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Impact of lowering the drinking age
Drinking age research essay
Impact of lowering the drinking age
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As we, all know in the United States the current legal age for drinking is 21. In today’s society, many people are bringing up in conversation such as, “Is the drinking age appropriate (should it be lower, higher or stay the same)?” Even though we do consider ourselves as adults at the age of 18 we are able to vote and serve in military etc. With those rights, many would agree to lower the age rate for drinking alcohol since most of us do consider ourselves adults and think they can hold such responsible on their own. There are much more life changing decisions and other things to be worried about than having to serve alcohol to someone who is consider as a minor to the adults that are more suitable and age appropriate to drink alcohol. In …show more content…
Young drivers (ages 16-20) are 17 times more likely to die in a crash when they have a blood alcohol concentration of .08% than when they have not been drinking. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) With that being said, it goes to show that teens already cannot handle drinking and how much problems that have are already came about and will prolong about unless the law stay the same. Good amount of families and friends have already lost their children due to countless of fatal car crashes being under the influence and alcohol abuse from consuming too much. One night, Reggie Stephey 18 years young, he was driving home and he had been drinking. Less than a mile from his driveway, Reggie drifted across the center stripe and hitting Natalia Bennett head on also heading home from a birthday party in Austin, with 4 other passengers Natalia Bennett and her Laura Guerrero died at the scene. It was a little past 4:00 in the morning on Sunday, September 19, 1999. ) Instantly like that someone can lose his or her life just for not making such and irresponsible choice. We need to prevent things from happening like this some because it is not getting any
Each year, about 5,000 teens are killed or injured in traffic crashes as a result of underage drinking and about 1,900 are due to car accidents. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and U.S. Department of Transportation) In the newsletter, safety in numbers by National highway traffic administration and U.S department of transportation “Of all the people who died in motor vehicle crashes during 2012, 31 percent died in crashes involving a drunk driver, and this percentage remains unchanged for the past 10 years” (Vol 1, 2013). Crashes involving alcohol include fatal crashes in which a driver had a BAC of .01 g/ ld. or higher (Underage Drinking Statistics)). Deadly crashes involving alcohol are twice as common in teens compared to people 21 and older. This is because teens’ judgment skills are harmed more by alcohol. Teens who drink not only risk hurting themselves, they risk hurting their friends, family, and even strangers when driving intoxicated. Teens and parents both need a strong reminder that underage drinking is illegal and can have disastrous consequences. According to Health Day News, “one study found that in 2011, 36 percent of U.S. college students said they'd gone binge drinking (five or more drinks in one sitting) within the past two weeks, as compared to 43 percent of college students in 1988. Since 2006, the current law has reduced the rate of drunk driving crashes among young Americans” (Preidt, 2014 and DeJong, 2014). This proves that lives have been saved after the legal drinking age increased. According to an article in Time Magazine called “Should the Drinking Age Be Lowered?”, “lowering the drinking age to 18 would stop infantilizing college students, but it would probably kill mor...
In the late 1960’s to mid-70’s the legal drinking age was 18 because the voting age of 21 was lowered to 18. However, in 1984 a bill was passed that every state in the United States was to change the legal drinking age from 18 to 21. Although this is a highly controversial topic, many young adults believe lowering the drinking age back to 18 is best because if they vote at the age of 18 then, they should be allowed to purchase alcoholic beverages. In an article “Should the U.S. lower its drinking age?” written by Brandon Griggs, he introduces the pros and cons of lowering the drinking age. Griggs explains two generations ago, young adults didn’t have to worry much about getting caught drinking or buying their way out to purchase alcohol.
There has been an ongoing controversy in the United States on whether the drinking age should be lowered to eighteen like most of the world or if it should stay at twenty-one. Underage drinking has been a major controversial issue for years, yet why is it not under control? Teenagers are continuing to buy alcohol with fake identification cards, drink, get into bars, and drink illegally. As a teen, I have proof that these things are going on not only in college but in high school as well. There are a lot of factors that come together to why the drinking age should be lowered to eighteen; the most obvious reason is that too many people are drinking before they are twenty-one.
As one of the major social problem, underage drinking can cause negative affect on both teenagers themselves and the whole society. Based on the research, approximately 190,000 youth under 21 visited emergency room for alcohol related hurts, even I accompanied one of my friends to ICU for alcohol poisoning nearly month ago. Annually about 5000 individuals under 21 die from it, not including other mature people directly or indirectly killed by them. Meanwhile, child’s brain and emotional developments are still in process until 20s so that taking alcohol will produce great damage on their body health. For example, alcohol can interfere with children’s capacity to build new, short, and lasting memories of information because it shrinks hippocampus about 10
It really is no secret that if the minimum legal drinking age were lowered, a large number of teens would then drink for perhaps the first time. “The age group with the most drivers involved in fatal crashes with Blood Alcohol Content levels of .08 or higher during 2011 was the twenty-one to twenty-four-year-olds” (“National Highway Traffic Facts”). Young adults are just as irresponsible at eighteen as they are at twenty-one, maybe even more irresponsible. The teenagers will indulge themselves on what they feel is a luxury the first chance they get. The young adults abuse the alcohol, and then go driving because even at twenty-one through twenty-four they are still not as responsible. If the age is lowered to eighteen, many eighteen-year-olds will go out and drink alcohol for the first time. The age group may rise to number one in fatal crashes. The National Highway Traff...
During the last decades, college drinking, the toll binge drinking which is taking on college campuses. Highly publicized reports have raised public awareness about the high rates of heavy drinking among college students. Also, Wechsler, Nelson and Lee JE, experts of researching the phenomenon of college drinking, have concluded that binge drinking is the most serious public health problem facing US colleges. The State had a controversial discussion about steps that can be taken to take action against the binge drinking that has become part of the so-called
Many young adults and college educators argue that the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) should be lowered but I disagree. I don’t think that lowering the legal drinking age would be a good idea because alcohol is one of the main causes of deaths among young adults and also affects their academic performance. Lowering the legal age of drinking will just be a huge mistake. The government should instead raise it higher than 21 or enforce the MLDA more.
As stated before an argument frequently used when concerning lowering the drinking age is as a legal adult at age 18, one should be allowed to consume alcohol. However, the consumption of alcohol is a privilege not a right and due to the dangers posed by irresponsible drinking the age one should be allowed to drink should be higher. Just because one is considered an “adult” does not mean they posses the responsibility to drink legally. There are many rights in the United States that have a high age of initiation besides just consuming alcohol. “A person ...
Adolescence is a time for teens to grow and mature into young adults. However, sometimes growing up takes a wrong turn when illegal substances are involved such as alcohol. Underaged drinking increases the risk for academic failure, and illegal drug or tobacco use. Underaged drinking also increases the risk for crime, health problems, and death. In 1984, an act was put in place to raise all fifty states’ minimum drinking age to 21; this act unfortunatley does not completely prevent underaged drinking, however it has helped save approximately 17,000 lives from alcohol related fatalities (Get Involved). Alcohol is a poison, and by lowering the legal drinking age to eighteen, you will be supporting the annihilation of our nation.
... Whether the legal drinking age is 18 or 21, alcohol-related traffic fatalities are a big issue in the state. In 2010, alcohol-impaired driving crashes killed 10,228 people, accounting for 31% of all traffic-related deaths in the United States. What would it be like when more young people are going to drink after lowering the legal drinking age? According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2,121 people in 2006 ages 16 to 20 died in alcohol-related fatalities on U.S. roads, but in 1984, the figure was 4,612.
As an American, when you turn eighteen years old, you’re legally allowed to enlist in the military, get married, buy tobacco, and have the right to vote. With having these responsibilities under your belt, many would assume the age to drink alcohol would be 18, but in America, you are not allowed to legally drink alcohol until you are 21. As many people turn 18 and enter adulthood, they should be able to make their own decisions about alcohol consumption. It should not be up to the government to dictate whether what age is appropriate to drink legally at, or let alone tell an adult what he or she can/cannot consume. From college parties, painful break-ups, the stress of
Alcohol is a drink that is a common social norm in our society today. Alcohol is rising concern for not only adults, teenagers too. This is not a new situation and the concern has existed for years. Teenage drinking has become one of the largest social issues among young people in America today. There is simply no way of preventing underage drinking although it is illegal, there are ways to inform teenagers the effects and harm it does to your body. You simply can not tell college kids they can’t drink, it is unenviable, but again teaching the consequences and concerns can further their education with alcohol related substance and situations in which they encounter.
Underage drinking is wrong. It is very unhealthy and can be extremely dangerous. Not only is it unhealthy and dangerous it is also illegal. (Kids don’t try this at home). Underage drinking is when anyone under the minimum legal drinking age of 21 drinks alcohol. Alcoholic beverages include: beer, wine, liquor, etc. With underage drinking comes a heavy price, underage drinking carries a lot of risk and potential serious injuries. It can get teens into a multitude of troubles such as, problems with the law, with family, friends, social life, and more. The more teens know about the facts and consequences of this harmful venture the better off they are from becoming one of the many statistics associated with underage drinking.
Imagine you are a twenty-year-old waiting for your next birthday to turn the magic number of twenty-one. Turning twenty-one is the turning point in most people’s lives and suddenly everything changes. This specific birthday is one of the most celebrated birthdays across America, for the reason being, you are officially allowed to take that first sip of alcohol and not have the fear, burning inside your stomach, of being busted at some weekend high school/college party. Picture this, it’s the night of your birthday and all of your friends have planned for you to go out to clubs and experience the time of your life, bartenders keep handing you drinks and you being the slightly immature new adult, keep taking them,
UNDERAGE ALCHOL CONSUMPTION Alcoholism is a broad term used for the damages caused by alcohol (Tracy, Sarah 31-52). Alcoholism in United States of America is consumption by adults under the age of 21 all over the country. Though the age is similar to this in all countries but the conditions vary. In some countries it is completely banned, while others have conditions in consuming it. Underage drinking has become very common especially it has become common in a sense that the minors and adults like to take in closed doors.