The Harmful Effects Of Lowering The Drinking Age

Europeans usually consume their first taste of alcohol at the age of 14 years old. Though they are not pressured into drinking at a young age, it is more available and acceptable for young Europeans to consume an alcoholic beverage at a young age. 10 percent of Europeans are linked to early death or bad health because of drinking alcohol. In Britain, a recent study has found that females are binge drinking to excess more than their male counterparts and that it is now more socially acceptable for females to drink to get drunk. "The claim that Europeans learn to drink moderately and safely in a family setting has been used by many in the United States to argue for lowering the drinking age, But our research shows that premise is a myth. Easy access to alcohol seems to allow young people to drink heavily and in a risky fashion, whether in

1 out of 3 suicides by young people aged 18 to 24 can be associated with alcohol abuse. According to The Center For Science In The Public Interest, "44 percent of students attending four-year colleges drink alcohol at the binge level or greater.” More than 30,000 college students need medical treatment each year to cope with alcohol poisoning. Fox News Reports that, “ 157 college-age individuals (ages 18 to 23) drank themselves to death from 1999 through 2005." Alcohol is a depressant and when consumed before the brain is fully developed increases these effects.

When compared to other countries, the United States has a fairly high minimum drinking age, and it shows that it works in a positive way. When New Zealand lowered their minimum drinking age from 20 to 18 and found out that lowering the age has its effects. They saw an increase in confused behavior responsibilities and injuries amongst young people under the influence of alcohol. (Position on Minimum Legal Drinking