Lowering The Drinking Age

I realize that lowering the drinking age could be very dangerous and could potentially lead to children drinking at an even earlier age than now, but it will eventually become safer for everyone. Jeffrey Tucker states, “It would put an end to the perverse culture of secretiveness and abuse that has grown up around underage drinking. It would allow bars and restaurants to become ‘safe spaces’ for college-age students to drink and Uber home if they need to” (Minimum Legal Drinking Age). Tucker is completely true when he says this because children would no longer have to be secretive and put themselves at risk by drinking. If you had a child, would you want him sneaking

Underage drinking was, is, and always will be a problem. No matter the drinking age, teenagers will find a way to score some alcohol somewhere. Many college students actually invest in fake ID’s. This is a common way for people underage to acquire alcohol. The maturity level of teenagers is not great enough to withstand the power to buy alcohol. Teenagers are less responsible and there are studies that show it. A study commenced by “dui.drivinglaws.org” recorded that seventeen percent of fatal accidents happen from underage drunk drivers. If the law was lowered it would be medically irresponsible. The brain of young adults is nowhere near fully developed as a teenager.

The U.S doesn’t have a minimum drinking age, states are allowed to set the limits where they choose, but each state chooses to be the same. The U.S. is only one of four nations worldwide with a drinking age as high as 21. Excessive alcohol consumption contributes to more than 4,300 deaths among underage youth. “In 2012, nearly ¾ of students have consumed alcohol by the end of high school and more than 1/3 have done so by 8th grade.” Even though the minimum legal drinking age is 21, many under 21 still consume alcohol at some point. In fact, underage drinking is overwhelmingly common among college students. If anything, the high drinking age only drives young people to consume more alcohol. "The evidence is clear that there would be consequences if we lowered the legal drinking age," said study researcher William DeJong of Boston University School of Public Health. The decrease in drinking and driving problems are the result of many factors and not just the rise in purchase age or the decreased per capita consumption. These include: education concerning drunk driving, designated driver programs, increased seat belt and air bag usage, safer automobiles, lower speed limits, free taxi services from drinking establishments, etc. William DeJong states, “ despite its demonstrated effectiveness, the law does strike some people as unfair.” More

"Adults under 21 are able to vote, sign contracts, serve on juries, and enlist in the military, but are told that they are not mature enough to have a beer?," said Ruth C. Engs, a professor of Applied Health Sciences at Indiana University (Engs). No matter what is done, teenagers and young adults all over America are going to drink if they want to. The question is, why can 't they start legally drinking when they enter adulthood? An alternative to simply lowering the minimum legal drinking age could be thought of, such as, having a learner 's permit for responsible drinking for people between the ages of 18-21. In other cultures where the minimum legal drinking age is lower, there is not as large of a problem with drinking. Lowering the minimum legal drinking age would stop criminalizing a large amount of people for the minor crime of underage drinking, which on your record makes it hard for young people to apply for jobs or apply to colleges.

According to Alexis Aguirre in The University Star, “Keeping the minimum legal drinking age at 21 will not dissuade young people who want to indulge in reckless alcohol intake. If anything, the age limit encourages binge drinking. Lowering the drinking age could make it easier to regulate consumption among younger adults as well as encourage healthy drinking habits” (Aguirre). Sure enough, if the drinking age were lowered to 18 it would avoid the illegal, abused intake of alcohol by 18 year olds. According to the U.S Department of Health and Human Services, “Each year, approximately 5,000 young people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking” (U.S Department of Health and Human Services). A way of avoiding such tragedies is lowering the drinking age to 18, teaching younger

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

Unsupervised and driven underground, underage drinking has gained widespread popularity in America’s youth, even claiming victims such as the former President Bush’s 19 year-old daughter. At 18 years of age, a citizen can purchase a gun and tobacco, enlist in the military, get married, vote, and be tried as an adult in court but yet as an “adult” they still do not possess the right to purchase nor consume alcohol legally. The drinking age should be lowered to 18 years of age because adults should be able to make their own decisions, it is safer for the youth in America, and with alcohol education classes instilled in schools at a young age, the younger citizens will be exposed to responsible drinking habits so it reduces the enticement factor

Almost everyone can agree that children and young adults should not drink alcohol until they reach a certain age. Alcohol is a very dangerous substance when it is used incorrectly and immaturely. This can have some very dangerous consequences to anyone who is drinking or anyone around them. This is one of the reasons for the drinking age being 21 in all of the 50 States. Evan though the drinking age has changed many times over the years. This is one instance where civil disobedience should not be exercised. Because of how dangerous underage drinking is to the individual and others who are around that person.

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).

If the drinking age were to be lowered it would satisfy the American right of all young adults. This is because young adults can vote, join the army and even live on their own. Given all these mature responsibilities that teenagers are expected to engage in, it would only make sense if they too could drink legally. Additionally, at eighteen, it is legal to buy a pack of cigarettes even though smoking has proven to cause more deaths in America than alcohol. Lastly, if the ban on drinking at eighteen was lifted, then there would be a higher obligation for safety taught to young teens, therefore creating fewer accidents and

Alcoholism affects so many people in the United States due to accidents and much more but, many people say once teens turn 18 they should be able to do whatever they want, If they are able to vote, purchase nicotine products and become our troops, etc. So why not be able to drink? The drinking age has become a more controversial issue lately. There are many reasons of why the drinking age should not be lowered but if the drinking age was to be lowered to eighteen, fatalities would increase and more death cases would occur and also create health issues. Statistics say “The strongest evidence in favor of keeping the MLDA at 21 comes from the research that shows that raising the MLDA in 1984 saved approximately 25,000 lives, primarily by reducing alcohol-related traffic fatalities” In a study made by Nancy Barnett, The minimum age debate, it explains how many lives were saves since the drinking age was raised to twenty one (U.S. D.O.T., 2007). Because of proof of how many lives were saved by the drinking age increased the twenty one, why would we lower the age instead of avoiding an increase of death mortalities and health issues. Also lowering the drinking age, it would give younger teens to get their hands on alcohol. For example, once a teen has gotten intoxicated they are going to attempt to drive while intoxicated and putting their lives in harm and others out there and this creates problems because they are not in the correct

Many under the age of 21 are getting in trouble with the law in alcohol related incidents, which wouldn?t take place if the drinking age was lowered. Many underage drinkers drink in more dangerous places in order to avoid law enforcement. "... when these young adults ?drink on the sly in unsupervised settings, they are

Underage drinking is becoming more of a noticeable problem in society, not only with high school students, but also with younger generations. Drinking is all over the television, the radio, and talked about in schools, public places, etc. Alcohol advertisements are more and more appealing to younger generations. If our youth is educated at a younger age, if school policies were stricter, and if clubs and bars cracked down on underage drinking the problem would not be as serious.

Throughout each year, more and more teenagers exploit the system and get their hands on alcohol somehow. I’ve seen first hand how teenagers can get their hands on alcohol, fake ID, lying about the age, and sometimes people selling will even give it to them regardless. The local, state, and federal government try their best to contain and reduce the situation they deal with on the daily. If the this great countries government can’t handle the situation then the drinking age should be lowered.Drinking alcohol is an enjoyable activity. 18-to 20-year-old adults should not be denied that enjoyment when other pleasurable activities are legal at age 18.

There are several causes for underage drinking. Something as simple as a friend allowing another friend that has not tried alcohol before to have a taste can turn in to underage drinking. “In the United States, 20% of youth aged 12 to 20 years old drink alcohol” (National Survey on Drug Use and Health). Underage drinking increases the risks for alcohol abuse or dependence increases. “Youth who start drinking before age 15 years old are six times more likely to develop alcohol dependence or abuse later in life than those who begin drinking at or after age 21 years old” (Center for Disease Control). Underage drinking is an eerie thing to think about. It is so real in society and has been for a long time. Though underage drinking is an active problem, the numbers have declined in recent years. “54% decrease in underage drinking among 8th graders, 40% decrease in underage drinking among 10th graders, and 25% decrease in underage drinking among 12th graders in the past decade” (2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health). If underage drinking continues to decline, underage drinking could possibly be gone before