Pros And Cons Of Drinking Age In The United States

In 1984 Ronald Reagan proposed a new law that declared that the legal drinking age must raised up to 21 instead of the age of 18. The law was forced upon the states by threatening them by stating that the government will reduce their highway funding until the states passed the law. Of course all the states eventually change their legal drinking age to 21. Some critics believe that this law’s results have been very successful, however the law possesses many insecurities, but certain programs can be arranged to help educate teenagers on alcohol.

There are several controversies in the world today, but one that really catches my attention is on the topic of whether or not the drinking age in the United States should be lowered from 21 to 18. Many people have debated about this topic for several years, and there are several different opinions on this topic. Some people think it is dangerous to lower the drinking age; some people support it. Some children think it is stupid to lower the drinking age; some children support it. However, I strongly believe that the legal drinking age should be lowered from 21 to 18 for several reasons, such as 18 year olds are allowed to do several other adult activities, other countries have the legal age at 21, and people who are under the age of 18 are still going to drink alcohol whether it is illegal or not.

Everyone in today’s society knows that the minimum legal drinking age in the U.S. is 21. But nobody really knows why. In the year 1984, President Reagan informed the states that if they didn’t change their drinking age to 21, they would lose 10% of their federal funding for their highways(Why is the Drinking Age 21?). In fear of losing their funding, all the states changed their MLDA (minimum legal drinking age) to 21, instead of 18. Some people were outraged that the age had been raised, and believed that if they were 18+ whenever the law was changed, they should still be able to purchase alcohol. However, the states disagreed. There are many different opinions on the MLDA. Many people believe that it should be lowered back down to 18, while some people believe even 21 is almost too young. But what are these people’s arguments?

In over 100 countries across the world, the act of legally possessing and consuming alcohol is permissible below the age of 21, most often within the age range of 18-20. Nevertheless, there are many additional countries such as Spain and Haiti, which enforce a minimum age of 16 years among citizens. With the ratification of the controversial 1984 National Minimum Drinking Age Act, the United States federal government now requires each state to conform to the drinking age restriction of 21, or otherwise endure a penalty, encompassing a 10% reduction of federal highway transportation funds, attributed to the state in violation. Unfortunately, despite the conviction that a higher minimum drinking age prevents destructive, irrational actions conducted as a product of holding an underdeveloped brain, this federal ruling not only increases the seductive temptation of underage drinking, but additionally and equally promotes organized crime within the United States-a toxic societal conflict which would effectively be negated by a reduction of the minimum federal drinking age.

In the united state, anyone after the age of eighteen is considered as an adult. They are expected to be counted as a responsible grown person, which means that one is responsible for making their own decisions, education, bills, and goals. Also, at the age of eighteen in the united state; a person can vote and enlist to fight and protect for the love of their home country, but they are not allowed to have a drink of a beer legally. In the article “The Gallup Briefing” by author Carroll agrees that if the government lowered the drinking age from twenty-one to eighteen the number of young people who gets hurt from alcohols or other related accidents that happens due to fear of legal consequences would decrease lot faster. Even though, the government have ruled the drinking at twenty-one, personally, I strongly agree with the statement by author Carroll. For that reason, I will be discussing about the goods and bad of lowering the drinking age, and the consequences that has among people and surrounding.

Students in states with a minimum legal drinking age of 18 had a 13 times greater chance of dropping out of high school compared to states with a minimum legal drinking age of 21 (CDC). More than ninety percent of the alcohol consumed by those under the age of 21 are consumed by binge drinkers (CDC). There were 189,000 emergency department visits by teens under the age of 21 for injuries and other conditions linked with alcohol consumption (CDC). The list of facts and statistics goes on and on about underage drinking, although in neighboring countries with a lower legal drinking age theses statistics are way higher. Although some believe that the United States drinking age should be lowered to 18 when one is legally considered an adult, in

In the United States, when a man or women turn eighteen they are considered an adult. Being eighteen, they are not acknowledged as teenagers anymore. They have more freedom and more opportunities to become independent. Some of the opportunities an eighteen years old are given are the right to vote, open bank accounts, lease their own apartment or join the military. They have equal opportunities like adults over the age of twenty-one. However, anyone between the age of eighteen through twenty are not allowed to purchase alcoholic beverages or attend bars because they are considered underage. Anyone between the age of eighteen and twenty should not be denied the right purchase alcoholic beverage. They are mature and well aware of the consequences alcohol leads to. Allowing the legal drinking age to lower to eighteen, it will decrease unsafe drinking activities, decrease misdemeanors, and also decrease the percentage of drunk driving accidents. People are considered adults by the time they are eighteen they should have the equal right as any other adults, despite of their age.

In the United States when a person reaches eighteen they are considered an adult in the eyes of the law. Being an adult in the eyes of the law means mature enough to vote, buy cigarettes, be charged as an adult for crime, even enlist for the Military. The law says an eighteen-year-old is mature enough to make life-altering choices, but is not yet ready to consume or purchase alcohol (“Drinking Age is 21 For a Reason”). There has been an ongoing controversy in the United States on whether the drinking age should be depressed to eighteen like most of the world has it or if it should remain at twenty-one. In our society today, this topic has caused much of a stir due to its major controversy when in all actuality the answer is clear; the legal drinking age should be lowered.

Ten thousand four hundred ninety-seven. This is the number of people who died in 2016 from drunk-driving related accidents (“Motor Vehicle Safety”). People have brought up the debate about lowering the drinking age once again. The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 originally raised it from eighteen to twenty-one years old. The government convinced everyone to raise each of theirs by threatening to lower their state’s federal transportation funds. Some states have exceptions to this law in appropriate situations ("Background Of The Issue - Minimum Legal Drinking Age - Procon.Org."). Lawmakers should not approve of lowering the minimum legal drinking age because it would otherwise result in more deaths, higher risk for younger kids,

Since 1984, the United States’ legal drinking age has been twenty-one, as stated in the National Minimum Drinking Age Act (NMDAA). Before this, age restrictions varied from state to state, ranging from eighteen to twenty-one. The age restriction was set at twenty-one when an increase in alcohol-related car accidents came about, and the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) insisted on a change (Minimum Drinking Age). This change was made solely on car accidents due to eighteen to twenty year olds under the influence. When we reach the age of eighteen, we are automatically allowed to vote, serve in the military, serve on juries, and in some states: gamble, consent to sexual acts legally, and purchase handguns (Carpenter and Dobkin). At fifteen years, most states allow us to operate a vehicle with a guardian, later driving by ourselves at sixteen. Per the laws made for rights given at eighteen, this is the age when we become legal adults. The United States should model other countries and lower the legal drinking age to eighteen because it would reduce teenage rebellion, lower the risk to others on the road, and decrease fake

Should the age drinking be lowered in the US to 18 years old? For the past 25 years there has been a lot of talk about changing the drinking age limit. Some States back in the 1970’s try this approach and weren’t successful. Evidence show that between 1970 and 1975, the states that lowered their minimum legal drinking age to 18 suffered significant teenage traffic fatalities. Young teens have not reached an age where they can handle alcohol responsibly and are more likely to harm themselves or someone else by drinking before they turn 21. This led to a movement to reestablish the minimum legal age drinking back 21. 16 states increase their drinking age to 21 between 1976 and 1983. In 1984 The Federal Uniform Drinking Age Act signed by President Ronald Reagan put a stop to all this changes. He threatened to hold back all highway construction funds from all the states that did not increase their drinking age. By 1988 all stated had a minimum legal drinking age of 21. Does the minimum legal drinking age help

Eighteen should be the legal age of adults in United States for using alcohol. There are three reasons to support this contention. First of all, the development of people’s brain will not be completed until people become 25 years old. Therefore, although drinking alcohol may cause some affects the brain, there is no evidence of huge brain destruction, alcohol dependency, or alcohol misuse, which the experts tell us will be the undeniable result of the lowering the age in the United States. Moreover, the prohibition should not be imposed on young people because using alcohol is belong to a person’s consciousness, nor it is belong to an behavior. Second, there are fewer traffic accidents by drunk drivers in many nations with Minimum Legal Drinking Age of 18 (MLDA) than in The United States. In fact, many traffic accidents from driving do not come from drinking, they come from other reasons, which are speeding, distracted driving, and traffic occurrences. In addition, some States denied the lowering minimum drinking age because they will not have ten percents traffic funding from the government, so this purpose is not unfair for people who turn in to eighteen. As shown above, lowering minimum drinking age should be considered explicitly. Last, law of government allows people to go to the army at eighteen because they can sacrifice for their country. In fact, that young people are risking their life with other agents more dangerous than alcohol agents. People who are attending

When should you be able to drink alcohol? Should you have to wait until you are 21? After research there has been a lot of mixed opinions on the matter. Some say wait until your brain is more developed and you are 21. Others say if you are considered an adult when you are 18 and going off to college among other things you are legally allowed to do at 18 why not just add consuming alcohol to the list. This is an important question and needs to be answered because some people are becoming restless when it comes to this topic. People should be able to drink at 19 because you are out of highschool and adult enough to do all of this other things.

In the United States once you turn 18 you are considered an adult, so why is it that we cannot drink until we are 21. Once you turn 18 you can vote, die for your country and do almost whatever you want to your body without your parents’ consent and drinking should be a part of that category as well. As we all know keeping the drinking age at 21 does not stop the consuming of alcohol with teens. It only makes teens drink behind closed doors or hind it from their parents or the police making for unsafe environments. It also encourages teen binge drinking because when they get an alcohol they consume it right away making them drink more to get rid of the alcohol so parents or cops don’t catch them with illegal beverage.

The legal drinking age in America has been 21 for about 32 years. There are many discussions going around about the pros and cons of lowering it back down to 18. While drinking alcohol under the age of 21 is illegal in america, does it really stop teenagers from drinking before they turn 21? Some states have have exceptions of this law for specific reasons which are, at home, under adult supervision, religion, and other reasons.