The National Minimum Age Drinking Act was signed into law on July 17, 1984. This law was carried out at the federal level and forced all states to raise the minimum drinking to 21 or face cuts in federal-aid cuts in their highway funding. I believe this law must be repelled and that the drinking age should be lowered to 18. We must decriminalize the notion of underage drinking because why must 18 through 20 year olds be treated like children but charged as adults? The United States has the highest
2015 The Minimum Legal Drinking Age in the United States Bob Marley once said, “Herb is the healing of a nation, alcohol is the destruction.” This is the case when it comes to teens and alcohol. In America, the National Minimum Legal Drinking Age is a topic of great debate and controversy. Many people argue that the age restriction provides a safe environment for all citizens; whereas others disagree that the law creates an untrustworthy aura among teens. If the minimum legal drinking age were to
Lowering the Legal Drinking Age From 21 to 18 In the United States the legal drinking age, with a few exceptions, is 21; this should be changed from 21 to the age of 18. This would help high schoolers and college students who generally commit the act of underage drinking anyways to avoid long lasting legal repercussions. This would also remove the excitement that many underage drinkers feel since for many, it would now be legal. This would help to lessen temptation and encourage today’s youth
however, debate centers on the misuse of alcohol and automobile accidents. In 1984, The National Minimum Drinking Age Act was adopted. Although enacted with worthy intention, increasing the legal drinking age to twenty one has, subsequently, led to many negative issues in society. The first legislation concerning the minimum legal drinking age was seen during the prohibition era. More recently, the drinking age came under scrutiny in the 1960s, as the Vietnam War reintroduced the draft into American
past in regards to drinking age, even going as far as banning alcohol altogether. The current drinking age of twenty-one is a recent change relative to the history of our country, and is the highest legal age this country has seen. The question is, then, how did the drinking age become what it is now? Prior to the Prohibition in 1920, there was no national drinking age in the US. During this time, states had control over their drinking age, but most opted to not have a drinking age at all. This changed
been given a divine will to rule and exert laws, as if their path had been predestined. However, as kingship fell out of influence, our government has considered itself, “by the people.” Modern issues, such as the controversy over the National Minimum Drinking Age, raise questions on the effects of free will and fate, and the association between the two. Viewing this specific contention through the context of Sophocles’ Oedipus the King and Tom Tykwer’s thriller Run Lola Run we can speculate about
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
United States bringing about an opportunity to revisit an older policy, the Drinking Age Act of 1984. In a research study by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, underage drinking accumulates for about $22.5 billion or 17.5% of the money spent paying for alcohol in the United States. In 2006, 72.2% of twelfth graders admitted to drinking alcohol at some point in their lives.(Joseph Califano Jr, National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University website) Twelfth
The legal drinking age limit has been a debt for decades and has been questioned by many whether it should be lowered or remain at its current limit. One of the biggest arguments amongst individuals about the drinking age is that in the United States the legal classification age of an adult is eighteen years of age, therefore, if an individual is considered an adult at eighteen years old; then why are they unable to have privileges of drinking like other classified adults. A breakdown of this consideration
1984, they were also allowed to buy alcohol. This all changed when President Reagan signed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984. This act stated that the drinking age would change to 21 and it has remained that way since. There has been controversy on the effectiveness of the law because most people drink before they turn 21. Which side is right? Was Reagan correct for implementing the drinking age as 21 or are the multiple college president and chancellors of Amethyst Initiative that believe
The controversy on the proper drinking age is one that has been repeatedly discussed and researched over the years. Its common to hear the argument “If someone is old enough to take a bullet for their country, they should be allowed to drink alcohol.” But is that enough justification? Some would say no. “According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) it is estimated that in 2004 there were more than 1,700 student deaths, 599,000 injuries, and 696,000 assaults annually
Without a doubt, the United States has been facing serious national problems with underage drinking. Depending on personal ideologies, some people might not agree that the current minimum drinking age of twenty-one is based on scientific facts rather then ideology of prohibitionism. For example, since 1975 over seventeen thousand lives have been saved since the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) was changed to age twenty-one (Balkin 167). This shows that even over a short amount of time, a higher
At 18 years of age in the U.S, one can vote, smoke, serve on a jury, get married, and even die for their country yet they cannot have a glass of wine. Despite the fact that so-called adults have the right to make their own decisions, they are not allowed to consume alcohol until the golden age of 21. This law has caused those who are under the age of 21 to be tempted to break the law every time they want to consume alcohol. Lowering the drinking age to 18 would encourage people to drink responsibly
Published from Time magazine in 2014, the article “It’s Time to let Teenagers Drink Again” by Camille Paglia, was written to help express how she felt about the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984. Paglia states her main claim in her first paragraph and tries to appeal to the audience about the drinking age. Using her personal background, she proves her credibility in order to persuade the reader that she has a good grip on what she wrote about. In the article, Paglia used pathos and logos
legal minimum age of alcohol consumption to 21. Yet, tracing back to the late 60s and early 70s, 29 states lowered it to 18. The outcome of the decision was noticeable - drunk driving crashes and alcohol-related fatalities increased significantly. Sixteen states adjusted it back to 21 by 1983. Under the pressure of the failure of the 18 minimum drinking age, President Reagan agreed on the suggestion of the presidential communism on drunk driving, establishing a national 21 minimum drinking age. Later
to lowering the minimum legal drinking age. Choose Responsibility, a group founded by John McCardell, proposes that upon completion of a 40 hour course to educate young people about alcohol, 18, 19, and 20 year old people should be licensed to drink. The Amethyst Initiative, part of Choose Responsibility, is a petition to Congress to rethink the minimum legal drinking age. Several college leaders have signed this petition in the belief that lowering the minimum legal drinking age will reduce binge
Unsupervised, underage drinking has become an epidemic throughout the world, but in the in America more than anywhere else. Even the president’s 19 year old daughter has been arrested for underage drinking. America has the highest legalized drinking age in the world. In fact, only four countries in the world have a legalized drinking age over 18. When we turn 18 in America we are supposed to be adults, but then what is the 21 age mark it is like we get an adult trial version for three years without
Underaged drinking increases the risk for academic failure, and illegal drug or tobacco use. Underaged drinking also increases the risk for crime, health problems, and death. In 1984, an act was put in place to raise all fifty states’ minimum drinking age to 21; this act unfortunatley does not completely prevent underaged drinking, however it has helped save approximately 17,000 lives from alcohol related fatalities (Get Involved). Alcohol is a poison, and by lowering the legal drinking age to eighteen
that in the middle ages people drank more alcohol than water because it was commonly believed to be safer (Alcohol Facts: 32 Facts). In today's society we know that alcohol is dangerous and that is why there is many arguments over drinking laws. The drinking age is a controversial topic and there are many side fighting for it to change, or for it to stay the same. Before we look at some of the perspectives of this issue, let us look at a little bit of history. The drinking age has fluctuated a lot
university and college presidents expressed their displeasure with the minimum legal age of 21 years old by signing the Amethyst Initiative. Led by John McCardell, The amethyst initiative is a group of one hundred and thirty six college presidents who show support for lowering the legal drinking age from 21 to 18. The name “Amethyst” reflects on the purple gemstone which was sought to ward off drunkenness if used in drinking vessels and/or jewelry. Though the Initiative sees good in lowering the