Lowering Drinking Age

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Recommended: Arguments for and against legal drinking age

Society normally views teenagers as rebellious kids with an impulse to live new experiences. These experiences range from going to their first party to having their first alcoholic drink, and are sometimes as drastic as trying their first drug. Drinking alcoholic beverages is something that involves a lot of responsibility and can bring a plethora of negative consequences. This is the main reason why the United States has established a legal drinking age that I consider to be relatively high. With the legal drinking age being so high, while intending to avoid harmful situations, brings many repercussions that are equally as harmful. By human nature, whatever is prohibited to us is what we want the most. Teenagers are denied drinking and consequently they turn their attention to getting what they are told they cannot. If the legal drinking age would be lowered, alcohol would no longer be as powerful when it comes to influencing other people. It does not take a lot of effort to obtain some alcohol, even if a person is not of legal drinking age. All it takes is a fake identification or asking someone of age to buy it, and as simple as that, a teenager has his beer. While the laws are preventive and make obtaining alcohol a bit harder, there are ways around the system that teenagers are very aware of. According to a recent study from Sciencedaily.com, "Adolescents tend to increase their alcohol use the summer before entering college and during their first semester at college. This is also true of children who have been consistently monitored and emotionally supported." College is a time where teenagers are relieved from parental supervision and are even more encouraged by peer pressure to drink and try illegal substances. Nightcl... ... middle of paper ... ...rks Cited "Your Legal Rights and Responsibilities as an 18 Year Old" Compiled by Beta Lovitt, Esq. 2008 "The Debate On Lowering The Drinking Age." CBSNews. CBS Interactive, 01 Mar. 2010. Web. 27 Apr. 2012. . "Teens Drink More During Summer Before College, Study Finds." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 07 July 2010. Web. 27 Apr. 2012. . "Choose Responsibility." Choose Responsibility. Web. 27 Apr. 2012. . "Drinking Age ProCon.org." Drinking Age ProCon.org. Web. 27 Apr. 2012. . Covey, Charlie. "Driking Age Requires Necessary and Proper Action." Welcome to YouthFacts.org. Youthfacts.org, 11 Nov. 2007. Web. 27 Apr. 2012. .

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