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. The United States define an adult as …show more content…
Statistically speaking, there are 195 sovereign countries in the world and only 15 have drinking ages higher than the age of 18, that is only 7.8% of the world. There must be a good explanation for this phenomenon. Some of the most notable countries that have a lower drinking age than 21 are: Germany, France and Canada. There are a few countries that even allow you to buy alcohol at any age, such as: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Comoros and Guinea-Bissau. WHO has reported that Germany’s life expectancy for males is around 76 years old; the life expectancy of Germany seems especially high considering they can drink at a young age, which almost contradicts the American mindset on drinking. Many arguments against lowering the drinking age are legitimate arguments. Science has proven that alcohol can have adverse effects on the frontal lobe of the brain, which is the part of the brain that makes decisions. The frontal lobe is not fully developed until a person’s mid-20’s. “The potential for chronic problems such as greater vulnerability to addiction, dangerous risk-taking behavior, reduced decision-making ability, memory loss, depression, violence, and suicide is greater.” (Drinking Age ProCon.org). Statistics have proven that the younger you are, the more likely you are to binge drink. In the United
In conclusion by lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18 years of age, more positive outcomes exist than negative ones. A lower drinking age will allow for those of age to have a chance to learn a better sense of responsibility, decrease alcohol related incidents and provide several health benefits. As a legal adult those between the ages of 18 and 21 deserve the right to make the decision of whether they would like to participate in the consumption of alcohol or
In the U.S. the minimum drinking age is at 21 and I believe it should be lowered to 18. People 18 years and older are considered adults and should be treated as such by being allowed to legally purchase and consume alcohol. Lowering the drinking age will not only give 18-year-olds the rights and recognition they deserve as adults, but will also obliterate a largely ineffective law that only serves to create more red tape. At the age of 18, a U.S. citizen can vote in an election, defend and possibly die for their country and make all kinds of decisions regarding their life and body. If I want to vote democrat, I can. If I want ink up my body, I can. If I want to fill my lungs with smoke, I can do that too. Going wine tasting with some friends,
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.
There has been a debate on lowering the drinking age from twenty-one to eighteen. There are many reasons why this policy should not be passed. At the age of eighteen in the United States one is considered as an adult to make there own decisions, vote, and are allowed to buy Tabaco. Drinking is not one of them. Studies have shown that there are scientific reasons this should not happen. First drinking can be very harmful to the body, causing severe symptoms. Second the drinking and driving rate would increase. Finally, eighteen year olds are not as mature as twenty-one year olds. They are not as fully developed as twenty-one year olds. All of these are factors that contribute to why the drinking age should not be lowered.
In the United States, 18-year-olds are considered adults. They can vote, get married and get a license for a gun yet they are not allowed to drink. Many people think that the drinking age should be 18, but others strongly believe it should be 21 for doing all kinds of things. Drinking in the United States has become a controversy for the drinking age; 18 or 21. There are many reasons why the drinking age should stay the same and many of why it should be 18. Even though many Americans think that people under 21 do not have the capacity to handle drinking, in my opinion, drinking age should be lowered from 21 to 18 because teenagers at the age of 18 can make important decisions, so drinking should be a decision they can too decide whether to
It's false that the United States has a worse result from underage drinking than our European allies. Studies have shown that cities in Europe have more problems with injury, rape, school disputes, and underage drunkenness. It makes sense though with how much lower the maturation age frame of younger people is allowed to consume alcohol. In a recent ESPAD research study, they found a huge increase in 15-16 year-olds drinking in European countries compared to the U.S. which was one of the lowest in the percentile. This just shows how it could be if the United States were to give the younger generation the authorization to drink at an early age. This attracts even the younger age group to start consuming alcohol which is even scarier to think
Presently, the drinking age is 21 for all of the United States with some exceptions. There are seven countries in the world that have the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) at age 21 such as Pakistan, Indonesia and, Sri Lanka which is higher compared to the Western world (Hanson, n.d.). On the other side of the spectrum, there are 20 countries that do not have a MLDA including Vietnam, Armenia, Norway, and Ghana (Hanson, n.d.). In the case North America, Mexico has the legal drinking age is 18 and in Canada, it ranges from 18 – 19 depending on which providence one is in (Carpenter and Dobkin, 2011). With that said, the overwhelming majority of countries around the world have a MLDA of 18 years of age, the worldwide
The United States has been debating on whether or not to lower the minimum drinking age or have it remain at 21 for several decades. Supporters argue that teenagers are not fully developed and ready to consume alcohol until their early twenties. Also, statistics prove that drunk-driving incidents among 18
When you are 18 you are considered an adult. You can fight for your country, buy tobacco, live on your own, be tried as an adult, and a lot of other stuff. If a person can do all those things, but can’t drink there is something wrong with this country. Per the article Is it time to lower the drinking age to 18? it states “most proponents for a lower minimum age immediately point to Europe as an example, where the drinking age is lower than 21 almost everywhere. As an American who spent half a year living in France and traveling through other European countries with about a dozen other American college students, I can tell you the difference between the way they drink and the way we drink is akin to comparing someone who enjoys an after-dinner mint to the fat kid who dove headfirst into Willy Wonka’s chocolate river” (Fulton). This quote shows us that if we lowered the age drinking would not be so important. By not making it so important might lower the exciting factor of drinking
A very controversial argument amongst Americans is determining that the current legal drinking age which is 21 should be lowered to eighteen or not. Researching the following propaganda made me understand the dangers to the youth and people in America if the drinking age were to lower. Therefore i will argue with whoever disagrees with me that the drinking age should be lowered.
There are many arguments on why the legal drinking age should be lowered to eighteen. To some, lowering the drinking age to eighteen makes sense and to others it does not make sense at all. Most people believe that if eighteen year olds are old enough to make big decisions such as enlist in the Army, Navy, or other Military services then eighteen year olds are old enough to drink also. Not only does lowering the legal drinking age put the drinker at harm but also the people around the drinker. There are so many reasons why the legal drinking age should not be lowered, never less, three valid and proven reasons why the legal drinking age should not be lowered is, the effect on the brain, the safety of the drinker and the people around them, and the number of deaths that will increase.
Alcohol is a depressant. It slows down the activity of the central nervous system, including the brain. A debate amongst our nation has been “Should the minimum drinking age be lower than 21?” I personally do not think so. Even though at age 18 you are technically an adult and responsible for your own actions, I do not think the legal alcohol consumption age should be lowered because it causes health risks, bad decisions, and endangers others.
Lowering the drinking age to 18 would be medically irresponsible. Drinking under the age of 21 has been linked to several physical issues among young people ("Fact Sheets - Age 21 Minimum Legal Drinking Age"). The underage consumption of alcohol can impede the development of the frontal lobes of a young adult’s brain. These lobes are responsible for the regulation of emotions, organizing, and planning. Any damage sustained to this area of the brain can cause problems that last a lifetime, and can even lead to depression and suicide ("Drinking Age ProCon.org"). Although these are very serious dilemmas, there are those who would argue that if the brain were mature enough to make the important decisions, such as voting, fighting and dying for the country, and serving in a jury, it is mature enough to make the decision and handle drinking.
The legal drinking age should not be a common controversial topic of debate that people argue about time and time again. It is so obvious to see that when the law was passed to make the legal drinking age twenty-one years, it was the best decision for our nation. Alcohol is the main drug problem for the youth in the United States and as well as the world. This problem is carried over when teenagers get behind the wheel while intoxicated. Although, from studies carried out, young drivers are less likely to drink and drive however the severity of accidents caused by drunken teens outweighs the accidents caused by adults. The legal drinking age should remain as is and there are countless reasons to back this claim.
The drinking age should be lowered because the current age has no real basis. With a lowered drinking age, fewer problems will be present. Safe drinking needs to be taught, along with drinking in moderation. All of the arguments for having a raised drinking level or retaining the current one are weak. The problems that make a drinking age limit necessary are better solved through a lowered drinking level.