jacqui's story

Today’s teenager are look down upon regarding their behavior and ability to control themselves around alcohol beverage. In the article "Perils of Prohibition," by Elizabeth Whelan argues that the legal age to drink is not set to the appropriate age because moderate drinking for teens will help them be disciplined and actually take control of their life. He hopes to persuade her readers to speak out in favor of reforming the drinking age in the United States. Whelan provided valid argument for teenagers under the age of 21 with disciplined attitude towards alcohol and provides some compelling insights on the success of moderate drinking.

On February 3, 2017, Tim Piazza, a sophomore here at Penn State, tragically lost his life at the Beta Theta Pi fraternity house. This horrific event was a result of irresponsible consumption of alcohol and binge drinking. Sadly, this is not an isolated incident. Around the nation, countless young adults have lost their life due to the thoughtless consumption of alcohol. Unfortunately, the common census between the majority of the average day Americans is that the most effective way to make drinking safer for young adults is enforcing a minimum drinking age of twenty one. This law, as well as the common census, are a direct result from the efforts of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) more than thirty years ago (“Drinking Culture”). MADD’s objective and goal is quite understandable; they want the young adults of today’s world to be safe and not put themselves into dangerous situations with alcohol, but they doing more harm than good. (“The Problem”). Safety is the single objective from each side in this argument, but MADD’s flawed logic and ignorance to reality has formed a belief that results in an unsafe drinking culture, resulting in more deaths, such as the tragic passing of Tim Piazza, unless the drinking age is lowered to eighteen, as well as establishing an open dialogue about drinking itself.

Every year, thousands of deaths occur as a result of drunk driving, and every day people are facing the consequences of irresponsible drinking. Because of the issues caused by irresponsible drinking, the US government passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act in 1984 which raised the minimum drinking age to twenty-one to prevent drinking-related accidents and violence. Despite the intent of its passing, it was a counterproductive decision. Because of the higher age restriction, high school upperclassmen and college underclassmen see drinking as an exciting, rebellious act. Consequentially, the National Minimum Drinking Age Act resulted in an increase in dangerous and irresponsible drinking which continues to this day. Not only does the

The debate of the drinking age has been long discussed throughout America. The drinking age has been 21 for the last 22 years, and people around the country have wondered weather or not this was the right call. People say that 18 year olds may not be mature enough to drink alcohol and might not know when to stop. It isn’t that teenagers don’t know how to stop, but rather have not been properly taught when enough has been consumed or how to drink responsibly. Changing the drinking age from 21 to 18 years old will take the thrill that teens get from breaking the law while drinking, will no longer give them the idea that drinking is the final stage of adulthood and full maturity, and will no longer force teenagers to drink in unsupervised

Once the allure of alcohol is no longer a social trend, parents would be stripped of their worries of their “rebellious teenagers sneaking off to basements and backwoods to binge drink far from adult supervision” (Griggs). Parents cannot protect their children from every hazard in the world, but they can educate their kids and desensitize their kids to the thrill of drinking out of adult supervision. Opposers claim that the current law “...[diminishes] the number of traffic deaths caused by young drunk drivers...” but they fail to realize that “...tougher seat belt and D.U.I. rules have contributed to the decrease, too” (Glaser). “Raising the drinking age hasn't reduced drinking -- it’s merely driven it underground..” (Glaser). With the legal drinking age at 18 and the incorporation of alcohol awareness classes, citizens would develop safer habits when consuming

Underage drinking now classified as illegal triggers a barrier and a limitation to what and how one allows their selves to think and outsmart the laws creating the rebellious underage drinker. For example college, “the 21-year-old drinking age has created a climate in which terms like "binge" and "pregame" have come to describe young peoples ' choices about alcohol; in which the law is habitually and thoughtlessly ignored by adolescents and adults alike; in which colleges and communities across the nation are plagued with out-of-control parties, property damage, and belligerent drunks” a main source (Choose Responsibly). The behavior of a person under the age of 21 is in no doubt the irresponsible crazy typical

This lack in sound judgment and impulse control are magnified in those who choose to drink at a younger age, leading to more harmful decisions as the body processes the chemical effects of the alcohol.

When people think of drinking, they think of fun games and parties. However, this depiction is wrong. When individuals under twenty-one drink, consequences emerge. In the United States, the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) is twenty-one. According to the National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA), the legal drinking age set at twenty-one saves about 900 lives on the road annually (James C. Fell). By having the drinking age at twenty-one, the amount of alcohol consumed decreases. Less drinking results in a drop in potential risks and dangerous acts often associated with alcohol. Individuals under the age of twenty-one are not mature enough to make good choices. Therefore,

Ronald M. Davis, Immediate Past President of the AMA points out the important development that takes place in the brain during the “teen years” and how unreasonable those requesting to lower the minimum drinking age are by putting such high expectations on those who cannot humanly possibly think as a mature adult at an early age. “Habits are often created at an early age” and allowing access to alcohol while maturity is often absent is an irresponsible decision.

As a result, alcohol use has become more, not less, dangerous” (New York Times, Nugent). In other words, having 21 as the minimum age of drinking has driven younger people towards to drink illegally and underage, which eventually causes more trouble and danger. David J. Hanson, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology at the State University of New York at Potsdam, stated, “When we raise the drinking age to 21, which incidentally is the highest in the world, it makes drinking more attractive to young people” (ABC News, David Hanson). What Dr. Hanson claims is that because the drinking age is 21, which is one the highest in the world, it makes it that more attractive or valuable to young adults to drink because they are not at the legal age.

Writer Dedel Kelley said, “The proportion of underage youth who drink has not changed significantly over the past decade in the United States. Indeed, if anything, they are starting to drink at a younger age, and their drinking patterns are becoming more extreme.” Keeping the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) at twenty-one or lowering it to the age of eighteen has been a continuous issue in the United States. People, mostly adolescent teenagers, say it should be lowered because if one is able to vote at the age of eighteen, they should also be allowed to drink. Sure, when a seventeen-year-old turns eighteen they are considered an adult, but age does not define maturity; just because they would be classified as an adult does not mean they can be responsible and handle alcoholic beverages like a parent, for example. The legal drinking age should remain at twenty-one and should not be lowered to the age of eighteen because people who are eighteen years old and younger are still juvenile. If the legal drinking age were to be lowered to eighteen, teenagers put society at risk because most will go behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol; they are not only putting society at risk but also themselves because they could start an early binge drinking habit and affect their health.

Some say that the brain doesn’t fully develop until at least age 21. According to research released concerning the stages of brain development, “ the brain does not finish developing until a person is in their early twenties.” This means that young adults, around 21 years-old and older, are expected to have more knowledge and should be able to consider all facts and/or consequences before consuming different amounts of alcohol. It is also said to be that drinking at age 21 saves lives. “Scientific evidence shows that raising the minimum drinking age in 1984 directly resulted in reduced alcohol-related crashes and fatalities among people.” This statistic is a major factor in determining what the legal drinking age should be since there is proof that lives are being saved. Regardless of the amount of lives being saved, “To save a life. You saved

For countless young adults after high school the next stepping stone is college, however, students are not only learning from the classes they attend, but also from the parties. Consequently, they are being introduced to alcohol and plenty of it; learning how to shotgun a beer or attempt a keg stand is all the rage. Suddenly, people are viewing college binge drinking as a right of passage for even their youngest students. Thus, demands the questioning of lowering the drinking age to counteract college binge drinking. “The reality is that at age 18 in this country, one is a legal adult. Young people view 21 as utterly arbitrary—which it is. And because the explanation given them is so condescending—that they lack maturity and judgment,

This is where the temptation comes in. As Publius Cornelius Tacitus, a Roman historian, once said "things forbidden have a secret charm". Things forbidden such as drinking alcohol before you turn 18 is made to be broken. Things forbidden is made to teach us what is right and what is wrong. We learn from our mistakes. We learn from what we have done right. We learn something new every day. In my case I have learned a lot from alcohol since I took my first sip of beer. I have learned that vodka is not the answer to a great night, it is the answer to a great hangover. I have learned that I do not get what I want if I hit my brother. It will probably get worse than it was before. I have learned to have innocent

After being able to drive, the next milestone you reach is adulthood. During adulthood, one is faced with many challenges. Challenges including peer pressure, and just the overall fact that you are now able to drink without getting in trouble for your age. All you have to do is be safe and make good decisions. How are you supposed to decide what’s safe and what’s not