Premium Essay

Arguments Against Alcohol Regulation

Submitted By
Words 581
Pages 3
The debate that has recently come to my attention concerns the regulation regarding alcohol. The question has been raised: is it genuinely practical to enforce the draconian drinking laws that rigorously prohibit citizens under 21 from buying liquor? Are the efforts of these strict laws truly worth their stated goal? According to the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984, the US federal government outlaws purchase and public possession of alcohol by people less than 21 years of age. The history of regulation of alcohol in the US began in the 1920s, during the Prohibition Era where no alcohol was allowed at all. Now, laws still remain very strict with one group: those under 21.
Ironically however, even with these high …show more content…
On the other hand, Switzerland and Czech Republic, developed countries with one of the most tolerant law regarding alcohol holds much fewer conflicts. Statistic of death rate per 100.000 by countries supports my claim. While United States suffer from 2.91 death rate per 100,000 Switzerland only has 2.49 and Czech Republic only 2.24.
Furthermore, most growth in body stops at the age of 18
Some argue that relaxation of minimum legal drinking age leads immature minors to drink and drive; nonetheless, immaturity does not depend on the age but the person. 18 is the age that a minor gets the legal right which means one will take his/her responsibility for their actions. This title comes with a huge responsibility. It is a perverse contradiction that people over 18 aren’t prohibited from doing things that take gargantuan responsibility such as driving or joining the military, but are banned from buying a drink.
The idea of flexing the drinking law is not an idea of my own. Numerous Internet users are longing to see a change in a law regarding alcohol. “People 18 years and older are considered adults and should be treated as such by being allowed to legally purchase and consume alcohol.”(Alexis

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Marijuana Legalization

...room annually with a primary marijuana problem. * Proposals such as legalization that would promote marijuana use are inconsistent with this public health and safety approach. * This is in contradiction with the Office of National Drug Control Policy, and any economic argument that applies to the legalization of marijuana applies most other illicit drugs. * Tax incentives argument * Alcohol Tax Incentives to Cost incentives * The debate over how much tax money recreational marijuana laws could produce is playing an outsize role in the campaigns for and against legalization — and both sides concede they're not really sure what would happen. * The argument is for: * it could prove a windfall for cash-strapped states with new taxes on pot and reduced criminal justice costs. * The report shows that marijuana legalization -- replacing prohibition with a system of taxation and regulation -- would save $7.7 billion per year in state and federal expenditures on prohibition enforcement and produce tax revenues of at least $2.4 billion annually if marijuana were taxed like most consumer goods. If, however, marijuana were taxed similarly to alcohol or tobacco, it might generate as much as $6.2 billion annually. * From Canada we’ve learned that the production cost of (government-sponsored) marijuana is roughly 33¢ a gram. Currently, U.S. marijuana consumers pay at least $10 per gram retail for illegal marijuana. If the...

Words: 532 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Drinking Age Debate

...driving license at the age of sixteen appealed to the favor of teens. Currently, the dispute that is now being presented touches a subject that if ever addressed by the government, would change the way America operates forever: the age of consent for drinking. The debate is simple- the teens want it lowered against the adults who would like it to stay the same. The issue stirs major controversy mainly to focus on the safety of young adults, and how the consumption of alcohol can affect the mortality rate in their age bracket. However, there are firm rebuttals that show that lowering the legal drinking age to eighteen can not only benefit society, is the only fair addition to the list of rights and privileges one assumes when they reach America’s definition of adulthood. The pros and cons of the issue both have their strong and weak points aimed towards convincing their respective counter retorts. Yet when push comes to shove, it’s hard to deny that the law surrounding the drinking age in its standing, is not only unfair to young adults, but hypocritical. The arguments against lowering the age, while true, do not run parallel with the issue of a drinker’s age. All in all, the argument over changing the legal restrictions for those who want to drink, in many opinions, ends with those in favor changing it,...

Words: 1772 - Pages: 8

Free Essay

Legalizing Marijuana

...has been around for a very long time, although there are some people who are against the use of marijuana, there are many that argue that the cannabis plant has some positive attributes. Marijuana has been studied and has been found to have some positive medical attributes it should probably be legalized, it is less harmful than cigarettes and alcohol; legalizing marijuana could free government funds and some unnecessary jail space that could be used for hard core criminals. Tobacco and alcohol are more harmful than marijuana Why is it that marijuana is illegal, yet alcohol and tobacco are available and regulated? There are many people that support the claim that marijuana is unhealthy and dangerous. There are many who think we need to keep drugs illegal to protect our society from the addictions and diseases that they cause, however this is impossible because we have alcohol and tobacco that is sold in every store. Therefore, these arguments are not consistent with the fact that the two most deadly drugs in U.S. are legal. Alcohol and tobacco have been labeled as more addictive and harmful than marijuana, yet readily available. According to researched done by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA, 1996), alcohol abuse increases the risk of developing acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The National Institute of Health also suggests that there may be a connection between alcohol consumption and increased risk for cancer (NIH, 2012). Similarly, the Center...

Words: 843 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Marijuana

...An Argument Against Proposition 19 Abstract This rhetorical analysis examines a response from Stainlislaus County about their feelings and arguments against Proposition 19. Their arguments that they use to refute their opinions had many fallacies, even though they tried to appeal to their audience as much as possible by using pathos, logos, and casual arguments. Proposition 19 was a bill that failed to pass because it was unfavorable. It stated that it would legalize the usage of marijuana along with marijuana related activities, it would allow for the government to regulate the activities and also allow the government to place taxes on it, and it would authorize criminal and civil penalties by the local government. This is an ongoing debate in many states today, and will continue to become more popular because of the uprise in popularity of marijuana. Keywords: Proposition 19, Stainlislaus County, marijuana, legalization An Argument Against Proposition 19 The controversy of the legality of marijuana has been a huge subject for debate for years, even decades. Currently, in modern society, the number of supporters for legal use of marijuana has increased significantly. People often question why this topic is an enormous concern and it is because here in the United States marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug. It has been recorded by The National Institution on Drug...

Words: 2420 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Administrative Law

...Nick Montesano Buss 200 Administrative Law Essay The College Of New Jersey Dr. Laura Sanders 9/29/30 A National Dispute In the past decade there has been an increased controversial view of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana. People have been divided on how to regulate these products in the market, causing much governmental controversy. There have been many groundbreaking and unprecedented court cases that have been shaping the public policy on which these substances stand on. These substances have an immediate and perilous effect on the health of all human beings. Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, alcohol causes impaired judgment and in turn causes people to do things that affect their health physically and emotionally, and marijuana has almost the same effect as alcohol. (New England Law) Health is the ultimate concern when studying these three substances, which would lead to the Family Smoking Prevention Act to survive the Hudson Test. The Granholm case would lead one to believe that states cannot discriminate against outsiders from sales, and the medical exceptions for marijuana are valid on the fact that it has a medical advantage to some citizens. I strongly believe that the federal government has a right to regulate certain aspects of these substances based upon the danger posed to the health of citizens. This paper will discuss certain court cases that shape my opinion for every substance...

Words: 3410 - Pages: 14

Premium Essay

Pt1420 Unit 6 Essay

...Proposition 61: This Proposition implies that medical agencies will not be making profit from people in need of medicine. These agencies are able to take the money out of the people in bad situations. However, prop 61 will limit the amount of profit they could make compared to other agencies. the Medical Agencies know there is something wrong with the way they are able to make business, and thus they are one of the most influential donors with Super PACs during elections. Proposition 64:  This Proposition implies that the marijuana will be legalized for legal use and it will have a heavy tax rate. Since marijuana is one of the most famous illegal drugs and it does not have many side effects, it should be legalized and tax for government regulations. In my opinion, if marijuana is legalized the government will have a better connection and control for the actions we...

Words: 748 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Drinking Age Research Paper

...Since the early times of human civilization, alcohol has been an enjoyable drink to accompany dinners, parties, celebrations, and almost any other occasion. As time and research has progressed laws have been put into place to regulate alcohol consumption. Countries around the world have laws and bans on under-age drinking and set certain ages at their minimums. There are a few countries with no limits, but for the majority the ages range from fourteen to eighteen, with the United States as an exception with their law at twenty one. Twenty one is too high for a limit and has been the cause of many fatalities, alcohol poisoning and other tragedies; it should be lowered to add more benefits to the youth of America including a safe at-home environment...

Words: 988 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Should Alcohol Advertising Be Forbidden? Discuss.

...music events, are all advertising. Alcohol advertising and the impact it has, has been debated across many sectors. Some sectors are calling for it to be banned completely. It is the intention to discuss some of the arguments, for and against, a complete ban of alcohol advertising. The alcohol industry rely heavily on advertising to sell their products. It is estimated that £800 million is spent on advertising in the UK alone on a yearly basis (Alcohol Concern, 2013). The revenue that this advertising generates is vast, not only for the companies whose products are being advertised but also for the advertising companies, sporting events and the Government, to name but a few. If a complete ban on alcohol advertising was implemented this revenue would be lost. In contrast, the Northern Ireland Health Minister, has been reported to have said that the burden of cost due to alcohol misuse amounts to “…up to £900 million every year…” (Northern Ireland Executive, 2012), with 30% of this amount being endured by the Health and Social Care Trust. These figures are for Northern Ireland alone. The cost to the NHS nationwide is approximately £612.9 million (IAS, 2013). The Government believe that prevention and early intervention will help to reduce this cost. Sir Ian Gilmore, chairman of the Alcohol Health Alliance, has said that young people, in particular children, are easily susceptible to adverts and therefore will take up drinking alcohol at an early age (Gilmore, 2012)....

Words: 1188 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Marijuana Legalization

...Marijuana Legalization The legalization of marijuana is something that I have always been interested in. In high school, I heard about people first smoking marijuana, and I thought it was so bad because of everything that I was taught in elementary and middle school. Kids always pledged to stay away from any type of drug. Once I knew friends that were smoking and I talked to them about it, they made it seem so harmless, and that’s when I really got curious about it. Then I started to find out more information about marijuana and its effects, and I started to wonder whether marijuana should be legal for recreational use? After all my research I have come to the conclusion that marijuana should be legal for recreational use in the United States. Lets start by looking at the economical perspective. The United States has a national debt of trillions of dollars, and a huge financial problem is how much our law enforcement and Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) are spending to enforce the prohibition of marijuana. “In America we spend nearly $8 billion trying to enforce the laws prohibiting the use and possession of marijuana” (Cartwright 86). This money could be spent on highways, schools and other government properties but instead it is spent on enforcing laws that are being broken every single day. Another huge part of the DEA is the so-called war on drugs. Mexican drug cartels are a huge supplier of marijuana to the U.S. “In 2009, the U.S. National Drug Intelligence Center estimated...

Words: 1609 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Account User

...Non-immigrant alien firearm rights. MGT 520 DeVry University 2015 The administrative agency which controls the regulation I am interested in is the Department of Justice Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearm and Explosives (ATF). I can’t say that I have a great interest in the agency itself, but this proposal caught my eye and looked interesting. I am interested in this proposal, OMB Number 1140–0060, because I do not believe that any non-citizen should be allowed to purchase and or maintain a firearm while in the United States. If there is, or they feel there is a sufficient threat to themselves, they may contact the police department or simply return to their country of origin. A change to the current regulation will not only affect me, but every single citizen in the USA and business owner alike. We cannot allow non-citizens to purchase and maintain firearms, it is a right that the citizen enjoys and should not be extended to non- citizens. The proposed change discusses nonimmigrant alien information being used to determine if a nonimmigrant alien is eligible to purchase, obtain, possess, or import a firearm. Additionally, nonimmigrant aliens then must maintain the documents while in possession of firearms or ammunition in the United States for verification purposes. The public comment that I would submit for this proposal is, “That I strongly disagree with allowing non-immigrant aliens the ability to acquire firearms while sojourning in the USA. There is no reason...

Words: 805 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

The Ethical Predicament of Advertisements: an in-Depth Study of Publicizing Tobacco, Alcohol and Sexual Appeals.

...progressively abused. This study’s central concern is the ethical dilemma plaguing advertisements in Lebanon. It focuses on how Lebanese people, especially the youth, are manipulated and influenced by the ethical digression exposed in advertisements. The three aspects examined were the portrayals of sexual appeals, alcohol and tobacco since they represent the most mistreated issues. The study used an electronic survey consisting of ten questions intended to depict the opinions of Lebanese people on current advertisements. It was found that the male and female participants mutually find present ads to be inappropriate when considering these aspects. Alcohol, tobacco and sexual portrayals pose a concern to the participants rendering them unethical. A general consensus proposed stricter regulatory measures to be taken against such advertisements. Lebanese advertisers must venture for opportunities and methods to publicize ideas and products without submitting them to immoral standards. Further recommendations and research gaps are presented in the study.   Introduction: The Ethical Predicament of Advertisements: An in-depth study of publicizing tobacco, alcohol and sexual appeals. Imagine a world where humans are mentally captivated, fed through prescribed tubes and artificial packages and continuously exposed to selected dogmas, images and understandings. A situation seeming unbearable, torturous or even anachronistic, unfortunately describes the situation of our world...

Words: 4631 - Pages: 19

Free Essay

Legalization

...Argument for Legalization of Marijuana May 28, 2014 From an economic stand point the legalization of marijuana is actually good. In Colorado alone, roughly 2 million dollars in tax revenue was made in January. If the high populated states could make an extra 2 million in tax revenue a month, there could be funding for so many different things. There could be more money for education. Not just funding for college, but elementary, middle, and high school students could have more opportunities if they could hire teachers for a broader range of subjects. Alcohol companies are probably against the legalization of marijuana since it is a substitute. Alcohol literally poisons your body. So why would people choose to do that when they can use marijuana instead. There isn’t one legitimate study that has given proof that marijuana can negatively affect your health. In fact marijuana is proven to help people with cancer, AIDS, glaucoma, and multiple sclerosis. Tobacco companies are probably for the legalization of marijuana because it is a complimentary good. People use the products hand in hand. There are other ways to use marijuana but some users tend to use the leaf of a rolled cigar to smoke it. The demand for glass pipes would go up because that is a more safe way to use marijuana. There are multiple recipes online for baking marijuana in brownie and cookie mix as well. There was even an article about use an olive oil infused with marijuana so people could make...

Words: 389 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Marijauna

...The opinion of Marijuana during the 70’s was much more definitive than it is today. Approval of Marijuana by 27 states, new medical studies, and its consequences on those convicted from use of the most common illicit drug in the world, is forcing the United States of America to rethink its stance on the matter. In general, the underlying argument about Marijuana in this country is: should Marijuana continue to be prohibited to citizens based on its health effects, medicinal values, and costs to the country? The reasons why this argument is so important are great. As previously stated, Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in the world, and with millions of people using it regularly and almost 100 million that have ever used it in this country, the laws behind this drug hold great influence. It is because of this and the immergence of new evidence, that the justification behind prohibition of this drug is being rethought scientifically, socially, and economically. The use of Marijuana as both medicine and a recreational drug is being thoroughly questioned in the US. 27 states have Marijuana approved in some form, many of those for medical purposes however those users can still, and do get placed into prison by federal law. Currently, 830,00 people a year are in trouble with the law in regards to Marijuana and numbers seem to be on an uphill trend . Furthermore, the US invests 30 billion a year into the drug war, half of which is dedicated to Marijuana. Many are questioning...

Words: 3255 - Pages: 14

Premium Essay

Gun Control in America

...Gun Control in America Peter Z Bliss ENG/215 February 2, 2012 Kim Holloway Gun Control in America Gun control is a debate topic that comes up every election and when a major event happens that involving guns. Pro-gun lobbyists say “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people” [ (Hagan, 2007) ] the anti-gun advocates want to take away the right to bear arms. This topic has no right or wrong answer it is a preference of the individual. This is why gun control is such a fiercely debated topic. Implementing gun control Gun control cannot determine an accurate measurement according to research as there are two key components to the research lacking. What is the crime rate with no gun control? There is no documented research showing what the baseline is without gun control. Different government parties have each placed their own gun controls as a universal solution. These controls are mandatory locks sold with every gun purchase, and limitations on different classification of guns a citizen may own (Moorhouse & Wanner, 2006). Part two of measuring gun control is making sure the gun control laws are in place along with proper enforcement of the law. An example of this could have a blanket gun control law for a state. Each county within that state will potentially have a different outcome of this law. With the effort their law enforcement offices and judicial system place on enforcing that law. Gun control law enforcement is a large part of the accurate measurement...

Words: 1313 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Advertising Ethics: Alcohol and Tobacco

...advertising agencies exert over the general public is not being used responsibly. Essentially, advertising is trying to accomplish four objectives: first, advertisements are meant to create awareness, second they strive to establish a brand’s name and identity, third advertisements seek to provide information to the public in a way that is memorable and lastly, and controversially, advertisements are used to convince the consumer that he or she will be better off with their product. (Business Ethics: Truth in Advertising, film) Some advertisements have been accused of more egregious violations of ethical behavior, in particular advertisements for alcohol and tobacco. While the use of most products will not directly kill you, if alcohol and tobacco are used as instructed they will lead to death; these products have no redeeming value. Alcohol related...

Words: 6149 - Pages: 25