wasn’t collecting taxes on the multi-billion dollar a year industry.
The Prohibition was started in the 1920s when the 18th Amendment was ratified. This leads to many disruptions in America. The 18th Amendment caused many people to become upset with the government. The 18th Amendment was the prohibition of alcohol but was this Prohibition really good for this country? This research paper will tell the positives and negatives of the Prohibition and the overall effect on the country. There are many arguments to both oppositions. This paper will be focusing more on the negative points of the argument. The Prohibition was put into effect on January 16 1920. There was very few people that supported The Prohibition. US leader and temperance movement groups supported it. Many People opposed the Prohibition including, the average citizen, teenagers, and the mafia.
Despite the problems that would arise, many people are beginning to feel that the drinking age should be lowered from twenty-one to eighteen. Studies have been made; however, no hard evidence suggesting lowering the minimum drinking age would help have surfaced. Although there are countless studies of how alcohol has many harmful effects on teenagers, there is a great deal of negative criticism about what if the drinking age is lowered. Some would say the morally right decision is to not allow teens the chance to hurt themselves. Everyone is entitled to having his or her own opinions and beliefs. However, the overall health of the youth of our country seems a little more important than some personal belief. The drinking age should not be lowered due to the fact drunk driving, juvenile delinquency, and alcohol-related medical issues related to teens will increase.
Wechsler, Henry and Kuo, Meichun. College Students Define Binge Drinking and Estimate Its Prevalence: Results of a National Survey. EBSCO Publishing 29 Oct. 2000
Underaged drinking has become an epidemic within the United States. Starting to consume alcohol at a young age damages the brains developmental process and also leaves behind long term drinking problems for that individual. According to the case file between Heisenberg vs. the State of Missouri, the national average underaged drinking begins at fifteen years of age. Curiosity allows students under the age of twenty-one to want to experiment with toxins like alcohol. These dangerous decision then create the unsafe action to drink and drive. The government should create laws that not only reinforce the existing laws but also alter them, so than young adults are restricted. The legal drinking age of twenty-one should be increased to twenty-five because underaged drinking causes a delay in brain development, it would decrease a young adults curiosity to perform dangerous behaviors and it is also the main cause for car crashes.
Prohibition in the United States lasted about 14 years from 1920 to 1933. “Prohibition was the period in United States history in which the manufacture, sale, and transportation of intoxicating liquors was outlawed.” . Intoxicating liquors were beginning to ruin the lives of some Americans and it became banned. “Prohibition, members of the Temperance movement urged, would stop husbands from spending all the family income on alcohol and prevent accidents in the workplace caused by workers who drank during lunch” . Alcohol was beginning to tear families apart and some wanted to finally outlaw all of the alcohol which would make life easier. In the beginning organizations pushed moderation, but after some decades the organizations’ focus’ turned into the idea of complete prohibition . Although the idea of total prohibition was far-fetched it eventually began. The 18th amendment brought about complete prohibition to all of the United States, with this amendment prohibition in the United States was finally established.