Essay On Drinking Under The Drinking Age

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.

Some argument for lowering the drinking age claim that alcohol is more enticing to youths when they can’t have it, and if the legal age was lowered there would be less underage drinking problems. Studies and history have proven this wrong (Fell, James: Debating Reform). Before the drinking age was raised in the U.S. there was a larger underage drinking problem, and over twice as many fatal alcohol related accidents as today.

They are not getting the right to drink freely and so they go out and deviate from the laws. Professor Engs has tested this theory by using a student alcohol questionnaire. The questionnaire tested 3,375 students that were both underage and of legal age. The questionnaire showed that 81.2% of the underage students were drinkers, which was compared to the legal age students that had a percentage of 75.3%. Out of the 81.2% of the underage drinkers about 24% of them are heavy drinkers. This compares the lower percentage of heavy drinkers that are legal age; they only have a percentage rate of 15.93%.

Stating that drinking at a younger age causes more health hazards proves that having the drinking age higher would be safer for oneself and the community as a whole. In addition, younger adults could easily become exposed to alcoholism. It is stated by the National Highway Institute in a study done on alcohol abuse among teens that “the overall risk for alcoholism decreases 14 percent with each year of age that drinking is postponed” (Boulard 52). The drinking age should not be lowered because the higher the drinking age, the less risk there is for alcoholism. Not only does drinking cause health related problems, but it also produces risks of injury or death. It has been proven that “youth alcohol use contributes to higher incidences of drunk driving, traffic accidents, unwanted pregnancies, and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)…” (“Update: Alcohol Issues” 1-2). Not only is underage drinking illegal, but drinking and driving is as well. Therefore, maintaining the drinking age would prevent the number of accidents and deaths. However, some believe that drinking wine is good for the heart. This is only true for drinking in moderation. If one drinks more than a couple of glasses, this does not go into effect, and the number of bad health related consequences outnumbers the good. Studies have shown that “The lower death rate among moderate drinkers is due to the reduction in heart disease, specifically atherosclerosis or

Realistically, teenagers are going to drink no matter what. The minimum drinking age debate in America seems to primarily revolve around one issue: drunk driving. The increased minimum drinking age does not solve the problem of drunk driving in any real way, it just shifts drunk driving deaths into a slightly older age group. Additionally, because teenagers are afraid of getting caught drinking, many end up drinking large amounts of alcohol in short

In addition, these underage drinkers do not know when they will be able to obtain alcohol again. As a result, underage drinkers are more likely to drink irresponsibly than drinkers of age. In fact, thirty-two percent of underage drinkers have been involved in heavy drinking compared to the twenty-four percent of legal drinkers (Engs 1).

According to Engs, teenagers under the age of 21 are more like to be ‘binge’ drinkers. Binge drinking means that you consume over 5 drinks at least once a week. Engs claims that 22% of teeneagers under the age of 21 are heavy drinkers, whereas those of the age of 21 that drink heavily is only 18%. Also, among only drinkers, 32% of underage drinkers are heavy drinkers, while only 24% of legal age drinkers are heavy drinkers (Why the Drinking Age Should be Lowered). ProCon.org also argues that having the drinking age at 21 makes underage people think that being able to drink shows that they have reached the final stage of maturity (Drinking Age).

One of the main reasons why young teenagers drink is because of peer pressure. Some teens believe that all teenagers drink therefore they start drinking. Also some of their friends might drink and then they think that they have to drink to fit in. Teens are also influenced by parents. If their parents drink a lot they are more likely to drink

Let’s face it; alcohol is an excessively abused drug. Underage parties involving alcohol are increasing in popularity among high school and college-aged students. The drinking age should be lowered to 18 because adults can legally marry, begin a career and support a family, as well as serve in the military and prison. Along with these and many other reasons, the rebellious nature for wanting to participate in illegal activities is an immense driving force for why teens and young adults drink illegally.

Alcohol is consumed by people for many different reason such as celebrations, peer pressure, anxiety, boredom, sadness, insomnia, and rebellion. These are just a few reason why people may consume alcohol. The category of people also includes teenagers. Many on-going debates have flagged this question whether drinking should be lowered to eighteen or not? Citizens have gave details regarding the affirmative and negative views of the minimum drinking age be lowered to eighteen. Do you think that it is wise to lower the minimum age? Would you look at the negative and positive impacts? Is it more important to give our citizens these full rights? Currently, in the United States the legal drinking age is twenty-one. But as we all know many teenages are involved in underage drinking. But the main question is why? Why do these teenagers drink illegally?

Also the lowering of the age can cause the teen to see using alcohol less dangerous than it actually is and could result in the person getting drunk often without seeing the risks on it and could end up hurting him/her self or the people that surround him or her under the influence and could result in serious consequences this is seen in the article Should the Drinking Age Be Lowered from 21 to a Younger Age? by Tamika C.B. Zapolski .

Simultaneously, accidents involving automobiles without a doubt are devastating. How would one feel if a loved one was killed in a collision due to an intoxicated driver? Wouldn’t the individual want to do something about it? The death of the Candy Lightner’s daughter lead to her development of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and the 1984 National Minimum Drinking Age Act. This act gave full federal highway funds only to states that set the minimum age to purchase or consume alcohol at twenty-one years (Sanghavi). Once all states raised their MLDA to twenty-one years, drunk-driving accidents and deaths decreased. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the reduction in traffic fatalities due to the legal drinking age of twenty-one prevented 846 deaths in 1997 and prevented a total of 17,359 deaths since 1975 (Balkin 168). This single statistic shows that automobile accidents have substantially decreased in response to the authorization of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act. In addition, the average teenager earns their drivers license at the age of seventeen. This being said, allowing a young driver with only one years experience (excluding a learners permit) to legally consume alcohol would surely be an irresponsible decision. Most people know

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).

Teens have emotional reasons for drinking alcohol. Teens choose to drink to relax and allow their bodies to unwind after a stressful day. Teenagers also choose drinking as a way to escape the harsh realities of the world such as, problems at home and

18 to 20 year olds are starting to drink now, lowering the drinking age to 18 will provide 15 to 17 year olds the opportunity to start drinking as well. The human mind does not reach complete intellectual development until between the ages 21-25. So by allowing people younger than the age of 21 to drink alcohol that would be allowing them to make poor decision that could affect their lives