Should the legal consumption of alcohol age lowered to eighteen? Changing the legal alcohol age from twenty one to eighteen has become a hot topic throughout the years due to the effects it has on the body and the rising number of deaths. The current drinking age, twenty one, has not stopped underage drinking; in fact, it has encouraged it. It has pushed binge drinking into private and less controlled environments, leading to more health and life endangering behavior by teens. At the age of eighteen the government labels you as an adult and tags along the title of responsibility. Turning eighteen entails the rights of adulthood: voting, serving on juries, getting married, signing contracts, joining the military, and being prosecuted as adults. Adults at the age of eighteen should, therefore, be trusted to make decisions. Many people will argue that teenagers aren’t mature enough to handle drinking at such an early age, but if the government will label them adults at eighteen, treat them like one. If teens are able to vote, buy guns, purchase cigarettes, sign up and die for this country at eighteen, why shouldn’t they be allowed to consume alcohol? According to The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia, “Alcohol is actually a depressant; it slows down the mind by depressing the nervous system and often results in more extreme depression. Also, statistics prove that alcohol is one of the biggest killers, accounting for more deaths and illnesses than the total of those that come from the use of all illegal drugs.” Drinking among college students continue to rise every year despite the efforts to prevent it. College students are going to drink alcohol regardless if it is legal or illegal. Lowering the drinking age would allow them to b... ... middle of paper ... ..., the increase in homicide rates in the late 1980s and early 1990s was driven entirely by a rise in youth homicide with handguns (Blumstein 2002). In summary, the government has placed a double standard on what being an adult is. The drinking age should be lowered from twenty one to eighteen because individuals are just as responsible at eighteen as they would be at twenty-one . Now, I do understand that eighteen is a young age, and many will argue that at eighteen teens are just now seeing what the world has to offer, but twenty-one is also a young age. In my eyes, at both ages people are still considered babies. I just think that if the government considers teenagers to be adults at eighteen, then they should be treated as an adult in every circumstance and situation, no matter what. The opportunities of being an adult should happen at one age, together.
Despite the problems that would arise, many people are beginning to feel that the drinking age should be lowered from twenty-one to eighteen. Studies have been made; however, no hard evidence suggesting lowering the minimum drinking age would help have surfaced. Although there are countless studies of how alcohol has many harmful effects on teenagers, there is a great deal of negative criticism about what if the drinking age is lowered. Some would say the morally right decision is to not allow teens the chance to hurt themselves. Everyone is entitled to having his or her own opinions and beliefs. However, the overall health of the youth of our country seems a little more important than some personal belief. The drinking age should not be lowered due to the fact drunk driving, juvenile delinquency, and alcohol-related medical issues related to teens will increase.
Lowering the drinking age to 18 would make a lot of sense in the world. Lowering the drinking age to 18 would make more sense. It would be better for the teens that drink on college campus. The drinking age should be lowered to 18 because you can vote at eighteen, buy tobacco, it’ll reduce the thrill of breaking the law, evidence supports that early introduction of drinking is the safest way to reduce juvenile alcohol abuse, and college people that are not 21 drink also.
If the drinking age was lowered to eighteen years old it will promote and cause society in general to learn the responsibilities and long term effects of drinking in moderation. the eighteen to twenty years old age groups are the most known and looked at to have issues with drinking in moderation, but if the legal drinking age was decreased it wouldn't be so much of a problem. “Lowering the drinking age would allow people to get used to drinking in moderation. this would allow the to learn to drink responsibly and lead to less alcohol related incidents in the future.” Once young adults begin having the freedom to drink it become less of a big deal. “it would make drinking alcohol less f a taboo” and more of a learning experience (Anthony Buratti pg. 1). In countries such as France, Portugal, and Spain alcohol consumption is started at a very young age yet there is little to no evidence that it is harmful to the eighteen to twenty age groups (Jessica Pauline pg. 2). Attempting to prevent the eighteen to twenty age groups will only provoke them to do it more and unsupervised therefore possibly harming themselves with dangerous consequences (Underage Drinking pg. 18). Exposing them to alcohol will allow them to gai...
To make the lower drinking age work, we will need the help of the parents, the teachers and every role model possible. We need to teach the younger generations the disadvantages of drinking regularly, but we must not prohibit it. We should not embrace it, but not take it away. We must teach the young adult/teen how to deal with the “forbidden fruit”. Teach them how to take a sufficient amount that will not hurt them or others. It is time to approach this situation in a different manner, not to prohibit it, and not to pretend that it is not happening. But by making the safest environment possible for this to be taken care of appropriately, will help significantly. It’s time to try to improve our life quality by equally being able to enjoy what life has to offer.
The debate of the drinking age has been long discussed throughout America. The drinking age has been 21 for the last 22 years, and people around the country have wondered weather or not this was the right call. People say that 18 year olds may not be mature enough to drink alcohol and might not know when to stop. It isn’t that teenagers don’t know how to stop, but rather have not been properly taught when enough has been consumed or how to drink responsibly. Changing the drinking age from 21 to 18 years old will take the thrill that teens get from breaking the law while drinking, will no longer give them the idea that drinking is the final stage of adulthood and full maturity, and will no longer force teenagers to drink in unsupervised areas.
...l drinking age to eighteen could have a positive effect on American society when it is finally accomplished. Lowering the drinking age could result in a sense of more equality for all American adults. It could decrease the acts of breaking the law by young adults, and could also train them to have more self-control. Changing this law shows great deal of promise for the future and can result in great change for America.
...e minimum legal drinking age in the United States should remain at twenty-one years old. Since the National Legal Drinking Age Act was ratified, the consumption of liquor among minors has abated significantly. With the restriction in affect, the United States is definitely a safer place when it comes to alcohol use. Even though, the reduction of the drinking age would get rid of the taboo that surrounds alcohol which would result in fewer teens drinking just to be accepted by their peers, young adolescents now have a harder time getting access to alcohol due to the minimum legal drinking age resulting in less alcohol-affiliated problems and a decrease in damage to their bodies. Teens and alcohol are not a good mix so citizens of the United States should keep them separated as best as they can. By having a minimum age limit of twenty-one, that is a great way to do it.
Lawmakers should not consider lowering the drinking age from twenty-one to eighteen. Despite the deep value this country places on freedom, personal liberties, and personal responsibilities, the data shows that public safety is greatly at risk if the drinking age were to be lowered to twenty-one. A variety of groups believe that the drinking age should be lowered to eighteen deeming that the twenty-one law is unconstitutional. On the opposing side, people agree that the law helps to protect our young people and the communities where they live.
Since this country was born it has been raised on alcohol, even the prohibition couldn 't stop the Americans from doing what they love to do. But back then they were lenient on the age to consume alcohol. But in 1980’s Ronald Reagan passed the Drinking Age Act which permanently raised the drinking age to twenty-one through out the nation. Which people asked themselves is this right? When at eighteen you 're legally allowed to be on a official jury, vote for the next president and fight for your country. So lowering the drinking age to 18 would make sense.
Lowering the legal drinking age would create problems such as infringing on the mental and physical development of the young drinker. As a respected author, Matt Nagin puts it, “The late teens and early twenties are formative years where character building, leadership in the community, and scholastic excellence should be emphasized. Alcohol detracts from all of these.” In other words, Nagin believes that the teen years are an imperative time of growth in a person’s life. Scientists have proven that the brain is not fully developed until the age of twenty five. If Nagin’s argument is correct, and I believe it is, then people should understand that scientists have proven the negative affects that alcohol has on the development of the brain. Alcohol has the power to kill brain cells and damage growth hormones. By making alcohol legally accessible to an eighteen year old, we are literally poisoning his or her brain.
If they lowered the drinking age to 18, there would be a lot fewer problems related to alcohol. Lowering the drinking age would take away the excitement of teens drinking. People who are under the age and drink see drinking as a rebellious act. Under age teens will drink less than they did before since the thrill of is gone. They will not drink as much as they would before because they know that drinking can occur more often and will not binge drink. Under age teens binge drink because they do not know when they will have the opportunity to drink again. When high school graduates go to college, they must drink secretly, and only ...
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...
Upon turning eighteen you are considered to be legal adult and receive all of the responsibilities that accompany the title. At the age of eighteen year olds you receive and are expected to use the rights and responsibilities to vote, serve on juries, get married, sign contracts, join the military--which includes taking on the responsibilities of life and death--and be prosecuted as an adults in the court of law along with many other things. In 1984, the national government raised the drinking age from 18 to 21. Mothers Against Drunk Driving was a key contributing organization that influenced the change in the minimum drinking age. While there are arguments for both sides, it is said that if the national minimum legal drinking age is dropped back to eighteen many lives would be saved, colleges will have better retention as well as turn out rates of high school graduates, and it could repeal or alter a counterproductive law. The minimum legal drinking age should be lowered back down to the age of eighteen and those who wish to drink should be required to take classes to attain a drinking license upon completing the class in a satisfactory manner.
Do you enjoy being told what to do after you turn an 18 and you become an adult? I know I don’t. As you transition into that adult phase you get to enjoy adult activities such as voting and joining the military. As an adult there comes responsibility and at some points you have to make tough decisions. One of those decision include are you going to drink under age. What if I could tell you that the drinking age use to be 18 years old in 30 states. Should the drinking age go back to 18 years old? I am one who believes that as an adult you should have the ability to make those decisions. Lower the drinking age to 18, but we need to enforce the laws and educate our youth.
College students are often classified as “party animals,” but these students are most under the legal drinking age when starting college. Students are drinking under the legal age; therefore, they must accept the adult consequences for trying to take adult actions. Lowering the drinking age would show how easily our government is persuaded to choose a side in controversial issues. If the drinking age was lowered, student’s grades would start to drop and the student’s drop-out rate would rise tremendously. Students in this generation have plenty of distractions that take them away from fully focusing on school; therefore, if the age was lowered, students would only worry about the next party instead of their next class. Also, excessive amounts of alcohol have been proven to kill vital brain cells, and brain cells do not replicate like other cells within the body. The brain is not fully developed until age twenty-one, so an eighteen year old should not be killing brain cells necessary for everyday communication and decision making. In order for students to excel, they need minimal stress and minimal distractions. Alcohol will only increase stress and increase distractions, so students should refrain from any type of alcohol related activity. Keeping the drinking age at age twenty-one will result in more successful, responsible