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Recommended: Legal drinking age
Throughout the years, the age for consumption and purchase of alcohol has frequently changed. One of the many reasons it is now back to the age of 21, is because of past occurrences that have happened when the age was lower. Citizens, who believe the age should be the same as the voting age, are usually around that age, 18. Although the opinions of some people is to change the legal drinking age to the legal voting age, many disadvantages would occur if the legal drinking age was changed to 18, such as vehicle related accidents, alcohol poisonings, & unintelligent community related decisions. Many changes have occurred through the years as far as changing the legal drinking age. In 1934, you had to be 21 years old to purchase and consume any type of alcohol beverage. In 1974, you could be 18 and purchase any beer product, but the wine and liquors age remained at 21. In 1981, if you were on premises, you could be 18 years old for consumption, but if you were off premises, you had to be 19 for consumption. 2 years after that in 1983, the age was 19 for all beer sales. Only 2 years later, they changed it so that if you were born on or after July 1, 1966 you were able to purchase all types of alcohol on your 21st birthday, and if you were born before that date, you retained beer purchases. The last year anything changed was in 1987 when the age was raised to 21 for all types of alcohol consumption. Alcohol at a young age can include many serious injuries, including vehicle accidents. According to M.A.D.D. (Mothers against Drunk Driving)”In 2010 the highest drunk driving rates were found amongst those ages 21 to 25 (23.4%), and 18 to 20 (15.1%). After age 25, the drunk driving rates decrease.” Many new drivers are around the age of ... ... middle of paper ... ...here is little or no social pressure to drink, irresponsible behavior is never tolerated, young people learn at home from their parents and from other adults how to handle alcohol in a responsible manner, there is societal consensus on what constitutes responsible drinking. (Paragraph 7, Ruth Engs). The opinions of some people for changing the legal drinking age would agree to change the legal drinking age to 18, the same as the legal voting age, where as there would be opposing people. Both sides have equal arguments, but keeping the age at 21 would be a more intelligent decision considering the health and death issues for minor drinkers. Although drinking is a very interesting and calling thing for minors to do, its consequences could affect not just that person, but if occurring in death, affecting the empty hole created in someone’s life you have once impacted.
In the United States of America the drinking age is 21 which was instituted with the National Minimum Drinking Age Act was passed on July 17, 1984. Before 1984 the national drinking age was 18. This is the age when U.S citizens are considered legal adults at the age of eighteen I could hypothetically go out vote, get married, join the army and buy a lottery ticket all in one day. On this same day I could also get caught driving while intoxicated, and then be arrested and tried as an adult in the court of
There are many aspects to the drinking law that need to be taken into consideration, but at the end of the day, any law that is being disregarded and abused needs to be revised and corrected. America was built on change, and that same mentality needs to be applied to the growing problem that is the legal drinking age.
In the 1960s, the drinking age was set as 21, to match the voting age. However, around the time of the Vietnam War, the public began to argue that if an 18-year-old was old enough to fight and die for his country, then he should be able to vote as well. As a result, the voting age was lowered to 18. Between 1970 and 1976, 29 states lowered their legal drinking age as well. In the words of Carla Main, author of Bulldozed and various other published works concerning law and society, the results were “catastrophic,” as “[h]ighway deaths among teenagers and young adults skyrocketed” (Main 33). Many states began raising the legal drinking age up again. In 1984, under the supervision of Ronald ...
Lawmakers should not consider lowering the drinking age from twenty-one to eighteen. Despite the deep value this country places on freedom, personal liberties, and personal responsibilities, the data shows that public safety is greatly at risk if the drinking age were to be lowered to twenty-one. A variety of groups believe that the drinking age should be lowered to eighteen deeming that the twenty-one law is unconstitutional. On the opposing side, people agree that the law helps to protect our young people and the communities where they live.
On the other hand, conservative groups such as MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) believe that changing the drinking age to 21 is right and no change is needed. Despite the strong resistance from certain groups such as MADD, I believe Congress and the rest of America should consider lowering the drinking age to 18 because 18 year olds are already technically considered adults, disallowing 18-21 year olds to drink only increases unsafe “underground” binge drinking, and by changing the drinking age to 18 more safety precautions can be taken to avoid harm from drinking. I suggest the U.S. Congress should overrule their initial National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 and change the age from 21 to 18. The debate over the drinking age in the United States has been a long and prevalent issue in our country. The drinking age in the United States has varied, but as of 1984, the drinking age has remained 21.
Introduction: The legal drinking age in America is 21, in the past it differed by state ranging from 18, 19 to 20. Through the years it’s changed and after the Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 where it went from 18 to 21 and stayed there. Throughout the years it has gone back and forth with discussion.
According to the drinking age ProCons.org, lowering the drinking age will invite more use of illicit drugs among 18-21 year olds. It is more likely that they will use other illicit drugs. Lowering the minimum drinking age to 21 would increase the number of teens who drink and therefore the number of teens who use other drugs knowing the effects of this situation, and understanding what can happen. Young adults cloud face many more problems than just . Drinking is one step forward to many more drugs. According to drinking age ProCons.org, the minimum drinking age at 21 reduces traffic accidents and fatalities were reduced, 100 of the 102 analyses ( 98 percent) in the 2002 meta-study of the legal drinking age and traffic accidents found higher legal drinking age associated with lower accidents.
The first establishment of a national drinking age actually started before prohibition. The temperance movement at the time used a minimum drinking age to gradually bring about the ban of alcohol all together. In 1919 the temperance movement got what they wanted and the 18th Amendment was created banning the sale of Alcohol in America. This ultimately failed resulting in increased gang violence and bootlegging. In 1933 due to a change of public opinion the ban was lifted with what is called the 21st Amendment. After prohibition what was left of the temperance movement made sure that a minimum drinking age remained. This made it illegal for anyone under 21 to buy liquor but in some states you could still buy beer at 18. This remained the case for the next forty years. In the early 70’s when baby boomers were dealing with the Vietnam war there was pressure to lower the drinking age, so many states (29 of them) lowered the LDA to either 18 or 19. The big argument was that if one could die in combat why couldn’t he have a drink. But, as the baby boomers aged there wasn’t as much support for these liberties so by the 80’s most states went back to 21. Then in 1984 the National Minimum Drinking Age Act passed which forced all states to adopt a drinking age of 21 within 2 years or face being cut federal funds for state highways.
The debate over whether the minimum legal drinking age has been going on for years. People have their own opinions on what the age should be set at and their reasons. There are many reasons why people say it should be eighteen, and there are many reasons why people say it should be twenty-one. It could be possible that change could have serious consequences. The legal drinking age should remain at 21.
In the recent years the legal age to consume or purchase alcohol has been twenty-one. Before the age was changed to twenty-one it was previously eighteen. This law was not changed to upset those who were between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one at the time or to restrict their freedom. The law was put in place for the safety of the people of the United States from the dangers of alcohol at an age believed to be too young to handle the consequenc...
...nd to over drink when get an opportunity to do so. In argument to reduce the minimum drinking age, Fell (5) mentions “studies shows that in different countries where there is lower age of drinking, there is less problems in the street and in driving.”
Despite the problems that would arise, many people are beginning to feel that the drinking age should be lowered from twenty-one to eighteen. Studies have been made; however, no hard evidence suggesting lowering the minimum drinking age would help have surfaced. Although there are countless studies of how alcohol has many harmful effects on teenagers, there is a great deal of negative criticism about what if the drinking age is lowered. Some would say the morally right decision is to not allow teens the chance to hurt themselves. Everyone is entitled to having his or her own opinions and beliefs. However, the overall health of the youth of our country seems a little more important than some personal belief. The drinking age should not be lowered due to the fact drunk driving, juvenile delinquency, and alcohol-related medical issues related to teens will increase.
Think about how many drunk driving incidents you hear about on the news. Now, imagine how many you would hear about if teens age 18 were able to legally drink. Allowing teens to legally drink would be putting the lives of the teen and the lives of others on the road in grave danger. Currently, the legal drinking age is 21, In the United States some states allow exceptions for underage teens to drink. The drinking age has been a debatable topic for all of history. In the 1960s, the MLDA (Minimum legal drinking age) was 18 but that law was revised in 1984 raising the minimum legal drinking age to 21. The drinking age should not be lowered because it would be irresponsible, the current MLDA is allowing more mature adults to legally drink, and lowering the MLDA would give more middle/high schoolers easier access to alcohol.
The legal age limit to drink in the U.S. is 21 years old currently. Even though the legal age limit is 21 to drink, there are many people who are abusing this law and drinking illegally. I believe that the legal age limit should be lowered to 18. In order for this to happen other U.S. citizens will have to vote to lower the age limit. I am interested in this because if it was lowered it would make it legal for my age group. Although there will possibly be more alcohol related incidents resulting in injury and possibly death. Lowering the legal age limit will allow people who do it illegally now to be able to do it in a safer environment. This will result in less alcohol related incidents. The age limit to drink alcohol should be lowered because the benefits overtime will out way the harm it will cause.
Did you know that in 1971, the legal drinking age in Ontario was lowered from 21 to 18? But it was raised to 19 eight years later because there were too many high school students drunk. What does that tell you about the drinking age? The legal drinking age should be changed to 21 because alcohol-related health problems and injuries will decrease and due to the fact that teenagers are not matured enough yet.