Should Legal Drinking Age in the USA be Lowered?

972 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Lowering the United States legal drinking age

Legal Adulthood

Today, the legal drinking age in the United States has been set at 21. But what should be the legal drinking age in the United States is still become one of the most ongoing and controversial debate that we will find in the United States. The minimum drinking age continues to stir controversy specifically because age 18 is viewed as an important age for Americans. Once an individual turns to 18, he or she is now considered as a legal adult. As legal adult, individual are granted the rights and responsibilities of adulthood, such as vote in elections, get married, driving, buy cigarettes, own firearms, sign contracts, serve jury duty, enlist in military, and even able to go to club to party. But even though individual is given all of those rights and responsibilities, individuals with age between 18 to 20 years olds are denied the right to buy and consume alcohol beverages. So, when the legal drinking age is set at 21, it will make individuals with age between 18 to 20 years olds or college students viewed alcohol as a symbol of adulthood and maturity.

According to the Foundation For a Drug-Free World, Alcohol beverages comes from “Ethyl alcohol (ethanol), the only alcohol used in beverages, is produced by the fermentation of grains and fruits. Fermenting is a chemical process whereby yeast acts upon certain ingredients in the food, creating alcohol”(http://www.drugfreeworld.org). Alcohol beverages then divided into three categories: beers, wines, and spirits or liquors. And with information from the Office of Alcohol and Drug Education, “Beers typically contains 0.05% - 12% alcohol, wines contains 9% - 20% alcohol, and spirits or liquors contains 15% - 50% or more alcohol”(http://oade.nd.edu).

Different co...

... middle of paper ...

... when they reach status as legal adults do not represents their adulthood and maturity, but able to take responsibilities and make decisions on alcohol consumption in a moderate and responsible manner is the evidence of adulthood and maturity on them.

Works Cited

"College Drinking." http://www.niaaa.nih.gov. National Institute on Alcohol abuse and Alcoholism. May 7 2014. Web.

"Drink Equivalencies." Office of Alcohol and Drug Education. http://www.oade.nd.edu. University of Notre Dame. 2008. May 7 2014. Web.

"The Debate on Lowering the Drinking Age." 60 Minutes CBSNews. http://www.cbsnews.com. CBS. 2009. May 7 2014. Web.

"What Is Alcohol?." http://www.drugfreeworld.org. Foundation For A Drug-Free World. 2006. May 7 2014. Web.

"What Is Moderation?." http://www.drinkingandyou.com. AIM-Alcohol In Moderation. 2002. May 7 2014. Web.

Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of Getting Serious On Eradicating Binge Drinking

    1262 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the United States of America the drinking age is 21 which was instituted with the National Minimum Drinking Age Act was passed on July 17, 1984. Before 1984 the national drinking age was 18. This is the age when U.S citizens are considered legal adults at the age of eighteen I could hypothetically go out vote, get married, join the army and buy a lottery ticket all in one day. On this same day I could also get caught driving while intoxicated, and then be arrested and tried as an adult in the court of

    Read More

  • The Consequences of Lowering the Legal Age for Consumption of Alcohol

    604 Words  | 2 Pages

    Eighteen year olds are just not responsible enough to handle the freedom of being able to legally drink. S...

    Read More

  • Underage Drinking and the American Citizen

    1119 Words  | 3 Pages

    This issue hit home for me because it puts many people at risk for things such as car accidents, binge drinking, alcoholism, depression, suicide, and rape, things no one should ever experience, let alone in middle or high school. These reasons are why the legal age to purchase, and consume alcohol should remain at 21 years of age.

    Read More

  • Lowering the Drinking Age

    1529 Words  | 4 Pages

    According to Andrew Herman, “Each year, 14,000 die from drinking too much. 600,000 are victims of alcohol related physical assault and 17,000 are a result of drunken driving deaths, many being innocent bystanders” (470). These massive numbers bring about an important realization: alcohol is a huge issue in America today. Although the problem is evident in Americans of all ages, the biggest issue is present in young adults and teens. In fact, teens begin to feel the effects of alcohol twice as fast as adults and are more likely to participate in “binge-drinking” (Sullivan 473). The problem is evident, but the solution may be simple. Although opponents argue lowering the drinking age could make alcohol available to some teens not mature enough to handle it, lowering the drinking age actually teaches responsibility and safety in young adults, maintains consistency in age laws, and diminishes temptation.

    Read More

  • Keeping the Minimum Legal Drinking Age

    1296 Words  | 3 Pages

    On the other hand, adults aged 18 have their own rights to make a decision to whether consume alcohol or not. For example, once children turn 18 years old, they are mature enough to make their own decisions. Cloud states, “After all, in almost every other legal and cultural respect, you’re an adult at 18. You can vote, adopt children, sign up for Iraq or become a commercial pilot at 18. Treating alcohol differently helps turns it into a holy grail of adulthood.” (Cloud). Although, in the United States, 18 years o...

    Read More

  • The Minimum Legal Drinking Age

    1713 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...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.

    Read More

  • Reconsidering the National Minimum Age Drinking Act

    1457 Words  | 3 Pages

    The legal age to consume alcohol in our nation, The United States of America, is 21 years of age; although, it was previously allowed at the age of 18, when one is accepted in adulthood. The National Minimum Drinking Age of punished every state that allowed persons under 21 years of age to purchase and publicly possess alcoholic beverages

    Read More

  • The Drinking Age Should Not Be Lowered

    1712 Words  | 4 Pages

    We knocked on the door of the off-campus apartment, as it opened we were confronted with the heavy stench of alcohol. A young girl was passed out on the living room floor, a pile of empty beer cans filled the kitchen sink, and the deafening music rattled the window panes. A group of girls managed to stumble past us. They waved goodbye to the host, who was handing drinks to me and my sister. It was not my first time drinking. In fact, everyone there was quite experienced – after all, it’s college. Half of the guests were completely drunk, and I had no problem with it. That is, until later that night when my sister locked herself in a room with a guy she had met only a week before. This prompted me to seriously consider the effects of alcohol. Would my sister have been able to see the danger of the situation had she been sober? Would the absence of alcohol have prevented the events of that night from occurring? These questions, along with the vivid memory of that night, fueled my examination of the complex social problem of underage drinking.

    Read More

  • The Drinking Age Must not Be Lowered

    1746 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Legal Drinking Age Essay

    947 Words  | 2 Pages

    Legal drinking age varies by many countries. In U.S.A, There has been a lot of debate when it comes to the legal drinking age here in US. When it comes to law. There is always an opinion, some are for it and some are against. When it comes to the legal drinking age being 21 we are totally against it. Many people still say the government should prohibit using alcoholic drinks at the age of 18. Legal adults deserve to be treated as such it is time the arbitrary drinking age of 21 Was lowered to 18, because there is no evidence that the National Minimum Drinking Age Act is effective or protects the people it is intended to protect . The Notional Minimum Drinking Age Act was passed in 1984 in an attempt to decrease the number of drunk driving related accidents. The act threatens to decrease a state’s budget for high way construction and maintenance if it sets its drinking age under 21. According to Cuccoli , “ Keeping the drinking age at such a low age is leading to more cases of binge drinking,” (Cuccoli). Mothers against drunk driving reports that the number of alcohol related fatalities involving a vehicle decreased from 26, 173 to 16, 885 between 1982 and 2005.

    Read More

  • Let's Lower The Drinking Age

    559 Words  | 2 Pages

    The drinking age in America is causing problems for underaged drinkers. There’s over thousands people living in the United States that are being arrested for underage drinking every year. This isn’t fair at all for them. If an eighteen year old is at a party that has alcohol and the cops come, that guy/girl is arrested, even if they didn’t drink anything. This causes them to be thrown in jail and have that put on their permanent record. With that written down, it will be harder for them to find a job with a ‘criminal record’. Another problem with underage drinkers, is that they take more risks, thinking they’ll get caught. They’ll try to drive home on their own, not wanting to get busted by their parents or their guardians, or their just too impaired to call someone. When they drive home, their coordination is off cause of all the alcohol they consumed, and they’ll either risk killing themselves or others. Though, not every dies from a car accident.

    Read More

  • Lowing drinking age to 18

    980 Words  | 2 Pages

    Alcohol consumptions has been around for ages. But now were at the time where alcohol beverages are legalized. No one under the age of 21 can consume alcohol beverage legally. But that does not stop individuals under the age of 21 from drinking illegally. In the United States eighteen year olds become adult they are allowed to vote, get married, and join the military. If an eighteen year old is responsible enough to get married, vote, and take a bullet for their country they have enough sense to drink responsible.

    Read More

  • Annotated Bibliography: Lowering The Drinking Age

    1220 Words  | 3 Pages

    This opinion piece by Alexis Aguirre opens with the point that at the age of 18 years and older are considered to be adults and that they should be treated like they are an adult by being given the right to purchase and consume alcohol. Aguirre then goes on to talk about how even though the drinking age is 21, a high percentage of teenagers underage are still purchasing alcohol. She also states that 90 percent of underage drinking is done so by binge drinking. Later in her argument she goes on and states her

    Read More

  • Becoming An Adult Essay

    953 Words  | 2 Pages

    Becoming an adult, also known as young adulthood, is a very crucial stage in one’s life. This is the climax of physical and health processes. This is the point in life when we make plans of our futures. It is the time when we think of what life will be like as an adult and make plans for the future. Most importantly, it is when we lay the starting point for developmental changes that we will undergo throughout our lives. An adult is a person who is fully grown or developed. Some people believe that you become an adult when you are 18 years old, other believe you are an adult when you can legally buy and consume alcohol, that is, at age 21 in the United States. Others believe that you are an adult when you are supporting yourself

    Read More

  • The Chemistry of Alcohol

    1138 Words  | 3 Pages

    Alcohol is a class of organic compounds that is characterized by the presence of one or more hydroxyl groups (-OH) attached to a carbon atom. Alcohol was unknowingly produced centuries ago when fermentation occurred to crushed grapes (Pines, 1931). In today’s society alcohol is produced for the use of household products such as varnishes, cleaning products, but is more commercially important in the liquor business. A chemical process called fermentation accomplishes the production of ethanol, the alcohol or liquor. From there, the ethanol goes through distinct processes to become the dark and clear liquors on the store shelves.

    Read More

More about Should Legal Drinking Age in the USA be Lowered?

Open Document