Pros And Cons Of Lowering The Drinking Age

1881 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Lowering the United States legal drinking age

Introduction: One on-going debate that has caused quite the argument between researchers, and that has been going on for decades in America, has been if the minimum legal drinking age should be lowered from age 21 to 18 for U.S. citizens. It has been clear that there is a drinking problem amongst this age range, for excessive drinking contributes to more than 4,300 deaths a year among those who under 21 in the U.S. (Fact Sheets, 2016). The debate in this argument circles around pinpointing the right method to combat this drinking problem. On one side, there are top professional researchers and institutes that believe that the MLDA, or minimum legal drinking age, should continue to stay at 21. They believe that this is the most appropriate MLDA, because they believe teens younger than this age don’t know how to handle alcohol responsibly, which could ultimately result in harm to themselves or others. On the other side of this argument are those who believe the MLDA should be lowered to around 18 or 19 years old. Proponents of this argument …show more content…

This means that if the MLDA of 21 were to be changed a whole set of legislation that has proved to be the most effective in the research that we have today would need to be re-thought out, and it could lead to “unknown and potentially serious consequences” (Saylor, 2011). For example, states have implemented effective laws that address issues such as keg registration, fake id’s, open public containers, and providing minors with alcohol in order to complement and make the current 21 MLDA even more effective (Saylor, 2011). Those for the 21 MLDA are worried that taking away these laws that have proved to be the most effective in our research that we have today to try out other methods would provide unknown results that could be very

Show More
Related

  • The Consequences of Lowering the Legal Age for Consumption of Alcohol

    604 Words  | 2 Pages

    According to Center for Disease Control and Protection, about 4,700 people under age twenty one die from injuries involving underage drinking every year. Illegal alcohol consumption has been a major problem with high school students around the nation. Lowering the drinking age from twenty one would result in major consequences for America’s adolescents. By lowering the drinking age, alcohol would be more accessible to those who choose to participate in underage drinking. The desire to drink for teens and young adults between the ages of fourteen and twenty can be caused by peer pressure or an act of rebellion. One beer might not seem like a big deal at the time, but it could lead to a life of addiction and alcoholism.

    Read More

  • Underage Drinking and the American Citizen

    1119 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the contents of this paper, four points of view will be discussed on an extremely controversial issue that has an effect on a large percentage of citizens in the United States. The issue at hand is whether the legal age to consume alcohol should be lowered from 21 to 18, and will state a pro and con side, as well as 2 stakeholders for each side of the argument. The stakeholders on the pro side are as follows: Underage consumers of alcohol, businesses that sell and the companies that produce alcohol. The people on the con side of the argument that would want the legal age to remain at 21 include State and Federal Law Enforcement Agencies, as well as the demographic of Parents that would prefer to keep their children from being exposed to alcohol at a potentially young age. As you continue to read the stakeholders opinions and arguments will be explained, after which the author’s personal opinion will be advanced. After doing my own in depth research on the topic, the legal age to consume alcohol should remain at 21 as set by the United States Congress when they passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act (NMDAA) in July of 1984. This act punished every state that allowed persons below 21 years of age to purchase and publicly possess alcoholic beverages by reducing its annual federal highway apportionment by ten percent. (National Minimum Drinking Age Act) This caused all fifty continental U.S. states to set their legal drinking age to 21, and it has remained there for thirty years.

    Read More

  • Underage Drinking: Enforcing The Drinking Age

    1155 Words  | 3 Pages

    For decades, certain people have been contemplating on how to go about the issue of underage drinking; people of the government, parents, and other individuals concerned in global affairs. The problem is, the issue of underage drinking and the nationwide ineffectiveness of the drinking age law of twenty-one isn't debated and discussed as much and as aggressively as it should be. And the main components of discussion ought to be the matter of binge drinking among teenagers and college students, drinking issues and statistics in foreign countries, and finally, possible solutions for this problem. The main point is that the states of our country can only attempt to enforce the law rather than try approaching the problem in any other way. So for that reason, states should be allowed to figure out and experiment on possible ways to solve this matter on their own without government interference.

    Read More

  • Minimum Legal Drinking Age Should Remain at the Age of 21

    1314 Words  | 3 Pages

    Without a doubt, the United States has been facing serious national problems with underage drinking. Depending on personal ideologies, some people might not agree that the current minimum drinking age of twenty-one is based on scientific facts rather then ideology of prohibitionism. For example, since 1975 over seventeen thousand lives have been saved since the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) was changed to age twenty-one (Balkin 167). This shows that even over a short amount of time, a higher MLDA helps decrease the risk of teen suicides, accidents and overdose deaths. However, this widely debated topic has inevitably brought attention to the plethora of supporting and opposing viewpoints. The minimum legal drinking age of twenty-one has shown significant results in the prevention of accidents and death studies across the board. Accordingly, the MLDA should remain at the current age of twenty-one.

    Read More

  • Lowering the Drinking Age

    1529 Words  | 4 Pages

    According to Andrew Herman, “Each year, 14,000 die from drinking too much. 600,000 are victims of alcohol related physical assault and 17,000 are a result of drunken driving deaths, many being innocent bystanders” (470). These massive numbers bring about an important realization: alcohol is a huge issue in America today. Although the problem is evident in Americans of all ages, the biggest issue is present in young adults and teens. In fact, teens begin to feel the effects of alcohol twice as fast as adults and are more likely to participate in “binge-drinking” (Sullivan 473). The problem is evident, but the solution may be simple. Although opponents argue lowering the drinking age could make alcohol available to some teens not mature enough to handle it, lowering the drinking age actually teaches responsibility and safety in young adults, maintains consistency in age laws, and diminishes temptation.

    Read More

  • Lowering the Drinking Age

    1790 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...hol related accidents on the road, in public areas, and many health related issues due to the abuse of alcohol at more of a minimal. It is up to our government leaders to continue enforcing the twenty-one and over age minimal law.

    Read More

  • Lowering the Drinking Age to 18

    2613 Words  | 6 Pages

    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 too many people are drinking before they are twenty-one. Liquor stores, bars, and clubs all want to make money and if they can get away with selling to underage teens then they will. A study done by the Academic Search Premier agrees that, ?By now it is obvious that the law has not succeeded in preventing the under-21 group from drinking? (Michael Smith 1).

    Read More

  • The Minimum Legal Drinking Age

    1713 Words  | 4 Pages

    Bob Marley once said, “Herb is the healing of a nation, alcohol is the destruction.” This is the case when it comes to teens and alcohol. In America, the National Minimum Legal Drinking Age is a topic of great debate and controversy. Many people argue that the age restriction provides a safe environment for all citizens; whereas others disagree that the law creates an untrustworthy aura among teens. If the minimum legal drinking age were to be lowered, most people would be affected by it, whether it be by an increase in drunk-driving or a rise in crimes. Although teens are legally considered adults by the age of eighteen and the minimum legal drinking age prompts underage teens to exhibit risky behavior, the age restriction should not be lowered from twenty-one to eighteen because young teens would have easier access to alcohol, the minimum legal drinking age has decreased alcohol-related problems, and alcohol can cause damage to underage drinkers.

    Read More

  • The Drinking Age Should Not Be Lowered

    1712 Words  | 4 Pages

    Martinez, Julia A., Miguel A. Munoz Garcia, and Kenneth J. Sher. “A New Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA)? Some Findings to Inform the Debate.” Addictive Behaviors 34.4 (2009): 407-10. Wilson OmniFile Full Text Mega Edition. Web. 3 Mar. 2010.

    Read More

  • The Drinking Age Must not Be Lowered

    1746 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Arguments for and against Lowering the Drinking Age

    1916 Words  | 4 Pages

    The controversy on the proper drinking age is one that has been repeatedly discussed and researched over the years. Its common to hear the argument “If someone is old enough to take a bullet for their country, they should be allowed to drink alcohol.” But is that enough justification? Some would say no. “According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) it is estimated that in 2004 there were more than 1,700 student deaths, 599,000 injuries, and 696,000 assaults annually associated with excessive drinking” (Fennell 247). Given these numbers, would lowering the drinking age really be the best thing for America’s youth?

    Read More

  • Don't lower the drinking Age

    1218 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Drinking Age Persuasive Essay

    1046 Words  | 3 Pages

    The debate of whether the minimum legal drinking age should be lowered or not has been around for many years even since the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 raised the MLDA to age 21. Prior to that, the government has t...

    Read More

  • Minimum Drinking Age

    213 Words  | 1 Pages

    Despite the national 21 year old minimum legal drinking age, It’s apparent that individuals who are younger than 21 are consuming alcohol. Alcohol is the most commonly used drug among adolescents. Data from a survey in 2007, Monitoring The Future, showed that 16, 33, and 44% of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders, respectively, reported alcohol use in the past 30 days, while 10, 22 and 26% reported having five or more drinks in a row in the past 2 weeks (Lipperman, 2010). Innovative work has examined the long-term effects of minimum legal drinking age. In the past-year alcohol and drug use disorders among of-age and aging adults, demonstrates the long-term beneficial effects of these laws on adult drinking behaviors (Gruenewald, 2011). Early alcohol

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Underage Drinking

    824 Words  | 2 Pages

    As a result of underage drinking, 5,000 adolescents under the age of 21 die annually due to intoxication (taking motor vehicle crashes, homicides, suicides, and other injuries while intoxicated into consideration) (paragraph 2). Later in life, underage drinkers are more likely to develop alcoholism, poor performance in school, and risky sexual behavior (paragraph 43). Although this research is not opposed to my argument, there is an importance to acknowledging it as proof of dangerous, underage drinking occurring significantly regardless of whether it is illegal. More importantly, this research stems from adolescents drinking without the supervision of adults and in uncontrolled quantities. Since adolescents must wait a long period of time to drink legally, I believe they fear they must take advantage of drinking opportunities by excess drinking and risk of safety due to their restriction to alcohol. Based on this mindset, I believe exposure to alcohol at a younger age in controlled environments would not only decrease underage drinking in large quantities, but injury and death related to intoxication, as

    Read More

More about Pros And Cons Of Lowering The Drinking Age

Open Document