Should Drinking Age Be Lowered Essay

Should Drinking Age Be Lowered Essay
Why the drinking age should be lowered? Alcohol has been part of our culture for thousands of years, it is also a harmful substance. Due to this,
almost all the countries around the world have placed an age restriction on it. In Australia the age required is 18, some countries allow drinking at
the age of 16 for beer, not for spirits. The purpose of a minimum drinking age is to act as a deterrent from drinking alcohol, as young people face
legal punishment if they break the law by drinking underage. However, underage drinking remains a problem. The law is often difficult to enforce
if people drink in their own homes, rather than in a public place. Though establishments such as bars or supermarkets often have the policy to ask
for identification when selling alcohol in the Australia, levels of sales to teens are still not considered to be low enough. I think drink age should be
lowered. Due to how high the drinking age is teens have started to turn away from drinking and have become interested in other dangerous
substances and drugs. A study found in the US states that after the drinking age was increased from 19 to 21, 22% of students reported that "they are
going to take drugs." Teens are always trying to show off to their friends how cool they are by taking these substances and drugs which will just lead
them to an unhappy live in prison and or a rehab...show more content...
Australia lets teens under the age of 18 have the right to do other things. A few examples of this would be getting your piercings with permission at
10–16 of age, allowed to drive on your Ls while supervised and finally be employed at 13 or 14. If teens are mature enough to do these things why
are they not allowed to drink at a lower age? Teens have not broken the laws for driving, pricing or employment because they know it is one step to
becoming a mature adult. But they–they break the law for drinking because they know they are mature
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The Legal Drinking Age Should Be 18 Essay
Did you know that in the year 1980 the legal drinking age was only 18? In 1987 there was a law passed that said in order to drink legally and to buy
alcohol a person had to be 21. At the age of 18 people are allowed to buy tobacco, vote, get married without parental consent, and even join the
armed forces, so why can't some one who is 18 by alcohol. This is a question I have; I believe that the legal drinking age should be 18. Dr. Ruth Engs, a
professor of Applied Heath Sciences at Indiana University, agrees with me also. She states, "the legal drinking age should be lowered to about 18 or
19 and young adults should be allowed to drink in controlled environments." (Engs) These controlled places include...show more content...
They are not getting the right to drink freely and so they go out and deviate from the laws. Professor Engs has tested this theory by using a student
alcohol questionnaire. The questionnaire tested 3,375 students that were both underage and of legal age. The questionnaire showed that 81.2% of the
underage students were drinkers, which was compared to the legal age students that had a percentage of 75.3%. Out of the 81.2% of the underage
drinkers about 24% of them are heavy drinkers. This compares the lower percentage of heavy drinkers that are legal age; they only have a percentage
rate of 15.93%.
In Boulder Colorado is a similar debate going on, whether to lower the drinking age or not. Tom Koby, Police Chief of Boulder Colorado, also
believes that the drinking age needs to be lowered. He thinks that they need to focus on the underlying issue of alcohol abuse more than on people
who are consuming alcohol illegally. "The problem is we've forgotten to teach people how to use alcohol. There is nothing fundamentally bad about
alcohol." (Bregman) Professor Engs says, "responsible drinking can be taught through educational programs and role modeling." Both Police Chief
Koby and Professor Engs think that by educating students about the effects of alcohol and what may happen while intoxicated will help lower the
percentage of binge drinkers. Along with Professor Engs, Koby thinks, "when used properly alcohol can serve important societal functions." Professor
Engs

Should the Legal Drinking Age Be Lowered? Essay
"Prohibition... goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man's appetite by legislation and makes a crime out of things that are
not crimes... A prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded."– Abraham Lincoln
Those words spoken by Abraham Lincoln are as true today as they were in 1840, and yet history and current policies show us that for a large part 174
years has done very little to change people's attitudes. The legal drinking age in the USA has been a topic of contention and debate since the ratification
of the Twenty–first Amendment, which repealed the Eighteenth Amendment and ushered in the end of prohibition in 1933....show more content...
The MLDA21 movement cited statistics from some reports that showed a disproportionate number of crashes related to drinking and driving among
young adults aged 17–21 as the reason why the MLDA should be raised. The lobbying groups were partially successful in having the MLDA lowered
in some states; however they realized that they would only be truly successful if they were able to push for change at the federal level. Seeing as the
MLDA could only be set at the state level under the 21st amendment, the federal government used provisions from the Federal Highway Safety Act of
1966 to hold back a percentage of the highway funds to states not in compliance with MLDA21. (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111
/j.1360–0443.2009.02742.x/pdf) пѓџ Add to works cited
When a person turn 18 in most states they are considered adults under law and have most of the same rights and responsibilities as all other American
adults. Their new rights include being able to vote, gamble, buy cigarettes, acquire guns, sign contracts, view adult material, get married, make a will,
make their own medical choices and much more. With these newly acquired rights comes the burden of additional responsibilities and consequences.
Young adults are expected to abide by the contracts they sign, can have civil proceedings initiated against them, be legally required to serve on a jury,
serve in the military, and will be tried as adults should they break the law. This last point means that if a

should the drinking age be lowered to 18?
In 2009, about 10.4 million young people between ages 12 and 20 drank more than "just a few sips" of alcohol (Underage). The drinking age should
be lowered to age 18 because teens are considered adults at this age, less people in jail for hosting underage drinking, and teens can be taught
responsible drinking. Although there is a negative side to lowering the drinking age because it can cause more motor–vehicle accidents, greater chance
for alcohol problems, and the health risk it can cause. There is also warning signs to look for in a teen that is drinking underage the age of 21. Teens
that are 18 are looked as adults –Teens at the age of 18 are "adults" they can vote, go get married, serve for the country, go to jury duties, and move
...show more content...
(Regional) Teens can be taught responsible drinking, by the Law coming up with permits and issuing them to teens till there about 21 to help
them teach to be more responsible with drinking. Teens would be able to use these permits, in supervised areas, such as sport games, restaurants
or bars, or even in their own home with their parents supervising them. They can take and complete alcohol related courses and have no alcohol
related charges on their record before they are issued this permit that is like a drivers learning permit. (Ogilvie) Teens that do the underage
drinking can have many health problems. Health problems that can be caused by underage drinking is Death, serious injuries, impaired judgment,
increased risk for physical and sexual assault, brain development problems. All of these health problems are serious, and they aren't thought about
by teens before they have a drink. (Underage) Impaired judgments can be considered irresponsible drinking. Significant increase were also found for
other variables: "cutting class after drinking" jumped from 9% to almost 12%; "missing class because of hangover" went from 26% to 28%; "getting
lower grades because of drinking" rose from 5% to 7% and "been in a fight after drinking" increased from 12% to 17%; these are examples of
irresponsible behavior. (Dr. Ruth) There are a few warning signs that someone who is around teens a lot, or is a parent can look for if

Lowering the drinking age to 18 would make a lot of sense in the world. Lowering the drinking age to 18 would make more sense. It would be
better for the teens that drink on college campus. The drinking age should be lowered to 18 because you can vote at eighteen, buy tobacco, it'll
reduce the thrill of breaking the law, evidence supports that early introduction of drinking is the safest way to reduce juvenile alcohol abuse, and
college people that are not 21 drink also. If teenagers that are now turning 18 can vote, then they should be able to drink at the age of 18. If teens are
18 and old enough to vote, they should be able to drink. Saying they can vote, is calling them responsible and mature enough to pretty much vote. At
age 18,...show more content...
Tobacco, can give the person doing it buzzed or drunk and give them the risk of a disease. Therefore, in the long run, the person will probably
regret doing tobacco. It'll reduce the thrill of breaking the laws. Teens find it exciting to break the law. Once they start breaking the law, it'll get
them addicted to the thrill of breaking the law. They're going to want to keep breaking the law just to be cool. ("Reasons"). When they break the
law, they think that since other people won't do it, that it's going to be cool to break the law and look bad. Most parents should know that almost
all kids drink. If they know that their kids drink, why not let them have legally drink at 18, with not having their kids get in jail for drinking under
age. ("Age"). For example, why would you go through the trouble if your child drinks and gets caught because they're not 21 yet, but are in college
and over 18 and you have to bail them out? Therefore most college kids aren't even 21 yet, but are still exposed to alcohol and drink. Early
introduction into drinking will reduce binge drinking. If people are introduced into drinking early, they'll be drinking moderately. Scientific evidence
supports that early introduction to drinking is the safest way to reduce juvenile alcohol abuse. Young people in France, Spain, and Argentina, rarely
abuse alcohol. They start drinking within their families, which sees drinking in moderation as natural. They rarely

Should The Legal Age Be Lowered?
Should the legal age be lowered? There are many arguments on why the legal drinking age should be lowered to eighteen. To some, lowering the
drinking age to eighteen makes sense and to others it does not make sense at all. Most people believe that if eighteen year olds are old enough to
make big decisions such as enlist in the Army, Navy, or other Military services then eighteen year olds are old enough to drink also. Not only does
lowering the legal drinking age put the drinker at harm but also the people around the drinker. There are so many reasons why the legal drinking age
should not be lowered, never less, three valid and proven reasons why the legal drinking age should not be lowered is, the effect on the brain, the safety
of the drinker and the people around them, and the number of deaths that will increase. On July of 1984, the national drinking age was changed from
eighteen to twenty–one. This law was passed thanks to Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MAAD). MAAD was founded by Candy Lightner, a mother
who lost her daughter to a drink driver. "In 1980, Mothers Against Drunk Drivers, or MAAD, was founded by Candy Lightner after her 13–year–old
daughter was killed on her way home from a school carnival by a drunk driver. The driver had three previous DUI convictions and was out on bail from
a hit–and–run arrest two days earlier. When MAAD was founded in 1980, more than 21,000 people were killed in drunk driving crashes each year.
Lightner and MAAD helped to change

Should the Drinking Age Be Lowered to 18? Essay
A very controversial argument amongst Americans is determining that the current legal drinking age which is 21 should be lowered to eighteen or
not. Researching the following propaganda made me understand the dangers to the youth and people in America if the drinking age were to lower.
Therefore i will argue with whoever disagrees with me that the drinking age should be lowered. I'd like to explain six reasons to why the drinking age
should not be lowered beginning with the strongest reasons. First reason being is that alcohol effects the brain badly in many ways such as effecting a
persons memory. This is not good since adolecent brains dont stop growing until their mid twenties. Recent studies included "animal studies suggest that
Reviewing these statists one may be able to analaze and see that even drivers between 21 to 24 were high at risk. What would make a person want
to lower the drinking age to 18. Young adults at eighteen are new drivers and less expierenced then the 21 + drivers and logically would produce more
fatal crashes. Thirdly another serious effect alcohol has is suicide. More than "150,000 students develop an alcohol–related health problem (Hingson et
al., 2002[–>0]), and between 1.2 and 1.5 percent of students indicate that they tried to commit suicide within the past year due to drinking or drug use
(Presley et al., 1998[–>1]). People who have any sort of mental condition such as depression, manic depressive and anxiety should not be drinking
alcohol at all. It's simply not good for a mentally ill person. "Alcohol has been found to lower serotonin and norepinephrine levels" Meaning that by
having the serotonin levels lowered it will actually make the person even more depressed and higher risk for sucide. Alcohol is also known as the
new gateway drug. Marajuana once was but now alcohol has been added into this classification list. " youth who drink drink alcohol were 50 times
more then likely to use cocaine and those who smoke ciggarettes were 19x more as likely to use cocaine"(Two Dangersous Gateway Drugs, 2001).
Why should America lower the drinking age if alcohol has the potential to cause people to try drugs then those who don't

Should Drinking Age Be Lowered To 18 Essay
Should the drinking age be lowered to 18 ? Lowering the drinking age to 18 is a controversial issue With that being said, Some people believe that
this age is too high to be the minimum age to be able to legally drink and others feel that it is the perfect age. It has been going up and down for
years. In fact, according to N.H.T.S.A. they estimate " that minimum drinking age laws have saved 18,220 lives (of all ages) since 1975" It began when
the United States slowly tried to ban alcohol in every state for every person no matter what your age was. They succeeded. This is called National
Prohibition. Prohibition started in 1919 and lasted until 1933. When Prohibition started, the the 18th Amendment was added. The 18th Amendment
"prohibited the manufacture,...show more content...
When you're married you need to buy your own home and provide for yourself and family. If you can do this then I feel they should also be
allowed to drink alcohol as well. Also, if you think about this for a moment Despite it being illegal for young teens to purchase it, they are able to get
it through their parent's own liquor cabinets, unscrupulous store clerks, or older friends who purchase it for them. As we all see, is not hard for teens
to obtain alcohol. Why not lower the drinking age then? I mean any way you put it, they are getting it. If then can get it so easily then when not lower
the drinking age. According to statistics, "the critical 18 – 20 age bracket, there are often binge drinking episodes simply because it is a thrill to break
the law. Eliminate the thrill by lowering the drinking age and the taboo will be gone as well, encouraging normal alcohol consumption in the critical
age bracket." It is also important to note that in some countries in Europe like Italy and France alcohol is served at small amounts during dinner which
is introducing youngsters to alcohol while they're young which in my opinion will reduce the deviant attitudes

Should Drinking Age Be Lowered?
A huge debate in the United States in the past has been whether or not the drinking age should be lowered or raised or just stay right where it is. I
believe that it should be lowered. If we are able to vote, die for our country, and rot in a jail cell why should young people not be allowed to have a few
drinks every once in awhile. I think that if in the eyes of the law I am considered an adult the day I turn eighteen why am I not allowed to make a
decision about whether I am able to consume alcohol or not.
Although in twenty–nine states youth are allowed to consume alcohol on private property with the consent of a parent or legal guardian that still
doesn't justify why people who are between the ages of eighteen and twenty are not allowed to go out and have drinks with friends. If adults between
the ages of eighteen and twenty were able to drink in public environments, I believe that risks of injury and harm would increase greatly....show more
content...
I personally believe that the opinions stated by Brandon Griggs, the CNN correspondent, are all valid and cover all aspects of this issue. I am partial
to lowering the drinking age to eighteen. Not because I am a party–crazed teenager feening for alcohol to have a good time but because I believe that if
the government wants to consider eighteen–year–olds adults then they should be treated as such. The government forces males to sign up for a draft to
be able to send them to war if necessary and allows men and woman alike to vote, go to federal prison, or serve on a jury why should they not be
allowed to buy a beer when they feel

Should the drinking age be lowered to 18?
Some people might believe that the drinking age should be lowered to 18 while other people think that the minimum drinking age should stay at the
age of 21.
If the drinking age was lowered to 18 the tax money that taxpayers give would go less to people who are in jail for drinking under the age of 21,
because there would be less people in jail for drinking under the age of 21. Less people in jail equals less money needed to pay for the food, clothing,
medication, and etc for the people in jail. If the legal drinking age is lowered to 18 someone between the ages of 18 and 20 would be aloud to drink
alcohol in a safer, more controlled environment. (Aguirre) Also if the drinking age was lowered to 18 that means more people buying alcohol. If more
The early years of adulthood should not allow drinking so that the students have time to get there heads on straight and get collage out of the way
and learn to be responsible be for they drink. If the drinking age was lowered all the car wrecks accidents and disturbances caused by alcohol would
increase dramatically. Over the past ten years the fact that the legal drinking age should be 21 junior. It is like the domino effect. Currently 18 year
olds drink. Lowering the age will cause even younger kids to drink. Excessive alcohol consumption contributes to more than 4,300 deaths among
underage youth that is persons less than 21 years of age, in the United States each year. Unless you want this number to increase do not lower the
drinking age to 18. This would make every day life more dangerous because of drunk driving and younger age driving would increase and plus the
youth does not have experience that the other adults have to make the choices that they should

Pros And Cons Of Lowering The Drinking Age To 18
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. To first understand why the drinking age should be lowered you must first
understand some history of how it got to what it was. First I will start out in 1920 when the 18th amendment was past declaring all sales of alcohol
illegal. It wasn't until 1933 that the 21st amendment was passed to abolish this law making alcohol legal again. At this point each state was to
determine an (MLDA)...show more content...
First of all the United States is one of only twelve countries in the world that still uses 21 was the minimum drinking age. The majority of the world
(115 countries) are either 18 or 19. In America 18 is the age of adulthood you can vote, smoke cigarettes, serve on juries, get married, sign
contracts, and be prosecuted as an adult. I would also add that at 18 you can join the military but underage drinking is legal for any military
member well at a base but when they return home the same rules apply to them as well. With having to hold the same responsibilities as a 21 year
old why not allow one to consume alcohol. Secondly by not allowing people under the age of 21 to drink in public it forces them to binge drink in
unsafe and unmonitored locations as opposed to a restaurant or bar. According to CDC.gov 90% of underage drinking episodes constitute as
underage drinking. Binge drinking is defined as having BAL or blood alcohol level over 0.08, which is the legal limit. This usually occurs when a
male has about 6 drinks or female 5 in under 2 hours. Binge drinking can lead to serious health issues such as alcohol poisoning, liver disease and
high blood pressure. On top of this young adults under age will try to do all their drinking before they go out which can lead to a dangerous amount
of consumption of alcohol. In a lot of cases this can lead to alcohol poisoning and even death. When underage drinkers partake in drinking it is
usually at house parties and private locations with no type of supervision or public safety measures such as a bar. This can lead to another serious
issue sexual assault. It is reported that 80% of sexual assaults that occur under the age of 21 are alcohol related according to thedailyreporter.com. This
is due to underage drinking being pushed underground and being consumed in larger quantities. Another issue faced is when

Should the Legal Drinking Age Be Lowered to 18?
Underage Drinking Age Position Paper Drinking is a serious problem in America. The current legal age is 21. But some people seem to disagree.
Should the legal drinking age be lowered to 18? It's a question that has been thrown around for years. I believe that the legal drinking age should
stay at 21. There are so many more benefits and responsibilities you have at age 21. You don't fully mature until you're at least 20 years old. The
amount of underage drinking fatalities that happen every year is ridiculous. If the law was to change to age 18 things would progressively become
worse. First, binge drinking is extremely common. According to USNews, more than 50 high–quality scientific studies all found the 21 law saves lives,
both on and off the road. (USnews) Changing the drinking age to a younger age would mean that it's easier for kids to get it. Binge drinking is
already a problem on college campuses. Lowering the age would bring the problem onto high school campuses as well. It's giving teens the wrong
ability to make bad decisions at an early age. Binge drinking has many consequences that are health related such as alcohol poisoning, unintentional
pregnancies and injuries, intentional injuries, brain damage and liver disease.(MADD) One of the biggest concerns about drinking is drunk
driving.(4prevention) You are legally allowed to drive a car at age 16. If the drinking age was lowered to 18 this would give them a short 2 years to
learn responsibilities. It would also

For many years the debate of the age one can legally drink and purchase alcohol has continued. Those who believe the age should lower suggest 18
as the proper age. However a plethora of people argue an 18 year old does not withhold the maturity to drink. On the other hand many positive aspects
of allowing 18 year olds to consume and purchase alcohol, both in health, safety, and maturity. While alcohol may have damaging effects to one's
body, many benefits exist if one drinks responsibly. Many studies and cases do show alcohol can damage the liver and other parts of the body;
however, when one drinks in a moderate manner many health benefits may exist. Alcohol helps to fight against various health conditions and risks
common among many people,...show more content...
While the brain of an 18 year old still has not completely stopped developing, they have multiple other life–altering choices to make. When someone
turns 18 they legally turn into an adult. One now has the ability to vote, enlist in the military, purchase tobacco products, and get married without the
consent of a parental figure. These choices have potential to greatly impact the lives of the people making these decisions. Whether they select who
they wish to run the country, start a life with someone, or put their life at risk these decisions require the thinking and decision–making process of an
adult. If one has the ability to act on these choices, they should also have the opportunity to participate in purchasing and consuming alcoholic
beverages, if they choose to do so. 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

Should Drinking Age Be Lowered To 18?
The drinking age in the United States is currently 21. I believe that this drinking age should be lowered to 18. One reason why I believe this is
because in the United States 18 is the age of adulthood so I think they they should be able to make there own decisions because you are not a minor
anymore. For example, you are allowed to buy a house, vote, join the military, serve jury duty, get married, apply for loans, and use tobacco products.
There are 115 countries with a MLDA (MinimumLegal Drinking Age) of 18–19. Also there is only 12 countries with a MLDA of 21. There are also
fewer drunk driving traffic accidents and fatalities in many countries with MLDA of 18. I believe that this could help because there are a lot of DUI's
and car crashes

Should Drinking Age Be Lowered To 18
Do you think the legal drinking age should be lowered to 18? About 29 people die under the influence every day. We could lower this number if
we knew that these people were drinking. We wouldn't have teens trying to hide the fact that they were drinking under age. The drinking age should
be lowered to 18 because young adults will still be living at home and are able to learn the responsibility of drinking with their parents' guidance, at
18 they are given many freedoms and responsibilities that it make sense to lower the age, and giving young adults a law they cannot break often times
encourages them to break it anyway. One reason I believe the legal drinking age should be lowered to 18, is that young adults might still be living at
home

Should Drinking Age Be Lowered To 18
The drinking age should be lowered to 18. There are many reasons why the
drinking age should be lowered to 18; for example, it could reduce or possible eliminate
unsafe drinking activities. Another example on why the drinking age should be lowered
to 18 is that there are less drunk driving accidents in countries with lower drinking ages.
Many other things could be better and improved with the drinking age lowered.
In different countries around the world, some of the countries have the legal
drinking age as 18. In the countries that have lowered the drinking age, they have seen
much less of drunken driving accidents than in countries where the 21 is the legal
drinking age, like the United States. There has been a big reduction is these accidents...show more content...
More and more people would legally be able to drink in places like bars,
taverns, restaurants, and other licensed establishments. Prohibiting this age group from
drinking in bars, restaurants, and other licensed places could cause them to drink
unsupervised in different places such as fraternity houses or house parties where they
could be binge drinking, drinking and driving, making bad decisions and having very

bad/unsafe behavior.
Isabella RuffinoEnglishResearch
Three states are attempting to introduce legislation that would lower the drinking age
back to the age 18, and there is a very real possibility it will happen. This is a really good
thing to change back the drinking age to 18 year of age.
Not allowing teens from drinking in bars, restaurants, and public locations has the
effect of forcing them to drink in unsupervised places, which can be really dangerous. If
the drinking age was lowered, it would allow teens to drink alcohol in safe regulated
environments with supervision. Moving the legal drinking age to 21 has simply just
shifted the risk of fatal accidents from teens to young adults and this is something we
want to avoid. Enforcing the 21 year old legal drinking age is expensive and

Should Drinking Age Be Lowered
Should the Drinking Age be Lowered?
The drinking age should be lowered because those under 21 can buy guns, vote, and join the Military at 18. Since 18 is the legal adult age, people
should have the right to make their own decision to buy alcohol. It is important because colleges and universities are allowing alcohol consumption
which legally might help cut down alcohol related deaths in colleges. It states in the Washington Post that Vermont allows children as young as sixteen
can buy guns. In America eighteen year olds can vote, operate a vehicle, pay taxes, get married own a gun and join the Military. I think that some of
those things require more responsibly than buying alcohol.
It states in the New York Times that teaching people to drink responsibly before they turn 21 would be enormously enhanced public health. High school
and college students now have a view...show more content...
Began setting the legal drinking age at 21, the law has been one of the most studied in our history. "She clarifies that the evidence is overwhelming,
more than 50 high–quality scientific studies all found the law 21 saves lives, both on and off the road. She says that lowering the age of those who
have easy access to alcohol would shift responsibility for underage drinking to high school parents and educations. Laura Dean–Mooney "She mentions
that there are some good and some bad arguments. Research has shown that a drinking age of 21 does reduce alcohol use by those under 21, including
high school and college students. She says that traffic accidents are a primary reason why Vietnam–era experimentation with lower drinking ages was
abandoned." Tara Watson. The study shows that arrest rates rise sharply at age 21 through at least 23. In conclusion, the drinking age should be
lowered because you can do so much other things like buy guns, vote, join military and so many more. There are at least 10.1 million underage
drinkers in the United

Should the drinking age be lowered to age eighteen?
In order to be legally drinking alcohol you must be of 21 years of age or older. But, contrary to that law many teens drink alcohol anyway. This is
what helps spark the debate of whether the legal drinking age should be lowered to 18. Many argue that at 18 years old, being a legal adult you
should be able to drink alcohol. Also, in many countries where the legal drinking age is 18 years old many of the problems we face in our country
aren't even relevant in their country. But, on the other hand alcohol can interfere with development of the young adult brain's frontal lobes, which has
many long term effects. Also, many seniors in high school are 18 which means that they can drink, even when...show more content...
Firstly, when you turn 18, you are able to start doing many things that put your life at risk. Turning 18 gives you the right to to vote, smoke
cigarettes, serve on juries, get married, sign contracts, be prosecuted as adults, and join the military. Some of which, are putting your life at risk. So,
why is the consumption of alcohol excluded on that list? When the alcohol age limit is at 21, it prohibits a large age group from drinking in bars,
restaurants, and other licensed locations. This causes many people to drink in unsupervised places such as parties or other private places. So, lowering
the legal age for alcohol would actually decrease unsafe drinking activity. Lastly, There are fewer drunk driving traffic accidents in many countries with
legal drinking age of 18. Although the United States increased the legal drinking to 21, its rate of traffic accidents and fatalities decreased less than
that of European countries whose legal drinking ages are lower than 21. So, many people believe that when you turn 18 you should be able to
legally drink because you are an adult, it keeps people in that age group out of illegal places for drinking, and in many countries there are fewer drunk
driving traffic accidents when the legal drinking age is

Drinking Age Should Not Be Lowered To 18
Some people are requesting for the drinking age to be lowered to 18. The drinking age had always been 21 until the late 60s and early 70s. The
reason for this is that the military enlisting and voting age had been lowered. Right away the effects of this were shown and they weren't positive.
Since only 29 states had adapted to the new law many teens would drive across the border to get drunk then they would come back and crash. 16
of those states increased to drink age back to 21 and those who didn't eventually did because a law was made that the official age for drinking would
be 21 and all the 50 states had to have it. If the drinking age is lowered to 18 then that could cause more car accidents, violent behavior and health
problems.
While people want to lower the drinking age, they are right not doing so because this could cause more car accidents. In an article titled Study:
Lowering The Drinking Age Increases Car Crashes Among Youth by Join Together Staff, the author states "Several studies in the United States have
shown significant reductions in alcohol–related traffic crashes since the Uniform Drinking...show more content...
In the article titled Top 3 Reasons Why the Drinking Age Should Not Be Lowered to 18 by Matt Nagin, the author states, "The NIAAA (National
Institute on Alcohol Abuse andAlcoholism), found that "up to 86 percent of homicide offenders, 37 percent of assault offenders, [and] 60 percent of
sexual offenders" were using alcohol at the time of the crime".Basically, the NIAAA are saying that a high percent of violent offenders were using
alcohol at the moment. Of course, many will disagree with this assertion that lowering the drinking age will have an increase in violent behavior
/assaults. Nevertheless, studies show the percentages on violent behavior now, so it can be assumed that it will increase if the drinking age is

Should Drinking Age Be Lowered Essay

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