The Legal Drinking Age

The final situation I have had concerning unclear boundaries involved me and a professor. This individual was someone I had grown to know and respect and took several courses under. The incident occurred after I had graduated from Western Carolina University with my bachelor’s degrees while I was living in Cullowhee over the summer. I was invited to the professor’s house along with another former student to eat dinner with him and his wife. While we were eating the meal, the professor gave me and the other student a glass of wine to go with dinner. Even though I was of legal drinking age and was no longer a student of the professor’s, it felt strange to have a professor provide me alcohol.

We do not hand teenagers car keys without teaching them how to drive first, so why do we expect 21-year-olds to know how to drink responsibly for the first time. Law passed by congress in 1984 leaves America to being one of four countries left in the world with its drinking age at 21, while the rest of the country 's drinking ages are 16 or 17 or has no age limit at all. As a part of turning 18 you are now considered a legal adult and are allowed to make the decision to vote, marry, buy tobacco products, buy guns and join the military. With all the freedom you gain all at 18 year olds, you are cut short of being able to make the decision to drink an alcoholic beverage. So are you really a legal adult? With many American citizens’ starting to change their views on the drinking age there has become more positive views than negative. With these opportunities given to us it is believed that the drinking age should be lowered from 21 to 18.

100,000 people die a year from alcohol related accidents so Lowering the drinking age would just increase the amount of drinking, but if we raise the legal drinking age it would reduce the amount of car crashes, abusive relationships, and illegal underage drinking. It’s medically irresponsible to do under-age drinking, it’s actually medically irresponsible to do it at all.

In today’s American society, the consumption of alcohol is commonly practiced. It is quite uncommon for one to attend a social event where the presence of alcohol is obsolete. However, society has deemed it fit to tell our youth that they are not allowed to participate in the traditional social pastime of drinking until they reach the age of 21. Hence, when they encounter methods around this predicament-and most of them do-young adults often participate in the reckless consumption of alcohol in large quantities.

The authors Wechsler and Toben state, “SINCE 1984 THE NATIONAL minimum legal drinking age in the United States has been 21 years” (986). The drinking age in america is due for a change, it is one of the highest in the world, “The current age-21 limit in the United States is higher than in Canada (18 or 19, depending on the province), Mexico (18), and most western European countries (typically 16 or 18) (Carpenter 133).why are people able to live on their own, to smoke, or to vote but they aren't able to drink? I believe that the more legal something is the more people will stay away from it, something to do with angsty teens, and although that may be true for some people that will take responsibility and not get drunk every time, we have to consider the people that will abuse the

The legal age for drinking is 25. According to an overall view it is observed that people who opt for drinking tend to have more serious problems in their lives. Drinking not only ruins their life but also affects others. The legal age set for drinking is quiet appropriate when taken into consideration. Children aged 18-25 are most likely to be affected from the consequences of drinking since it makes them mentally ill and weak in concentration. Today's youth gets the most attracted to these. Not only drinking but also consumption of smoking, drugs and many more ill habits makes them a person who not only risks his or her life but creates worst conditions for his or her well wishers. Everyday there are some or the nuisance created due to the

For many of the generations living today, the legal drinking age has always been set at twenty-one. In the 1980’s, it rose from eighteen to twenty-one in an attempt to reduce the amount of underage drunk driving accidents. While the number of traffic fatalities have declined over the past few decades, many would argue that the law has spawned many new problems as well, such as an increase in alcohol poisoning deaths and binge drinking.

Have you ever wondered why when you're 18 years old you're old enough to join the army and move out, but not drink or buy alcohol? People are trying to lower the drinking age to 18 because they think they're mature enough. They think if you can be in the military you should be able to drink. If you're old enough to fight in a war and live by yourself you're old enough to buy alcohol.

“Congratulations, at age 18, you’ve reached an important milestone. You are now an adult in the eyes of the law; you now have the right to make many important decisions about where you live, what you do and how you shape your future” (citation). I believe the drinking age in America should be 18 because when you’re 18 you’re an adult with a lot of responsibilities; you can vote, pay taxes, marry and fight in the army. This has been a worldwide debate for decades, and continues to, as we argue that it should be changed to 18. Turning 18 is a huge step in everyone’s life, just like it was when I turned 18 a few months ago. All these things I can do now, I can vote, marry, fight in the army, own a gun, I could even run for governor of the state Rhode Island if I wanted to! The question is, if I can do all of that, why can’t I drink?

There are many problems and issues that come along with drinking and alcohol. Many people are for drinking and think it is a good thing and that it should be allowed, many people also think the opposite. Some people think the age for drinking should be lowered, some think that the age should be higher. Even people think that it should be illegal and not allowed for purchase.

With food, there comes a variety of cultural differences with beverages. One of the most popular drink markets in the United States is energy drinks. This industry has grown significantly in the past ten years, and many of the companies are household names, such as Red Bull, Monster, and Rockstar Energy. While they have mainstream success in the United States, many countries look down on these products because of their use of certain supplements, such as excess amounts of caffeine of taurine. Some countries have done things such as banning the sale of these products to minors, or even outlawing them completely. These products vary from culture to culture, with some countries introducing their own product lines, ones that are only available

The Armed forces are one good reason to lower the drinking age to eighteen, because if you can risk your life for your country and take bullets and fight for freedom, but you are not allowed to drink alcohol, at least they can do is serve you a drink for risking your life. Another good reason is that you’re eighteen, which is an adult. You can do everything else when you are eighteen, but drink alcohol. An eighteen-year-old is considered an adult and can be tried in court if he makes false judgement and commits a crime. So an eighteen-year-old is capable of making every other decision as an adult. So why not let eighteen year olds drink and do want they want and make bad choices they make in life to do stupid stuff. If you wouldn’t lower the drinking age they will still find a way to get alcohol like they have for years since they raised the age limit to twenty-one. The benefits of drinking alcohol in moderation. That it promotes longevity and reduces heart attack risk, which is great if you want to live longer. There is a good amount of benefits to drinking. Six more about the benefits of drinking are reduced risk of type two diabetes, lower risk of stroke, cuts risk of cataracts, cuts risk of colon cancer, and slows brain decline. Also, eighteen to twenty-year-old drunk drinking accidents will decrease because they don’t drive long distances to have alcoholic beverages. Know the risks of drinking alcohol their some more than benefits, but it depends on the pros and cons on the benefits and the risks. The risks are anemia, cancer, cardiovascular disease, cirrhosis of the liver, dementia, depression, seizures, gout, and high blood pressure. Also, there is the possibly the abilities to stop binge drinking at a younger age. Drinking alcohol lowers your sperm count with five drinks a week. Alcohol dehydrates your body and your skin. It also widens blood vessels, causing your skin to look red or blotchy. It

The legal drinking age is 21-years-old throughout the nation, however, some teens and young adults still consume alcoholic beverages. While this may seem like just a minor indiscretion in an attempt to have a bit of fun, underage drinking can carry serious penalties in the state of Florida. These consequences can be even more severe for those underage drinkers who get behind the wheel of a vehicle.

Lastly, the minimum legal drinking age should remain because people tend to be more mature and responsible at 21 opposed to 18. Eighteen year olds are entering a new phase of life and are becoming independent from their parents. Although the opposition may say that 18 is the age of adulthood in the United States, the truth is they are most vulnerable at this stage. Through peer pressure and irresponsibility, they are more susceptible to violent/ destructive behaviors such as binge drinking, academic failure, physical altercations, arrests, and risky sexual behavior. Although 18 year olds are allowed to vote, smoke cigarettes, serve on juries, get married, and join the military, they are still too young to purchase a handgun, gamble in a casino, adopt a child, rent a car, or run for president. Therefore, drinking similarly should be restricted due to the responsibility required to self and others (ProCon.org).

There are millions of minors who drink all across America. Minors deliberately disobey this law and drink as they please. This causes the law to be ineffective because, this law does not prevent minors who want to drink from drinking (Drinking Age Pro Con.com). Minors disobey this law so often we might as well lower the drinking age to 18, so that it might counteract all the teen binge drinking that happens daily. 18 should be the drinking age because, 18 year olds are old enough to, get married, join the army, buy lottery tickets, sign legal documents, and are even considered legal adults in the United States. 18 year olds can do anything that a legal adult can do, besides drink alcohol.