Growing Minds and Alcohol Don’t Mix

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It was a typical Saturday afternoon when Jenny, a nineteen year old college student who had been drinking, got behind the wheel, not knowing what was about to happen. Traveling down the road Jenny crossed the center line, hitting an oncoming car in the next lane. The family of four in the other car, died on impact. Jenny didn’t think that driving drunk would be harmful because her brain is still growing, causing the alcohol to take more of an impact on her brain. Studies show that most human’s brains are still developing in their early twenties. Exposing a growing brain to alcohol may have prolonged effects on intellectual capabilities, such as making common decisions. (Hanson). Some may say they are just having fun and everyone is doing it, but what they don’t know is that fun can get way out of hand. The drinking age should be kept at 21 to prevent drinking at young ages, to prevent college students from binge drinking, prevent vehicular accidents, and prevent furthering health problems caused by drinking as well as relationship problems with loved ones.

Teens have started drinking at very young ages. In today’s society the average age a person begins to drink at thirteen years old (Torr 33). In 2000 a group of 6th grade students were asked if it would be easy for them get alcohol and 25 to 30 percent of them said it would be easy for them to get alcoholic substances such as beer, wine or hard liquor. (Torr 34). As teens get older hard drugs such as meth and cocaine become harder to find while alcohol is still easily available. When these teens begin to drink at a younger age, a higher chance of underage possession is present. In a 60 minute interview, Mark Beckner chief of police in Boulder, Colorado stated, “We aren’t t...

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...-drinking>.

"GET INVOLVED." MADD - Why 21. MADD, 2014. Web. 27 Apr. 2014. .

Hanson, David J., Ph. D. ""Drinking Alcohol Damages Teenagers’ Brains"" "Drinking Alcohol Damages Teenagers’ Brains" Alcohol Problems and Soulutions, 1997-2013. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. .

Little, Robert, and Kenneth Clontz. "Young, Drunk, Dangerous and Driving: Underage Drinking and Driving Research Findings." Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education 39.2 (1994): 3-5. Ebsco Host. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. .

Torr, James D. Alcoholism. San Diego: Greenhaven, 2000. 33,34,40. Print.

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