The Pros And Cons Of The Drinking Age

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.

If you're old enough to fight in the military, be able to vote, smoke cigarettes, get married, sign legal contracts, have the chance to serve jail time, you should be old enough to drink. If you’re in the military, the United States allows you to specifically risk your life but won’t let you celebrate afterwards with a can of beer. Juries are allowed to sentence an 18 year old to life in prison without parole without them being able to ever legally drink a glass of wine or can of beer. Drinking and driving won’t be solved and fixed by restricting people’s freedom. As a society, preventing drinking and driving accidents/fatalities should be by educating teenagers better and teaching them from a younger age how to handle alcohol and not to abuse it.

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

As many people know the age at which one can legally consume alcohol in the United States is 21. At one point alcohol itself became completely illegal but I am writing this paper to argue that it should be lowered to 18. It is 18 or lower in many other countries and I willing be presenting an argument as to why the United States should be next to lower the age.

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

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.

Lowering the minimum legal drinking age may have many beneficial outcomes within social lives of society. People drinking alcohol for a number of reasons: peer pressure, celebrations, anxiety, boredom, rebellion, and so on. As agreed by many, the legal drinking age of 21 is set for many accurate reasons, but lowering the legal drinking age will resolve rather than create common under age drinking issues, resulting in a positive outcome on social wellness. By connecting with other cultures who have a positive outlook on having a lower legal drinking age, it will give our society a whole new perspective to influence a change. Whether it be increased supervision amongst young drinkers, more responsible drinking habits, or a lower interest in teenage

Since in many countries the age limit for drinking is 18 years, why it could not be the same in the United States. Adults who are of the age of 19 are already able to make their decisions in a responsible manner, as there are many actions which these teenagers and adults can already decide about. Under the responsibility of parents, give a good education about alcohol and the results that excessive consumption could leave, adolescents and adults should be allowed to consume alcohol at the age of 19.

The debate for the legal drinking age of eighteen or twenty-one has been a topic of discussion for a long time. Personally, most people support the side that they should just leave the legal age at twenty-one. There are many reasons as to why people would support this side of the argument. If the drinking age gets lowered to eighteen, it would lead to cause more car related accidents, there will be an easier access to alcohol, and that it would be medically irresponsible to drink at a younger age.

The minimum drinking age should be raised because younger people tend to make more irresponsible decisions, many DUI's that occur involve people in their twenties, and drinking and driving causes more traffic accidents than anything else.

In today’s society alcohol has been a very big topic to discuss. From the news channels talking about the possibility that alcohol may have been a factor in the accident, peer pressure, and television commercials. There are many pros and cons to changing the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) from 21 to 18.

One the most controversial subjects to talk about in the United States of America is the argument over whether the drinking age should be reduced to the age of 18, most states allow its citizens the ability; to drive a car at the age of 16, buy a lottery ticket at 18 and joined the armed forces at the age of 19. Kyle Brown, a writer for the Odyssey, states that keeping the drinking age at 21 will protect the younger generation of Americans from being influenced. I believe the drinking age should remain at the age of 21 for many reasons. Statistics from research sites will show how underage drinking affects the human brain at an early age rather than at an older age. Also, looking at what the impacts of what underage drinking are. Finally, observing the results of reducing the drinking age such as influencing at an even younger generation to begin drinking.