Persuasive Essay On Underage Drinking

Today, teenagers grow up in a world that glamorizes underage drinking. We see it in television advertisements, movies, magazines, snapchat stories, you name it, and we have probably seen it. In the United States the minimum limit drinking age (MLDA) is 21, but in many other countries such as Canada and almost everywhere in Europe, their MLDA is 18 or 19. Many criticize the United States, having one of the highest MLDAs, due to the fact that teenagers haven’t had the opportunity to learn how to drink safely and responsibly. In America most students reach college from the age of 17 to 19 and are drawn into the world of parties, which almost always includes alcohol. The only prior knowledge students have on the subject is what they have gathered from watching their parents, or more likely what they have seen on television or

However, having a lower MLDA isn’t necessarily more beneficial than having a higher drinking age in a country, because like almost every choice in life, the consequences that come from the choice to drink regardless of your age can lead an individual to a life or death situation. For example in our neighboring country, Canada, their MLDA ranges from 18 to 19, depending on which province you are in. Research has shown according to drinkingageellie.weebly.org, far more young Canadian college and university students drink, but American students are known to drink more heavily. In reality the more alcohol one ingests, the more dangerous the situation becomes, but movies don’t show us the scary consequences that come along with getting drunk. In Canada student drinking rates are around 87%, where America’s is 81%. However, when you look at heavy drinking, American college students are up to 41%, and Canadian students are 37%