Alcohol is one of the most consumed drinks in the world. Some think alcohol is beneficial while others believe that it is detrimental. Even though drinking alcohol is injurious to health, most of us still like to drink alcohol. It is very essential that there should be a base age to control the drinking age. Alcohol is so terrible for teenagers that there should be a law to control it because of health problems that can occur and social imbalances. One of the serious effects from alcohol is the problem to health. Drinking alcohol leads to many severe health problems, including high heart blood pressure, kidney and heart diseases, and alcoholism. According to the American Medical Association, “Alcoholism is an illness characterized by significant …show more content…
Alcohol interferes with the emotional and behavioural development of adolescents. Alcohol abuse is a pattern of drinking that result in harm to one’s health, interpersonal relationships, or ability to work. It is the improper use of alcohol. According to Gelder, et al.(2005) alcohol abuse is linked with suicide. Stating that the risk of suicide is high in elder men’s who have a history of drinking, as well as those suffering from depression. Certain manifestations of alcohol abuse include failure to fulfil responsibilities at work, school, or home. Drinking in dangerous situations, including the operation of a motor vehicle. Legal concerns associated with alcohol use and continued drinking despite problems that are caused or worsened by drinking. Research shows that eighth-grade girls who drink heavily are three times more likely to attempt suicide than girls in their grade who don’t drink, and teenage girls aged 12-16 who drink are four times more likely than their non-drinking peers to suffer from depression (Cariaga, 2017). In addition , young adult drinkers have an increased risk of social problems, depression, suicidal thoughts, violence, and risky sex. Teens that drink are more likely to have unprotected sex or engage in various forms of sexual activity. This leads to higher risks of STDs, teen pregnancy and sexual assault. Looking to the bigger view, this would definitely cause severe problems to the
Balko, Radley. "Let My Students Drink." Reason. (Feb. 2009). Web. 19 Feb. 2016. John McCardell was a former college president who took his experience dealing with underage drinking and decided to develop an organization called Choose Responsibly. The organization supports lower the legal drinking age. He later developed the Amethyst Initiative to help campuses across the U.S. to join together. In the article, Mr. McCardell gives his reasons for starting the growing movement. The purpose of this article is to inform other college delegates and leaders about the organizations they can join they share the same beliefs. It was published in a magazine that discusses rising issues to help promote the initiative. The article is unique due to its interview arrangement which gives it a more personal feel. My thesis is supported by this article because it provides me with
Primarily, the drinking age should be lowered to teach responsibility and safety in young adults. The idea seems paradoxical; however, the high drinking age that is present in the U.S. today has only pushed underage drinking underground (Balko 458). In fact, America has the highest minimum drinking age in the world (Balko 459). Even though the American drinking age remains high, America still remains with an astonishingly large number of alcohol-related accidents and deaths. Is this statement a coincidence? Throughout the years alcohol has become more and more of an issue in young adults, but the correct actions are not taking place. If alcohol were to legally be put in the hands of Americans eighteen and above, these individuals would likely be forced to learn a sense of safety and responsibility. As stated by Caryn Sul...
Lowering the drinking age from twenty-one to eighteen is a good idea because it will most likely promote responsibility, alcohol consumption will be more controlled, and, if not done so, it is posing as discrimination against the eighteen to twenty age group; however, lowering the legal drinking age back to eighteen can be fatal because the brains of the eighteen to twenty year old age groups are not fully developed, binge drinking and alcohol addiction rates will go up, and the drinking and driving rates will increase.
The article "Alcohol Abuse is a Serious Problem for Teenagers," was written by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The article states, "Nearly four million young people suffer from alcohol dependence," and the average age at which children begin to drink is as early as 13. The article goes on to say that the number of children who experiment with alcohol has been rising steadily over the years. The article points out the unfortunate effects of drinking which range from an array of physical illnesses like liver problems and cancer. From the article we learn that because teenagers tend to indulge in binge drinking, they are at higher risk to suffer the consequences of alcohol consumption. According to the article these consequences include developmental problems like lack of growth, a reduced ability to learn, and to psychological problems like depression and suicidal tendencies. Alcohol abuse in turn leads to social problems which include dropping out of school, robbery, and "risky sexual behavior." We learn that alcohol serves as a "gateway-drug," leading to more addictive drugs like cocaine. The article substantiates this claim by citing a study conducted by the Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. The article also touches on the problem of alcohol used by parents though the primary focus of this piece is about teenage drinking. The purpose of the article is to jolt readers into an awareness of the magnitude of the problem of teenage drinkiing. Most people know that teenagers like to experiment, try the new and forbidden, but the Center assumes that no one is fully aware of how serious this problem can be if it is not addressed.
Many young adults and college educators argue that the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) should be lowered but I disagree. I don’t think that lowering the legal drinking age would be a good idea because alcohol is one of the main causes of deaths among young adults and also affects their academic performance. Lowering the legal age of drinking will just be a huge mistake. The government should instead raise it higher than 21 or enforce the MLDA more.
...ately lose their lives. Many underage drinkers have been disappearing without being noticed by society. Males in their early teen years that turn to alcohol to feel empowered, often turn into full-blown alcoholics by the time they are 21—those that make it to 21—have an extremely hard time rejoining the sober population around them. The false sense of security, self-confidence, and maturity they once felt while being inebriated did not prepare them for what came after the life of crime and violence they chose to live. For those that are still under the spell of alcohol-making companies, and that are still living in the dark, thinking that that is the way of living may never get the wake up call. Many of underage drinkers will continue to increase the already large number of deaths involving alcohol; after all, they will only be a number on chart—a statistic a board.
About five thousand teens die from underage drinking each year from suicide, drunk driving, etc. There are many different effects and causes of teens that start drinking. There is not enough attention to teens that drink and still there is a huge amount of teens still dying each year. Teenage Alcoholism is a huge problem, not in just the United States but all around the world. Stricter laws need to be enforced to lower the rates of teens dying and create a more safe and happy place for teens and adults.
Most people have heard about the debate in the U.S. about lowering the current drinking age. A lot of people believe that it should be lowered, but also there are a considerable amount of people who think it should stay the same. This debate has been going on for several years now and it seems like there will be no change as of now. The drinking age in the United States is currently 21, however, for several reasons it should be lowered to 18.
Also, In a study conducted by www.cdc.gov, youth who begin drinking before the age of 15 are 15 percent more likely to develop an addiction later in life. This can be extremely dangerous, because the more you drink, the more dependent you become. It can be extremely difficult to get rid of addictions and has severe withdrawal symptoms that could be very painful. Another effect of underage drinking is low self esteem. Many teens begin drinking because they are very easily pressured by peers. This can cause them to at first feel more confident and have higher self-esteem. Soon, however, this will wear off and they may be left with a worse feeling than before. Similar to psychological disorders, alcohol abuse can lead to many social
I’m here to persuade you in supporting a lower legal drinking age to age 18 because 1. It would eliminate temptation of breaking law (to drink) 2. Reduce unsafe drinking activities (Binge drinking) 3. It should correspond to the age of adulthood
Alcohol has been linked to several horrible issues. The consequences of these problems include stiff fines, jail time, suspension of privileges and even death. The corollary of drinking alcohol can cause immense guilt, and even rifts in relationships with family and others. With booze being so bad it must be awful to get started drinking young. “…more than half of America’s teenagers have had at least one drink by age 15 and the percentage increases to 70% by age 18.” (Sober Nation) Teen drinking is a definite issue within the U.S.; its effects on an adolescent’s mind is horrendous; however, there is a way to fix this epidemic.
...tion. It has not only short-term effects but long-term ones as well. Alcohol can lead to serious problems with the central nervous system, blood, muscles, the liver, and more. Underage drinking is a huge problem that needs to be taken seriously and no one should ever feel pressured into drinking in order to look cool or fit in. One could only wish that more people were educated on the issue and maybe it would be taken more seriously than it is right now.
Alcohol is, unfortunately, one of the most easily obtainable and most dangerous substances on the market. Although the legal purchasing and consuming age for alcoholic products is twenty-one, that does not stop younger people from abusing it. Not only is this illegal, but also quite dangerous. A common misconception about alcohol for children is that the legal, mental, and physical consequences of using alcohol “end” once a person becomes of the legal drinking age. The truth of the matter is that the dangers of alcohol consumption extend far beyond the age of twenty-one and into adulthood. Alcohol can have devastating effects for people of all ages. “Alcohol causes the most severe and widespread adverse health consequences of all drugs of abuse, affecting virtually every organ system. Fortunately, many of these require many years of drinking so they are not commonly found in adolescents” (Milhorn). Not only can alcohol destroy the life of the consumer, but can ...
As a result of underage drinking, 5,000 adolescents under the age of 21 die annually due to intoxication (taking motor vehicle crashes, homicides, suicides, and other injuries while intoxicated into consideration) (paragraph 2). Later in life, underage drinkers are more likely to develop alcoholism, poor performance in school, and risky sexual behavior (paragraph 43). Although this research is not opposed to my argument, there is an importance to acknowledging it as proof of dangerous, underage drinking occurring significantly regardless of whether it is illegal. More importantly, this research stems from adolescents drinking without the supervision of adults and in uncontrolled quantities. Since adolescents must wait a long period of time to drink legally, I believe they fear they must take advantage of drinking opportunities by excess drinking and risk of safety due to their restriction to alcohol. Based on this mindset, I believe exposure to alcohol at a younger age in controlled environments would not only decrease underage drinking in large quantities, but injury and death related to intoxication, as
The use and abuse of alcohol and other drugs during adolescence and early adulthood remains a serious health problem in the United States. Among the drug classes, alcohol is the most frequently used substance by adolescents and that is followed by marijuana and tobacco. The consequences of alcohol and drug abuse are critical on both a personal and social level. For the developing young adult, drug and alcohol abuse threatens motivation, hinders the cognitive processes, increases the risk of accidental injury or death, and contributes to debilitating mood disorders. In addition, it contributes to educational failure, juvenile crime, increase in mental health services, and high cost of health care.