...Teen Drinking The topic of teen drinking age is controversial and has raised lots of debate over the years. There are many that believe the drinking age should be lowered, and there are those that believe the age to drink should stay at 21. There is no benefit on allowing underage teenagers the right to drink. Keeping the legal age to consume alcohol at 21 is beneficial for the safety and well being of teenagers. In Europe the Europeans let their teens drink from an early age. They also claim they have less alcohol-related problems than the United States, and their teens learn to drink responsible and are less likely to “binge drink.” According to T. R. Reid’s May 4 [2003] op-ed piece, “Let My Teenager Drink,” amid a national outcry over an epidemic of “ binge drinking,” the politicians don’t like to admit that this problem is largely a product of the liquor laws (86). That is a total myth. Among American youth binge drinking rates are higher in European countries by almost double. According to Joseph Califano Jr’s May 11 [2003] op-piece, “Don’t Make Teen Drinking Easier,” in 2001 the Justice Department released an analysis comparing drinking rates in Europe and the United States. The conclusion: American 10th graders are less likely to use and abuse alcohol that people of the same age in almost all European countries, including Britain” (88) There is also the argument that you should be able to drink at eighteen, since at that at the age you are considered...
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...Teen drinking is a serious problem and each year the statistics go higher and higher and more and more teens are drinking. This is a safety issue for teens are not old enough to know how to control their drinking. In an article I read called, “let my teenager drink”, written by T.R. Reid, suggests that it’s okay to let our teens drink. On the opposed side, Author Joseph A. Califano writes in his article that it is not okay to allow teens to drink. Reid does make some good points in his article. He believes that it is safer for our teens to be allowed to drink. He brought up binge drinking and how bad it is for teens. He says, “the only reason for this binge drinking is because teens are not allowed to drink so they do it secretly, most often in unsafe places like a car, or a house where adult supervision is not present”(REID). Reid claims that if we let our teens legally drink then teens can be safer and be able to drink throughout the evening instead of getting drunk in the short amount of time they have before a social event. He believes teenagers are going to drink no matter what law is put in place, and that we should all just allow teens to legally drink. Author and current president of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, Joseph A. Califano suggests the first article is a dangerous opinion to go by. He lists straight facts on this specific issue like, “in 2001 the Justice Department released an analysis comparing drinking rates...
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...English 1023 17 May 2013 Argumentative Research Essay: Teen Drinking Have you ever really considered the consequences of binge drinking regularly while in college or even high school? It may seem harmless and most people only think it is a one night affair. I believe that most people honestly do not know that these decisions can affect them for the rest of their lives. I have seen several of my friends of all different ages make bad decisions in their lives and a lot of can be traced back to decisions involved with the use of alcohol. Going out and binge drinking often can lead to a numerous of bad decisions. Alcohol use and teens can lead to developing bad habits, poor health, risky behaviors, criminal acts, unwanted injuries, and unwanted sexual contact. One of the main reason that younger people believe that is acceptable to drink under age is they believe that it will only affect them for one night. In all reality that is not true. As you will see laid out in this essay I will show my readers several viewpoints of why it is a bad long term decision. People drink early on to feel like they are a part of a group of being popular. Drinking does not make anyone popular. Young people just need to ask themselves what is the right thing to do. Popularity will come on its own. Starting to drink heavily can really have a bad effect on your health. When my father was around my age, he and his friends used to drink heavily a lot, all the time. I have met several of my father’s...
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...Underage Drinking Rebuttal Analysis Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Abstract Most college students in the U.S fall between the 18-21 age bracket. As is custom, the highlight of an active collegiate lifestyle is partying, where binge drinking is the highlight of the day. In retrospect, the legal drinking age still stands at 21. Some proponents for the lowering of the legal drinking age from 18 to 21 contend that at that age, one is appended adult-like responsibilities such as the right to make decisions on their own, joining the military, marrying and starting a family, to mention but a few. In this regard, these proponents argue that if one is considered responsible enough to be trusted with the safety of the country, why not be trusted enough to consume alcohol? This has been the subject of rife debate in recent times, as either side puts arguments and counterarguments forth. Introduction A 2008 article authored by John Cloud headlined “Should the Drinking Age Be Lowered?” published on Friday, June in Time argues that the legal drinking age should remain steady at 21, and should not be lowered to 18 as critics would like to have it. A particular statement that tickles my fancy was “It’s unclear why shifting the venue of drinking from frat houses to bars will help solve the problem of hard-core student drinking” (Cloud, 2008). Although Cloud presents a sound argument, it is more sensible to implement more methodical and all-encompassing alcohol education to...
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...Underage drinking is an acute problem to most societies in the world. Today, teenage drinking has become a norm among young people, who in several occasions tend comply with this antisocial culture. The question is, “what is the general cause to this severe trend?”. It is unfortunate that a child, as young as 11 years is indulged to heavy drinking. The aftermath effects of such indulgence are so severe to the social and ethical set up of the society. Based on empirical research analysis, most children who engage in heavy abuse of drugs tend to be irresponsible in their social life. In addition, the menace risk subjecting the society to other forms consequences (Howard, 2010). Teenage drinking is a real problem to most societies, and necessary measures must be applied to contain its high prevalence. Consequences of teenage drinking are so instantaneous to the society, more so to the families where such children resides, and this promotes swifter actions by caregivers. Literature Review Underage drinking has attained lethal dose in most American societies, and this raises the eyebrows on the American social institutions. There are numerous research elements that have been conducted among young children, which significantly reveal to the onset of this vice. American society is the powerhouse to many antisocial behaviors among teenagers. Irresponsible act of teenage drinking has sunken the social behaviors of young people, who later become inactive citizens. Teenage drinking is thus...
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...Chapter 1 Strict rules about drinking' may prevent alcohol disorders in teens. Introduction Alcohol is an adult beverage that can be fun and beneficial if used properly. Although If used irresponsible it also can be something that will change your life forever. Whether it Takes away everything you love or possible even cause death to you. I intend to show you The difference between casual drinking and the disease known worldwide as alcoholism. The paper will show you some causes and statistics to why some teens are more susceptible to alcoholism then others. Also, show what effects it can have on a teen’s body. Show different ways in dealing with the problem of alcoholism, and show that it doesvnot matter race, financial situation, or even religion. The issue of how to prevent drinking in teenagers is critical. One study found that by The age Of 15, about 34 percentage of boys and 24 percentage of girls drank alcohol on a weekly 4 basis. Other studies have shown drinking at a young age is more likely to set a person up for a drinking disorder later in life. A study from the Netherlands found that a laid back attitude from parents can lead to drinking issues in their teens, whereas strict parental rules about drinking can curb adolescent impulses to drink. Adolescents, with their partially-matured brains, are more swayed by impulses than rational thoughts, which is why they’re more likely...
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...includes alcohol. Underage drinking is a serious health problem that is continues to grow in popularity. According to “Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services”, in 2013,the National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported that 23% of youth aged 12 to 20 years drink alcohol and 14% reported binge drinking in the past 30 days” (Administration). Teens are very curious and would rather ignore all of the negative influences around them. An unpleasant home life, the influence of media, and peer pressure can lead to underage drinking and a damaged life. One of the main reasons for underage drinking is family influence. Family and home life plays a huge role. According...
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...Should the Legal Drinking Age be Lowered? The legal drinking age should remain 21. The United States minimum legal drinking age of 21 years old is set at the highest in the world. People consume alcohol for many different reasons; celebrations, anxiety, depression, peer pressure and boredom. This group of people includes teenagers. It is very easy for teens to get ahold of alcohol whether it be from the cabinets in their own homes or from older friends and family members, who would buy it for them. Teenage drinking has become one of the largest social issues today. More than 25,000 lives have been saved because of the MLDA (minimum legal drinking age). When states had lowered drinking ages in the past, the underage drinking problem was worse than ever before in the US. To have a better understanding on the controversy around the legal drinking age, some background information may be helpful. Kids are now experimenting with alcohol at early ages than they have ever before. Teens who are drinking can be affected in many different ways. Alcohol has been linked to a wide range of illnesses such as cancer, high blood pressure and liver disease. Some studies and surveys have shown that between the ages of 12-21, young adults have consumed alcohol at least once. Every year there are about 5,000 deaths in young people as a result in underage drinking. However with the ratings and percentages of teens drinking there are some ways to educate and possibly prevent the negative...
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...Underage drinking has become a big problem in our society today. Many young teens die daily due to drinking alcohol, because these teens are abusing the age policy of drinking. Underage drinking is a problem today because it is causing teens to act out in a certain way. This is a problem because teens drinking cause not only health problems, but causes rapes and car accidents. More than half of American youths ages 12 to 20 have tried alcohol. Girls are nearly as likely as boys to experiment with drinking. Drinking at a young age greatly increases the risk of developing alcohol problems later in life. Talking to kids early and openly about the risks of drinking can help reduce their chances of becoming problem drinkers. Most teens find it...
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...head: Drinking Underage Drinking and Peer Pressure Melissa Walters January 31, 2012 Why has underage drinking becoming such a serious issue in America? In middle school kids do not think about things like going to a party, drinking, and using drugs. So, why is it when teens get to high school teens feel obligated to do such things? Some peers put pressure on others to fit in and do things people do not usually think they would ever do. Underage drinking has become a serious issue across America. Since then people have been trying to lower the age of drinking thinking it will help, but lowering the age is just going to cause the drinking and driving percent to go up because teens are not mature enough to responsibly drink and still be in control. That shows that our society is not doing everything they can to stop teens from drinking. Teens believe that drinking is something to just make them look, or seem older and more mature. They do not realize the serious consequences and the health risks they are putting on their selves. Teenage drinking is often a gateway into other often dangerous life choices; however, to fully understand the problems associated with T.A.D, one must look at why teenagers start drinking in the first place. T.A.D is a problem often over looked in our society. Alcohol abuse not only causes teens to misjudge things, but can also cause suicidal thoughts and causes them to choose risky sexual behaviors. (Staff, 2011) “A study showed that teens that...
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...and “Don’t Make Teen Drinking Easier” by Joseph A Califano are articles on opposite sides of the teen drinking debate. While Reid has experience living abroad and seeing teen drinking in a real world scenario, Califano has experience as the founder and chairman of the National Center of Addiction and Substance abuse. While both had some good points, the question remains, what are we (as a nation/parents) trying to prevent? Is it the dangers of binge drinking or lifelong alcohol problems? While Califano’s argument was more about lifelong alcohol problems, he had more facts and statistics to back up his argument. Califano’s argument was more credible and more thought out, perhaps because it was precisely a rebuttal to Reid’s. Let’s look at both essays. Reid’s article was published first and his tone is one of a fatherly concern. He has children and looks at teen drinking with the eyes of a father. He states that he has raised kids in three environments, Tokyo, London, and Colorado. He sees the problem of teen drinking due to the fact that it is done in secret. He asserts that American teens look at drinking as “pregaming”. The goal of this is to get drunk. He maintains that teens abroad don’t have a tendency to do this because they don’t have to hide drinking. It is simply not needed because it is legal to drink there. Reid uses a logical fallacy we call “begging the question”. He claims that the US drinking age of 21 is the cause of teenage binge drinking in America; teenagers...
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...Drinking age shouldn’t be lowered to eighteen. Friends and families gathered around for a very special person who is kind hearted, friendly and beautiful. She had a lot more to learn and see but now she’s gone. Her name is Marcela we were best friends since we were in middle school she was always there for me no matter what and we always had each other’s back. I was even going to ask her to the prom but I did not have the courage and now she is gone. The biggest part of my life taken away and it can never be replaced. Drinking shouldn’t be lowered to eighteen years of age because of Safety, Health, and Mentality. First reason why drinking shouldn’t be lowered to eighteen is Safety. Teens are the number one cause of drunk driving; because of this it causes accidents and fatalities. This year according to Department of public safety there are 756 people dead caused by drunk driving and 96 percent of it are teens. Lowering the drinking age privileges can also cause teens to be introduced to illicit drugs. Now that teens can drink they would think they are old enough to use different kinds of drugs. Another reason is violent behavior. In clubs almost 52 percent of fights are caused by teens that just turned twenty one. Even if some teens are very careful they are still bound to get some problems or obstacles. Second reason why drinking age shouldn’t be lowered to eighteen is health. Addiction is one of the health reasons. Teens can easily get addicted to drinking they might now...
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...Most People would think that drinking and driving is the biggest distraction among drivers, but drinking and driving is the second biggest distraction. According to textinganddrivesafetly.com, "The biggest distraction among drivers is texting."(textinganddrivesafetly.com) Even though drinking and driving is not the biggest distraction, drinking and driving has a punishment much worse that texting and driving. According to Rich Stim, "Getting caught drinking and driving will cost thousands of dollars."(Stim) Rich Stim also said, "Getting caught texting and driving will cost a couple hundred dollars."(Stim) The same law should apply to texting and driving as drinking and driving. The same law should apply because texting and driving distracts...
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...are many social problems that teenagers go through. The most recognised problems are teenage drinking and driving, and teen suicide. These two social behaviours teenagers go through are the leading causes of teenage death. Alcohol, the most widely used and abused drug among youth, causes serious and potentially life-threatening problems for this population. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers. Society faces several questions, like why do teens drink, what are the results of teen drinking and driving, and how can society change this pattern. Every year hundreds of teens die. Apart from drinking and driving, teen suicide is the fastest growing killer of youth and if left unaddressed it will affect are future generations. Why do teenagers drink alcohol? Peers play the major role in shaping attitudes about alcohol use. Prior to this time, television and movies played the most influential role. The attitudes of parents toward alcohol correlated strongly with the attitudes of their children. There are several reasons why teenagers give to drinking alcohol which include recreation, rebellion, relieve depression, fatigue, and boredom. Many of them have personal problems at home that make them turn to alcohol. Other reasons are a loved one passing away, fighting with parents, divorce, and separation of family. The main factor of teenage drinking is influence from their peers. Teenagers in our society are pressured into trying out alcohol...
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...are many social problems that teenagers go through. The most recognised problems are teenage drinking and driving, and teen suicide. These two social behaviours teenagers go through are the leading causes of teenage death. Alcohol, the most widely used and abused drug among youth, causes serious and potentially life-threatening problems for this population. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers. Society faces several questions, like why do teens drink, what are the results of teen drinking and driving, and how can society change this pattern. Every year hundreds of teens die. Apart from drinking and driving, teen suicide is the fastest growing killer of youth and if left unaddressed it will affect are future generations. Why do teenagers drink alcohol? Peers play the major role in shaping attitudes about alcohol use. Prior to this time, television and movies played the most influential role. The attitudes of parents toward alcohol correlated strongly with the attitudes of their children. There are several reasons why teenagers give to drinking alcohol which include recreation, rebellion, relieve depression, fatigue, and boredom. Many of them have personal problems at home that make them turn to alcohol. Other reasons are a loved one passing away, fighting with parents, divorce, and separation of family. The main factor of teenage drinking is influence from their peers. Teenagers in our society are pressured into trying out alcohol...
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