Pros And Cons Of Lowering The Drinking Age

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The legal drinking age in the United States should not be 21; instead it should be changed to 18. Alcohol is the most commonly used and abused drug among youth in the United States, more than tobacco and illicit drugs. Many Americans start drinking before the age of 21. The age of 18 is adulthood in the United States, and adults should make their decisions about consuming alcohol (Should the Drinking Age Be Lowered from 21 to a Younger Age?, 2015). If the law lower the age of drinking, it decrease the excitement of breaking the law. Lowering the drinking age would be good for the economy also. When turning 18, you are considered as an adult in the United States. If you are 18, and you are allowed to get married, go to jail and be prosecuted …show more content…

By lowering the age limit to 18, the economy would get a boost. Revenue would increase for private business owners, and greater amounts of tax revenue would be collected by the government. (Should the Drinking Age Be Lowered from 21 to a Younger Age?, 2015). There are more teens who would want to drink and buy their own alcohol instead of asking someone who is of age to buy the alcohol. Teenagers like a sense of independency, they like to do what they want by themselves without asking mom and dad. According to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, underage drinking accounts for 17.5% ($22.5 billion) of consumer spending for alcohol in the United …show more content…

They express underage drinking can cause health problems. “When alcohol consumption interferes with this early adult brain development, the potential for chronic problems such as greater vulnerability to addiction, dangerous risk-taking behavior, reduced decision-making ability, memory loss, depression, violence, and suicide. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimated that MLDA 21 decreased the number of fatal traffic accidents for 18- to 20-year-olds by 13% and saved approximately 27,052 lives from 1975-2008” (Should the Drinking Age Be Lowered from 21 to a Younger Age?, 2015). Also, they expressed teenagers who are just entering college are more vulnerable to binge drinking and risk sexual activity. The country should lower the drinking age to 18. The country could get an economic boost and that would be great. More teens drink more than adults. They could make more awareness about drinking to the youth in schools. “The 21 year old drinking age law is not working, and is counterproductive, it behooves us as a nation to change our current prohibition law and to teach responsible drinking techniques for those who chose to consume alcoholic beverages” (Engs,

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