The debate of the drinking age has been long discussed throughout America. The drinking age has been 21 for the last 22 years, and people around the country have wondered weather or not this was the right call. People say that 18 year olds may not be mature enough to drink alcohol and might not know when to stop. It isn’t that teenagers don’t know how to stop, but rather have not been properly taught when enough has been consumed or how to drink responsibly. Changing the drinking age from 21 to 18 years old will take the thrill that teens get from breaking the law while drinking, will no longer give them the idea that drinking is the final stage of adulthood and full maturity, and will no longer force teenagers to drink in unsupervised …show more content…
Once an adolescent reaches the age of 18, they have the ability to join or be drafted into the military, vote, buy tobacco, get married, serve on a jury, sign contracts and be prosecuted as adults. They have all of these rights, so why is it that the only thing an 18 year old can’t do is drink alcohol? Once you hit the age of 18, you are an adult, and should be treated as an adult, so therefore you should be trusted enough that you can make your own decisions on how much alcohol should be consumed (Drinking Age).
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).
The drinking age being at 21 causes a lot of 18-20 year olds to drink in unsupervised areas. For example, not letting an 18 year old drink at a bar, restaurant or any public location, means that they
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.
When people turn eighteen they are finally considered an adult. They can join the army, vote, buy cigarettes or tobacco products, get a tattoo and even die for our country. Although everyone considers that person to be an adult, they are still not old enough to buy or consume alcohol. A person can be responsible enough to live on their own, make their own money, pay their own bills, and yet they are still not considered old enough to purchase or consume any type of alcohol. Lowering the drinking age to 18 would help prevent the crime and personal injuries that are caused by alcohol abuse.
Drinking age is not a strange phrase in our lives. Every time when we go to club or buy some liquor, we have to show our photo ID to prove that we have already 21 and we are legal to drink wine. I think this is a really good method to control drinking problem. Before I read these two articles which are “The 21-Year-Old Drinking Age: I Voted for it, It Doesn’t Work” by Dr. Morris E. Chafetz and “The Drinking Age of 21 Saves Lives” by Toben F. Nelson and Traci L. Toomey, I only felt that when people grow up they will have self-control to hold their desire for drinking and could decide whether it is appropriate to drink at that moment. I didn’t collect any data or information to support my opinion,
The legal drinking age in the United States is 21, while in other countries the legal age ranges from 16-18. The argument in the United States is “Should the United States lower its drinking age?” There are many sides to this argument but research has given many good points to back up both sides of the question. First thing is the difference between a teen’s brain with alcohol and an adult’s brain with alcohol. Another thing is drinking at a younger age can help teach culture. Lastly the more alcohol exposed the increase in death rate. I believe that it is a good idea to keep the legal drinking age at age 21 because in our past we have had many problems with death increases due to the drinking age being at different ages and the research used uses pathos, logos, ethos and Kairos to help persuade the reader support that 21 should stay the legal drinking age.
This is a proven fact. According to LiveScience.com, “"The brain of an 18-year-old college freshman is still far from resembling the brain of someone in their mid-twenties," said Craig Bennett” (Than). Eighteen year olds do not know how to control themselves when it comes to alcohol. They drink very irresponsibly, never knowing when to stop. At twenty-one most people have gone through it enough, that they know their limits and when to stop. Teenagers are not mature enough to make good decisions about alcohol. When one is at the age of eighteen, the brain is still developing and growing. When at the age of twenty-one the brain is pretty much done developing. Most eighteen year olds are either in high school about to graduate or already out. The majority of eighteen year olds go to college and since it is their first year, they usually go to a lot of parties and try to enjoy themselves. At twenty-one, the majority of people are in college and trying to get an education to make a career out of it. They usually have already done the whole party scene and are settling down and getting serious. Some eighteen year olds are still in high school, this would make it easier for younger high school kids to access alcohol. This would be dangerous not only for the kids but the eighteen year olds as well. This could get them in a lot of trouble with the law. This proves that twenty-one year olds are more mature than eighteen year
First, I will discuss why 18 year olds should be entitled to the right to consume alcohol when they hit adulthood, rather than waiting until the age of 21. When you turn 18 years old you’re allowed to vote in elections, get married, smoke, get tried in a court of law as an adult, gamble, get life insurance, and fight in the armed forces
Sub point A: Binge drinking is perhaps the greatest problem caused by the 21 year old drinking age. Since it is illegal to drink under the age of 21 people who do, do it in secret and leave it unmonitored by other adults. This is especially popular among college students. According to the American Journal of Public Health, published by Georges C.
When you are 18 you get privileges like being able to vote for a president. (Mitch Adams lowering the drinking age Page 1) When you turn 18 can go to war and take the risk of dying for your country. (Mitch Adams lowering the drinking age Page 1)Even after a long day of fighting you still can not just relax and have a cold beer. When you are 18 and go to court you are considered an adult (Valerie Richardson Coors Urges lower drinking age Page 2) and shouldn't an adult be
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
The United States drinking age throughout all 50 states has been the same since 1984 when a law was put in place by the U.S. Congress punishing all states who did not abide by the legal age limit of 21. Since this law was put into place, it has become one of the most widely studied laws in history. While there are many arguments and new bills being created to reduce this age, especially among college universities, all have failed to become law. Over half of adults agree that lowering the drinking age would increase binge drinking among teens, and 72% believe that it would make alcohol more accessible
In the United Sates, statistics show that the consumption of alcohol by minors has decreased in the last twenty years, but the consumption of alcohol by adults ages twenty-one through twenty-four have increased (Wechsler and Nelson 987). Waiting until you are twenty-one to legally drink is causing adults to binge drink without thinking of the consequences.
Over the years the drinking age or the drinking laws have been questioned and changed many times. For a few years now more recently question being, should the drinking age be lowered to eighteen? Or why shouldn’t it? In the United States, binge drinking has been a big problem. Its one of the top causes for traffic tragedies as well as other health issues that come along with it, especially among college students. However since the drinking age has changed from being 18 to 21 there has not been a change and or a decrease in deaths due to drunk driving accidents, suicide, homicide or delinquency. The drinking age should be lowered to eighteen because in the United States, eighteen is the age of adulthood and your mature enough to make these kinds of decisions.
The drinking age staying at the age of 21 is controversial because people are unclear of the health risks of drinking before the brain is fully developed. The strongest counter-argument is without teaching adolescents the impact and responsibility of consuming alcohol, binge drinking can occur, which is suggesting that binge drinking overall creates health risks at any age.
In addition, though the law may say the minimum drinking age is 21, we all know that individuals under the age of 21 still participate in the action of drinking, whether it be illegal or not. Yes, often times this can lead to binge drinking and troublesome situations for these
Unsupervised, underage drinking has become an epidemic throughout the world, but in the in America more than anywhere else. 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. In the United States, the legal drinking age for all 50 States and the District of Columbia is 21 years of age. The drinking age is 21 because the powers that control our government decided that when one becomes 21, one is magically transformed into a responsible person capable of handling the burden that comes with the right to consume alcohol. 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