Lowering The Drinking Age To 18 Essay

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Lowering the Drinking Age to 18 It is undeniable that alcohol plays a huge role in the modern American culture. Ever since Congress passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act in 1984 requiring everyone in every state to be twenty-one years of age to drink and buy alcohol, there have been many controversies over whether this act was the right move or not. Before this law was put into action, states had the freedom to set their own drinking age laws and many were able to purchase alcohol at just eighteen years old. According to the U.S. Department of State, “children become adults at age 18” (US Department of State). The main argument set forth is the question of why eighteen-year-olds are allowed to fight and die in a foreign country, own …show more content…

In India, the legal drinking age is eighteen years old in most states. To many people's surprise, the number of drinking and driving fatalities in India is significantly less than the number in the United States (Thrillist). In 2015, the United States’ death rate for road accidents involving alcohol was thirty-one percent. In 2015, India’s death rate for road accidents involving alcohol was just five percent (McCarthy). Clearly, India is doing something right. A lot of people debunk this argument because of public transportation systems. However, India is known for having poor public transportation due to the limited paved roads (Pucher). Companies like Uber and Lyft in America have helped aid the drinking and driving accident rates. In India however, there are no companies like Uber to help those who drink decide not to drive home drunk, and their public transportation systems are much more hectic than America’s. Having families safely introduce their children to alcohol at a younger age helps kids learn their limits and practice safe drinking behaviors. Having a lower drinking age is proven in other countries to have lower alcohol-related deaths and safer drinking habits, which are key factors America needs to take

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