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Lowering The Drinking Age At 21

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The current drinking age in America is 21 years of age. The laws around the drinking age have changed with time. In 1984 the National Minimum Drinking Age Act was put into place which required states to raise their drinking age 21 or they would lose 10 percent of their highway funds. When year 1987 came around every state was compliant. The drinking age can be a controversial topic. Some think the drinking age should be lowered to 18 while others think it should remain 21. Although there are mixed opinions, the drinking age should stay at 21, because of the many dangers it would bring to society if it were lowered. The drinking age being lowered to the age of 18 years old, would allow minors a greater chance of obtaining alcohol. This issue would arise, because some 18 years olds are still in high school, in turn making them a part of the teenage community. Often minors reach out to older age groups to get their hands on alcohol. For example if someone was of age to purchase alcohol while still in high school they could seek acceptance from their younger peers by supplying them with alcohol. This specific situation is common in Australia. The term used to describe this is known as secondary supply. In the article “Alcohol and Young People: What the Legislation Says About Access and Secondary Supply”, the writers Roche, Steenson, and Andrew state “Consumption generally occurs under parental surveillance in private homes, with adolescents aged 12–17 obtaining alcohol from a

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