Many negative effects come with drinking alcohol. Since teenagers’ brains are not fully developed until they are in their mid 20’s, it is especially dangerous to them. The legal alcohol age should not be eighteen because it harms the teenage brain and body, it has negative (and potentially fatal) effects on school, and it has negative effects on driving. Some may think that teenagers are grown up enough and are mature enough to drink alcoholic beverages at the age of eighteen. However, research indicates otherwise. To start off, alcohol is very harmful to the brain. It kills brain cells, and it affects the cerebellum, medulla, hippocampus and many other parts of the brain. It can be seen why alcohol is so dangerous in the article “Alcohol and Developing Brain”. The author says, “Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant. Alcohol can appear to be a stimulant because, initially, it depresses the part of the brain that controls inhibitions” (toosmarttostart.samhsa.gov). Since …show more content…
It can be seen why alcohol is so dangerous to the teenage body in the article “Short and Long Term Effects” when the author says, “Alcohol is a depressant that affects your vision, coordination, reaction time, multitasking ability, judgment, and decision-making” (courtinfo.ca.gov). The author also explains more long-term effects of alcohol, such as liver damage, destroyed organs, increased blood pressure, and possibly death. Alcohol is just too dangerous for teenagers to use. It can get them addicted while they are young, leading to a lifetime of health problems. Alcohol also kills the liver, which produces insulin and it helps carry away waste and break down fats. It also increases blood pressure, which could lead to heart attacks and strokes. In conclusion, the legal drinking age should not be eighteen because of its effects on important parts of the body, such as the
Alcohol has been severely damaging young individuals health both mentally and physically. Even though alcohol can be harmful at any age it is especially dangerous for teens as their brains are still developing and cannot cope with alcohol the same way as an adult can. When consumed
It must be recognized that young adults will drink alcohol, no matter what the legal age. As thought to be a gateway to more drinking problems, reducing the age to 18 can benefit our society. Prohibiting teens from drinking in bars, restaurants, and public locations has the effect of forcing them to drink in unsupervised places such as fraternity houses or house parties, which can be very dangerous. Lowering the drinking age would create a safer drinking environment, creating a higher chance of adult supervision who will promote more responsible drinking among intoxicated teens. As stated in the PostStar article for the pros and cons of lowering the drinking age, “When adolescents are not taught to drink in moderation, they end up binge drinking.”
Why can’t eighteen year olds drink an alcohol beverage? Ever wonder if they can even handle drinking alcohol these days? Lowering the drinking age can cause a lot of problems to eighteen year olds who are excited for their first beer or whatever they are getting their hands on. The biggest question that should be asked is why should it be lowered? If they are trusted drinking alcohol at the age of 18 what can happen when they are extremely intoxicated at the young age of eighteen. Most high school seniors who are eighteen will be drinking and may go to their classes intoxicated and will or can cause a disturbance towards other students and may get arrested. People may think that eighteen year olds should be able to drinking because that’s the
Many people debate whether or not the drinking age should be lowered. While many feel that it should be lowered, the evidence is overwhelming that changing the drinking age to eighteen would be an extremely dangerous decision. Allowing teens to consume alcohol can make them more vulnerable to drugs and substance abuse, unplanned and unprotected sex, depression, violence, and other social
Car crashes, sexual assaults, domestic abuse, and alcohol poisoning are just a few of the reasons why people under the age of 21 are devastated by the illegal use of alcohol. Alcohol is the first drug choice by the nation’s youth; which could often lead to consequences. The legal drinking age should stay at twenty-one because it betters brain development and lessens violent assaults.
The human body does not fully develop, both physically and mentally, until a person is in their early twenties. Several research organizations, including Mothers Against Drunk Driving, have found that, “Excessive alcohol abuse can lead to permanent brain damage while negatively affecting a person’s memory, motor skills, and test-taking abilities,” (Minimum Drinking Age). Since alcohol has such drastic effects on the human body and its ability to function properly, we cannot allow teenager full access to it under any circumstance. Supporters of the 21-and-over drinking age are quick to get behind research that has discovered, “Alcohol use could severely damage teenagers more-sensitive livers,” (Minimum Drinking Age). I think teenagers need to have a better understanding of what they are putting in their bodies, especially if they are ingesting alcohol. If they don’t understand what the harmful ingredients and chemicals in alcohol can do to them, they could end up with serious health problems. The United States has been debating this topic for such a long time that we have lost sight of what is truly important: the safety of the younger generation and how we can maintain
Drinking when you’re a teenager may affect how you deal with your emotions. When moving into adulthood a teenager is going through many phases and issues. Without your proper emotions it would be hard to understand what you are going through. Also, a teenager’s immune system is not prepared for the effects of alcohol. If a teen waits for later when their immune system is developed they will handle alcohol better whereas, if they drink during teenage years their minds will not be focused and could affect their daily life. Media and peer pressure is also forcing teenagers to drink. Majority of teenage drinkers are pressured if we increase the drinking age to 21 teenagers will not be pressurized and they will be mature enough to make their own decisions. According to pbskids.org “Adults have lived longer, and so they are supposed to be better at making decisions and judgments, like whether one has had too much to drink. Young people may be more influenced by alcohol advertising, and might be quicker to let the media influence their decisions about drinking.” (It's My Life. Body. Alcohol. Your Questions | PBS Kids GO! (n.d.). Retrieved March 23, 2017, from http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/body/alcohol/article8.html). As shown by PBS Kids adults have set themselves for a healthier future by not drinking at a young age. Overall, drinking at a young age can have terrible long-term effects and it
Some say teens naturally overdo it and that’s why the age limit is where it’s at. Let me tell you the real reason the drinking age is 21 and why an age limit isn’t the solution to teenage drunk driving.
Drinking among teenagers is prone to cause long term damages in their life. At the adolescent stage, teenagers brain are still developing up until the they are in the 20’s. It is a fact that alcohol causes brain damages to anyone who consumes it but because of this occurrence in adolescent’s body,they are more affected by this. According to Saner in the article Health: Drunk young things: Teenage drinkers don 't just risk making fools of
Lowering the drinking age to eighteen years old would be medically careless. One widely noted reason for keeping the drinking age at twenty one has to do with alcohol effects on the brain. A human brain is not fully developed until the age of twenty or twenty one. During this period of adolescence major changes in brain structure and function are taking place. Consuming alcohol during this time may interfere
Alcohol leads to other drugs and substance abuse, too. If the drinking age were to lower to eighteen, this would not change the actions of young partiers. “Alcohol should be forbidden to 18- to 20-year-olds precisely because they have a propensity to binge drink whether the stuff is illegal or not—especially males” (Main). Drinking alcohol usually leads to other illegal substances. “Youths who report drinking prior to the age of 15 are more likely to develop substance abuse problems, to engage in risky sexual behavior, and to experience other negative consequences in comparison to those who begin at a later time” (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).
http://www.alcoholism.tqn.com/library/weekly/aa022697.htm?pid=2750&cob=home. Whether a crime was committed intentionally or unintentionally has great bearing on the decision of a jury in finding a person guilty of a crime and/or on the judge's choice of punishment. You might have heard of husbands apologizing to their wives the day after they've beaten them. Their apology might sound something like, "I'm so sorry. I did not mean to hurt you, I swear!" Does alcohol have the capability to make a person forget? Can a person be unaware of his surroundings and yet still be able to interact with it? More importantly, can alcohol change a person's personality enough that it would cause him to do things
There are many arguments on why the legal drinking age should be lowered to eighteen. To some, lowering the drinking age to eighteen makes sense and to others it does not make sense at all. Most people believe that if eighteen year olds are old enough to make big decisions such as enlist in the Army, Navy, or other Military services then eighteen year olds are old enough to drink also. Not only does lowering the legal drinking age put the drinker at harm but also the people around the drinker. There are so many reasons why the legal drinking age should not be lowered, never less, three valid and proven reasons why the legal drinking age should not be lowered is, the effect on the brain, the safety of the drinker and the people around them, and the number of deaths that will increase.
As I was browsing through numerous websites that explained the major effects of alcohol on the teenage brain, I was amazed. The brain undergoes vigorous changes throughout teenage adolescence, and alcohol abuse can seriously injure long-term and short-term growth processes. Frontal lobe development and the refinement of pathways and connections continue until the age of sixteen, and a high rate of energy is used as the brain matures until the age of twenty. Damage from alcohol at this time can be long-term damages. Not only that, these damages are generally irreversible.
What would happen to you if you were drinking at 18 and you got injured? 18-year-olds are looking to get drunk, not just drink. Most of the college or high school kids are trying to get drunk. For most college kids they drink when they are under age at college parties. 18-year-olds aren't fully physically and mentally developed. The common age that someone is fully developed is at the age of 25. 18-year-olds would have a hard time in school. Most 18 year olds are still in high school or have just started college. Most people who drink have hangovers and that would make your day a lot harder. The drinking age should continue to stay at 21 years old.