What’s the Appropriate Age?
Alcoholism has been a major problem in the world for hundreds of years. Most people that deal with alcoholism became alcoholics because they needed a quick and easy way to de-stress. After long days at work or arguments with family and friends, the first thing they do is start drinking to make their stress go away. No one wakes up and decides, “I’m going to become an alcoholic today.” No one wants to be an alcoholic but bad things happen. If you are not careful with alcohol then you can easily become an alcoholic.
Alcoholics around you also affect the way you look at alcohol. If you are in a group of friends and all of them are drinking you will be pressured into drinking or you might feel like you have
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Engs.,” The legal drinking age should be lowered to about 18 or 19 and young adults allowed to drink in controlled environments such as restaurants, taverns, pubs and official school and university functions” (Why Drinking). Professor Ruth is the Applied Health Sciences professor at Indiana University. She writes in her article that she believes that the legal drinking age should in fact be lowered but, only in controlled environments. She believes that if a teenager drinks in a controlled environment with parents and other older adults then they can learn how to drink responsibly and not just go out and get drunk.
When children are told all of their lives that they are not allowed to drink, it makes them want to because it makes them feel cool or rebellious. The United States has, in the past, tried to get rid of alcohol because of all of the negative effects. The laws trying to ban alcohol were overturned because they could not stop alcohol from being smuggled around and the general public was angry. Saying that people are not allowed to drink does nothing because they will still find a way to get it. (Why Drinking)
Drinking in college is becoming more and more of a problem though. College students are starting to ditch class because they are hung-over more regularly.
Certain nationality groups carry themselves better with alcohol. To Italians or the French it is very normal for everyone to drink at most meals. The children grow
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
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.
Government officials and citizens alike have debated whether the drinking age laws should be lowered to eighteen once again. MLDA twenty one does not work and is being ignored by minors and adults. Even lower drinking ages imposed in other countries are working, judging by their lower death rates. By enabling people eighteen and under to drink, the economy would grow. The minimum legal drinking age limit should be reverted back to the original eighteen years old.
People have always wanted what they cannot have. Starting in 1984, this is the attitude most lawmakers in America have taken with respect to underage drinking, since it was the time when many states changed their drinking age from eighteen to twenty-one. Lawmakers thought that if you raised the drinking age, people could drink more responsibly, because as you grow older, your brain matures and with maturity comes responsibility. Although this law, passed not even twenty years ago, was made for the safety of young adults, people now are arguing to have the law returned to the age of eighteen. Many college students, professors and teachers have a lot to say about this topic. From John McCardell, former head of
In the United States alcohol is commonly used among the youths in the U.S. It is more used than tobacco and other illicit drugs. It also has a death rate of 4,300 deaths annual with underage youth. There are 29 states in the U.S. that allow drinking underage on a private premises only with the parents consent. The reason why the United States set the age of 21 for drinking age is teenager are not responsible and not trusted for alcohol beverages. Alcohol can effect and even weaken the brain. The use of alcohol will have and effect on the functioning of the brain during the teenage years. In my opinion the higher the age of drinking will save lives here in the U.S. and it reduces underage drinking and that's why it shouldn't be lowered. There
College campuses are arguably the most alcohol abundant locations in the United States. This is outrageous considering close to 75% of students on campus are not
Drinking alcohol is woven into the social fabric of our culture, and indeed many people enjoy the social and cultural connection of sharing a drink together. However, because drinking is so common in our society, realizing you or a loved one has a drinking problem can be a challenge. The consequences of alcohol abuse are serious. Alcohol abuse causes extensive damage to your health, your loved ones, and society. It results in thousands of innocent deaths each year, and exacerbates situations involving violent crimes and domestic violence.
“Nearly half of all alcohol use reported by college students is among those who are underage, according to the Johns Hopkins Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth, and about forty percent of all college students binge drink” (Abba). Underage drinking inevitable. College
The United States has one of the highest legal drinking ages among the developed world, and the entire world overall (McCardell). Yet underage drinking is still prevalent in American drinking culture, and typically indicates an instance of binge drinking and often results in dangerous activity (Hingson, Zha, and Weitzman). Supporters of the current federal policy on the drinking age would suggest that drinking under 21 results in these instances of irresponsible drinking by default. Other developed countries in Europe have lower drinking ages and trends that would suggest otherwise (Rooney). The legal drinking age in the United States should be lowered to at least 18 years old to ensure a safer drinking environment for young people and to
Although drinking alcohol is sometimes fun to most people. It is a serious problem. That affects people in many ways. There are several types of people who act accordingly to their surroundings and their state of mind. Every alcoholic is different, from their reasons for drinking to their methods of trying to cope with life as they drink.
When they have the opportunity to drink, they do so in an irresponsible manner because drinking by these youth is seen as a badge of rebellion against authority and a symbol of adulthood. Clearly, this kind of devious attitude does not encourage responsible drinking.
According to an article called “Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse” alcoholism stems from many things. As discussed earlier it can be hereditary, it could be the group of friends that the person is hanging with, or the emotional or mental health of the person that is drinking can be a factor.
Drinking with friends is the embodiment of peer pressure. Anyone going through high school will have heard of their peers or their friends drinking at parties and while the temptation to drink may be there, one must fight it. For example, Jim, a good friend of mine just went to a party last week and I was talking to him in school and he told me about the crazy time he had, drinking and partying until he passed out. He told me of an upcoming party than was at a friends house in the upcoming week. I told him that I’d think about it. In the upcoming week I thought about what happened to the people who went to the party Jim was at. Some of the people their got caught by their parents and were grounded whilst others made stupid decisions like driving
Every problem has a beginning, where the domino effect starts. In most cases people get started drinking not because they like it, but because it is illegal and it gives them a chance to rebel. The so-called “rebel” becomes bored of drinking alone and eventually seeks “company” when they are drinking. The only catch is that the “rebel” can not be the only one drinking so the “company” has to drink. This is where the problem with peer pressure and teenage drinking begins and the first domino starts the chain reaction. There are two types of peer pressure. There is direct peer pressure where a subject’s peers actually force him into having a drink. There is also indirect peer pressure where the subject enters a setting and his peers are drinking so he decides to have a drink to fit in with the rest of his peers (Articles-Teenage Drinking 2). Surveys show that alcohol abuse is related to teenage activities such as going on dates and going to parties (Teenage Alcohol Misuse 2).
Drinking is something that majority of grown people, and even youngsters, would do for fun. It is really a mind thing that would occur in these human beings. Although drinking could be very fun, there are people that would drink for negative purposes. Some causes of bad drinking habits are having stressful problems, and just being influenced by others that would drink a lot. If people don’t have self-control of their drinking habits, it can become something that can affect their lives in different ways. The effects of a bad drinking habit are health problems, furthering stress, driving while intoxicated, and having an urge to be violent.