Should The Drinking Age Be Lowered?

Today’s teenager are look down upon regarding their behavior and ability to control themselves around alcohol beverage. In the article "Perils of Prohibition," by Elizabeth Whelan argues that the legal age to drink is not set to the appropriate age because moderate drinking for teens will help them be disciplined and actually take control of their life. He hopes to persuade her readers to speak out in favor of reforming the drinking age in the United States. Whelan provided valid argument for teenagers under the age of 21 with disciplined attitude towards alcohol and provides some compelling insights on the success of moderate drinking.

Most people would concur that alcohol should not be given to teenagers. Despite the fact that we concede to this essential truth, underage drinking is still a noteworthy issue in our nation. Since adolescents need development and information with regards to liquor, they put themselves, as well as others in incredible danger when they decide to consume. Regardless of the risk, there are individuals out there who believe that the drinking age should be lowered.

In recent discussions of the drinking age limit, people have always said that the drinking age limit should be lowered. Some may argue that alcohol is not bad and that it can actually be beneficially. Many people would want the drinking age limit to be lowered so that it is legal for young adults to drink. If the drinking age limit were to be lowered there would be a drastic difference in society. In my perspective I will argue that the drinking age limit should not be lowered.

An abundance of people start to drink during young adulthood. In the last 30 days roughly 39% of high schoolers drank some amount of alcohol (CDC). Alcohol has been around for tens of thousands of years and it’s always been an underlying issue. My question is, “Why should we lower the legal drinking age”? Current proposals to lower the minimum legal drinking age to 18 would have some benefits like increasing revenue for bars and liquor stores. However the risks surpass the benefits. Many people think that if you’re 18 you’re portrayed as an adult, you’re old enough to serve your country, vote, and make your own decisions. In some cases this could be true, but lowering the drinking age would be way too risky for themselves and others. There was a telephone survey done in Princeton, NJ on July 12-15, 2007 that questioned 1,001 people 18 and older if the minimum legal drinking age should be lowered to 18. The results were 77% of the people said that they would disagree with this proposal, and only 22% said that they would support it (Carroll). The minimum drinking age of 21 should not be lowered to 18, because 18 year olds tend to drink in a different way than more matured adults drink. They’re irresponsible when it comes to drinking because they drink to get drunk. As a result, there are more DUI arrests, the motor vehicle accident rate increases, and binge drinking raises health concerns.

Should the United States follow other countries in their quest to end the debate on the drinking age? The United States can take a look at other States such as: Germany, the Netherlands and France, and see how successful they are. Many teenagers would jump on the bandwagon of lowering the drinking age just because they want to have the ability to drink, the argument of being able to die for the United States but can’t drink and it would take away the “Forbidden Fruit” of drinking. Much of the older generations would jump on the bandwagon of keeping the drinking age the same because they had to wait to drink, because drinking has adverse effects on the brain and drinking could lead to binge drinking.

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

Changes are taking place to prevent and minimize binge drinking. Colleges, Mothers Against Drunk Driving program, community and even parents are now realizing how crucial their involvement is in order to improve the situation. Law enforcement has also stepped up their game by ensuring local establishments, especially those around college campuses and high schools, abide by the rules, and punishing those adults who are willing to break them. They constantly patrol areas known to be used for “breaking the law” to create a safer environment for those around (4).

A study on teen drinking by the Joseph Raintree Foundation described underage drinking as, “a social activity usually undertaken by small groups of close friends, well away from the oversight of parents or other significant adults.” This kind of unsupervised drinking takes place because Americans place such a heavy emphasis on young people not drinking, catalyzed by zero-tolerance policies schools place on alcohol and a high MLDA. American youth are frequently told that with age, comes more freedom of choice and more responsibility, yet having a MLDA of 21 betrays that notion, almost encouraging young adults to reach for the so-called

Should the minimum legal drinking age be lowered? Many people believe 18 yr olds are immature, and cannot handle the responsibility of alcohol. However that is just a biased idea placed on the minds of people by meaningless reality TV, a few irresponsible teens, other media sources.By lowering the MLDA (minimum legall drinking age) the thrill of breaking the law will be lessened, and if 18 year olds are allowed to decide who runs our country, serve in the armed forces, and overall be concidered a legal adult,they should be allowed to drink in moderation, by allowing teens to drink at age 18 the dangers of drinking will considerably be lowered.

Why can’t eighteen year olds drink an alcohol beverage? Ever wonder if they can even handle drinking alcohol these days? Lowering the drinking age can cause a lot of problems to eighteen year olds who are excited for their first beer or whatever they are getting their hands on. The biggest question that should be asked is why should it be lowered? If they are trusted drinking alcohol at the age of 18 what can happen when they are extremely intoxicated at the young age of eighteen. Most high school seniors who are eighteen will be drinking and may go to their classes intoxicated and will or can cause a disturbance towards other students and may get arrested. People may think that eighteen year olds should be able to drinking because that’s the

It is no secret that underage drinking is rampant in the United States. Though it’s illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to buy or possess alcohol, people under the age of 21 accounts for 17.5% of consumer spending for alcohol nationwide and 90% of that is consumed through binge drinking (Tracy). According to the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, about 9.3 million Americans between ages 12-20 report current alcohol consumption (Distillers Fighting). With alcohol being one the most commonly abused drugs and soon to pass tobacco on the cause of death list, the pose the questions that if lowering the drinking age could actually increase responsible alcohol intake.

"This law has been an abysmal failure. It hasn't reduced or eliminated drinking. It has simply driven it underground, behind closed doors, into the most risky and least manageable of settings,"(Debate) said John McCardell of “Choose Responsibility”. Choose Responsibility is a non-profit organization that is for lowering the drinking age to 18. Young adults can vote, fight and die for their country overseas, and purchase tobacco at age 18, but why cannot they have a beer? Drinking among the youth in the United States has escalated to dangerous levels such as binge drinking, reckless parties, and even death. The average age when kids take their first sip of alcohol is a staggering 14 years of age (Debate). The legal drinking age of

The question on weather the Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA) should be lowered has elicited much debate in the recent years. The proponents to the proposal of lowering the MLDA argue that setting it at 21 years has not resulted in the control of underage drinking, but has instead led to cases of binge drinking which leads to health and life threatening behavior among the teens. The opponents, on the other hand, argue that at 18 years, the teens have not attained an age where they can responsibly handle drinking. As a result they have higher tendency to harm or kill themselves or others by drinking. The opponents also cite the fact that traffic fatalities and accidents have drastically reduced with a higher MLDA. The MLDA should not be lowered since it would lead to more problems for the teens and society in general.

Do you think the legal drinking age should be lowered to 18? About 29 people die under the influence every day. We could lower this number if we knew that these people were drinking. We wouldn’t have teens trying to hide the fact that they were drinking under age. The drinking age should be lowered to 18 because young adults will still be living at home and are able to learn the responsibility of drinking with their parents’ guidance, at 18 they are given many freedoms and responsibilities that it make sense to lower the age, and giving young adults a law they cannot break often times encourages them to break it anyway.