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.

Researchers believe that heavy drinking from 18-25, when the brain is still developing, may cause lasting impairments in brain functions such as memory, coordination, and also motor skills. (3) This has lead researcher to believe drinking alcohol from 21-25 the ability of the child to reach their full educational capacity. (1) The years between

In the United States, the legal age of drinking is 21. Drinking is huge everywhere you go, some people do it for fun and celebration and some other people do it because they are stressed and need to release stress. Most people in the United States like young people binge drink when I mean “young” I mean like 18 years old young. At the age 18 many people are heading to college or just graduating high school and younger adults look forward on that beer being handed to them. When the young adults are out of high school they want to celebrate freely and just have fun and drink a beer, but guess what they can’t because they are considered underage, and they can’t buy their own beer. And banning the sale of alcohol to people under 21 is certain to encourage binge drinking. So should the legal drinking age be lowered? It can have many pros and cons on this situation. The legal drinking age should be lowered. We should lower the drinking age because it would decrease binge drinking, 18 is the legal age of adulthood, and lastly it is an enjoyable activity and is a freedom everyone should have.

Alcohol has been a large part of society for many years. Currently out of the 190 countries in the world, 61% of them have drinking ages of 18 or 19. While 12 other countries have their drinking ages set at 21. In those 12 countries is the United States, who after 1984 raised their national minimum drinking age when Congress passed the Minimum Drinking Age Act. The drinking age in recent years has became a topic of controversy with people arguing that it showed be lowered back to 18 or 19. Their reasoning for this is that when a citizen in the United States turns 18 they are allowed to vote, enlist for the draft, serve in the armed forces, and get married, and serve on a jury. They are now considered adults in the eyes of the government. However while being considered a legal adult, individuals cannot drink. The argument for lowering the drinking age is that if an individual is treated as an adult and can die for their country, individuals should be able to drink alcohol legally. While there is support for lowering the drinking age, there is also support for keeping the drinking age where it is currently set. The common argument for keeping the drinking age at twenty-one is that the brain is not fully developed and alcohol usage before a developed brain can cause side effects. There are studies supporting both sides’ arguments for lowering the drinking age and keeping the drinking age.

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

The legal age of drinking should be raised to twenty-one as it will be beneficial for all Canadians. Primarily, this act would promote an increase of security for young adults that on occasion fail to realize the repercussions of alcohol. Studies have shown, taken from International Survey Associates, that adolescent brains aren’t fully developed at age eighteen. In fact, there is reason to believe, experts representatives from Mental Health Daily explain, that our brains aren’t fully developed until well in our twenties; age twenty-five more specifically. That is due to the synaptic pruning, a process by which brain synapses are selectively eliminated which peaks during puberty and can remain that way for many

Statistics say that 8.7 million Americans between the ages twelve and through twenty said they have recently consumed alcohol(“NIH)”. When a person is under the influence, they have consumed enough alcohol for their mental and physical features to become impaired. Teenage drinking is an issue that has haunted society for generations. Each year, approximately 5,000 teenagers die from alcohol related car crashes, alcohol poisoning, homicides, suicides, and other injuries (“Underage”). Scientists say that developmental transitions are key factors in a teens decision to consume alcohol. Therefore, because the teen’s brain is undeveloped, it has led them to drink. Drinking alcohol with an undeveloped brain may cause a loss of intellectual capabilities,

Although, people who opposing keeping the drink age at twenty-one have some good points; they fail to accept the good points of keeping it a twenty-one. When teens already have an issue with decision making and maturity, it creates an even harder problem to solve. Though some teens may be very responsible with life and could handle alcohol, most teens will struggle with being accountable for many actions. For example, many students today are consuming information that their brain is unable to handle yet. They constantly want to experience all of the things they have seen through the media, but they fail to realize that are unprepared to experience that emotionally (Elmore, 2012). Teens are unable to grow in maturity normally due to society

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2011, 1,163 young drivers – ages 15 to 20 – who were killed in traffic accidents had a blood alcohol concentration of more than 0.01. Almost half of those drivers had a blood alcohol concentration greater than 0.08 (Intoxalock). Imagine how high these numbers would be if the legal drinking age in the United States was 18. There are multiple, important reasons being discussed about why no one should be able to legally purchase or consume alcohol until they are 21. The minimum age to legally purchase and consume alcohol in the United States should not be changed to 18 because it would be medically irresponsible, give young kids easier access to alcohol, and influence binge drinking.

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 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.

People in Ontario can drink at the age of 19. Some people think the age should be higher and some people think the age should be lower. I think the age of drinking should be more than 19.

Alcohol can cause alterations in the structure and function of the developing brain, which continues to mature into a person’s mid-20s, and it may have consequences reaching far beyond adolescence.

The consumption of alcohol affects youth adults brain more than it would to an adult. It can have many damaging effects that can affect their everyday life. In fact, it is said that a person’s brain is not fully developed till there in his or hers mid-20s.

In America today the age 18 is the transition to adulthood. Many rights are changed at the transition. One of the freedoms withheld is drinking legally.The drinking age should be lowered because in america today the age 18 is the transition to Adulthood. Many of the rights a person didn’t have they now have when they transition to age 18. When a person turns 18 one of the freedoms withheld is drinking legally. If the right was passed to be able to drink at 18 there would be less incidents of underage drinking. I am claiming that the drinking age should be lowered to 18.