Pros And Cons Of Lowering The Drinking Age

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The legal drinking age has been a highly controversial topic since the prohibition. After the prohibition in 1933 the legal drinking age was either set or lowered to the age of 18 in states such as North Carolina, New York, Florida and a few others. There are both pros and cons to lowering the legal drinking age. There are many cons to lowering the drinking age, such as; medical studies have shown in young adults that the consumption of alcohol may interfere with the development of the individual’s brain but more specifically the frontal lobe. The frontal lobe handles the functions of the brain; such as organization, and planning, and even emotional regulation. “When alcohol consumption interferes with this early adult brain development, the …show more content…

For example, if the legal drinking age was lowered to 18 this would allow 18 year olds to go to bars and clubs where they are being watched by bartenders and bouncers to make sure they do not consume to much alcohol. Allowing 18 year olds to go to bars and clubs puts them in a supervised place where the amount they can consume is regulated, unlike if they were drinking at a house party. “Prohibiting this age group from drinking in bars, restaurants, and other licensed locations causes them to drink in unsupervised places such as fraternity houses or house parties where they may be more prone to binge drinking and other unsafe behavior” (ProCon.org). MLDA or Minimum Legal Drinking Age of 21 was set to regulate the age at which alcohol is consumed at. Despite the MLDA being set at the age of 21, it is quite ineffective due to the fact the most teens will consume alcohol anyways. If we were to lower the drinking age to 18, the thrill and sense of law breaking to drink alcohol would diminish. “Normalizing alcohol consumption as something done responsibly in moderation will make drinking alcohol less of a taboo for young adults entering college and the workforce”

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