...| Lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18 | Sociology 100 | | John Max | | STRAYER UNIVERSITY 12/8/2012 Professor Taylor, Grace Individuals born prior to 1966 had the right to drink alcohol legally in the United States at the age of 18. In 1984 the United States changed its legal drinking age from 18 to 21. The legal drinking age in the United States of America should be lowered from the age of 21 to the age 18. Americans today are mature enough at the age of 18 to drink responsibly. Lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18 will have a positive outcome for American society. Lowering the legal drinking age affects the country as a whole, as well as many countries around the world. When considering the issue in a global perspective view, the United States is only one of four countries that have a drinking age as high as 21. In just about every other country around the world there is little or no social pressure to drink. In the countries where the legal drinking age set to 18 irresponsible behavior is never tolerated. Young people learn at home from their parents and from other adults how to handle alcohol in a responsible manner. Lawrence Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development states that development occurs in stages. The second stage which is known as the conventional level appears in the teenage years. Kohlberg believes that in this stage young people lose some of their selfishness as they learn to define right and wrong in terms...
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...ALCOHOL The legal drinking age is the age at which a person can consume or purchase alcohol. These laws cover a wide range of issues and behaviours, addressing when and where alcohol can be consumed. The minimum age alcohol can be legally consumed can be different from the age when it can be purchased. These laws vary among different countries and many laws have exemptions or special circumstances. Most laws apply only to drinking alcohol in public places, with alcohol consumption in the home being mostly unregulated. Some countries also have different age limits for different types of alcoholic drinks. PRO Lowering Drinking Age 18 is the age of adulthood in the United States, and adults should have the right to make their own decisions about alcohol consumption. Turning 18 entails receiving the rights and responsibilities of adulthood to vote, smoke cigarettes, serve on juries, get married, sign contracts, be prosecuted as adults, and join the military - which includes risking one's life. [5] [6] CON Lowering Drinking Age The right to drink should have a higher age of initiation because of the dangers posed by drinking. Many rights in the United States are conferred on citizens at age 21 or older. A person cannot legally purchase a handgun, gamble in a casino (in most states), or adopt a child until age 21, rent a car (for most companies) at age 25, or run for President until age 35. Drinking should be similarly restricted due to the responsibility required to...
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...Drinking Age Here in America alcohol is used for many different reasons. Some drink alcohol leisurely at a barbeque or party. Some drink it to get drunk and alleviate stress, some people even become so addicted they are physically dependent on consuming alcohol. Regardless of the reasons you drink it, legally you must be 21 years of age. This leaves a lot of room for heated debate. 21 is the magic age for youth, it allows you to now go out to night clubs, gamble, and of course buy and legally consume alcohol to name a few things. In regards to alcohol, many feel as if the age should be 18. As the man in the video was arguing, if you’re able to serve your country why can you have a beer? That is the argument many people will have. I do not agree that the legal age should be 18 in general, but I do feel that military men and women who lay their lives on the line should be given the option to do so. That would be the only case I feel as if it should be allowed, otherwise it would be chaos in my opinion. As stated in the video, states have tried to lower the drinking age before. The result was failure, there were much more drunk driving cases and accidents from people under 21. Now days alcohol is readily available no matter where you are at or what age you are. When I was in High School getting alcohol never seemed to be an issue for a lot of the kids I went to school with. Whether it was parents...
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...home, under adult supervision, for medical necessity, and other reasons. So this brings about a very controversial question that I have. Why can’t we lower the drinking age? Yes, there are risks, but there are also many facts that bring the pros of this recreation to light. (First, let me say, that I am definitely not delusional in saying this would be a perfect plan, but even though there are risks they do not outweigh the good) Before we go into the pros and cons of this situation I think you should all know the reason as to why the drinking age is 21 anyway. Well, according to a blog from a reputable source called the mental floss, we ended up with a national minimum age of 21 because of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984. This law doesn't prohibit drinking per se; it merely requires states to outlaw purchase and public possession by people under 21. So, that being said, the first risk everyone seems to touch upon is that drinking under the age of 21 can interfere with brain development. I have learned from previous classes that the frontal lobes don’t develop completely until later in a human being’s twenties. The frontal lobe cortex controls judgment and is greatly impaired when alcohol is added to the equation. The second concern procon.org touches upon is that “Lowering drinking ages from 21 to 18 will irresponsibly allow a greater segment of the population to drink alcohol in bars and nightclubs, which are not...
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...The drinking age has been a topic of debate ever since an age was established. Many years ago, government said that 21 years old would be the minimum age for drinking. This was fine for a while but later became an issue. People started to think of all the things one can do as an 18 year old, yet still not able to drink a beer. At 18 years old one is considered an adult. They become eligible to serve in the military and yield weapons. Also at 18, one can go out to the store and buy a pack of cigarettes. So why can they still not have a beer. This is where controversy has begun. People believe the drinking age should be lowered to 18. Already in some states it is legal for someone to drink at 18, under some circumstances, but why is it not nationwide?...
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...the legal age to consume alcoholic beverages. “Most cultures where alcohol consumption is legal have a mandated threshold age at which buying and/or consuming alcohol becomes permitted” (International Center for Alcohol Policies, 2011, para. 5). Currently, the United States has set the legal age to drink at 21. The age was once 18; however, society has changed its views concerning this issue. Because the legal drinking age changed to 21 there was an increase in mortality rate at age 21, increase in motor vehicle accidents, and increase in suicides. Even though 18 is considered an adult and a person should be able to make his or her own decisions, the drinking age should not be lowered because teens lack the maturity to handle alcohol and teens are at a higher risk of alcohol-related deaths. This debate has two sides as some people are for lowering the age to 18 again and some against. Many will argue that the average drinking age around the world is 18. According to International Center for Alcohol Policies (2011), “Minimum drinking and purchase ages in countries around the world range from 16 to 25 years of age, with 18 being the most common age limit” (para. 6). Others say that if a person age 18 is old enough to serve and die for his or her country, he or she should be permitted to consume alcoholic beverages. Should the drinking age be lowered to 18? This paper will weigh the pros and cons as well as identify potential issues associated with this debate. Pros on the Debate ...
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...If by the age of eighteen young adults can buy tobacco products, but not be able to buy alcohol. What's the difference? They are both beast that can drag you into an addiction. The government expects eighteen year olds to be treated as adults, they might as well be able to buy alcohol. Legal drinking age is twenty one. What is the difference between twenty one and eighteen? Three years difference but lets have in mind that not all twenty one year olds drink responsibly. Eighteen or twenty one Same thing! there is a fifty, fifty chance that whether you're twenty one or eighteen you can be as irresponsible or as responsible when you drink. At the age of eighteen there shouldn't be any restrictions to any alcoholic beverages if supposedly eighteen is “adulthood”. People should be able to buy alcohol at age of eighteen....
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...18 or 21? BCOM/275 6/20/2013 Michelle Batson The great debate of the use of alcohol has challenged the nation for many years. The age limit that has been put into place in many states to legally drink is 21. Yet some still believe that 18 should be the legal age for the consumption of this drug called alcohol. Some argue that if a person can join the military, vote and be held responsible for themselves at the age of 18 that they should also have the right to drink alcohol. Others claim that fatalities from underage drinking are just too high and at the age of 18 a person is still not responsible enough to drink. In 1984 a bill was brought before government to raise the age to 21 or states would lose highway funding and in 1987 the government complied and signed a bill that forced most states to raise the legal age to 21, if they did not comply the state would lose ten percent of their highway funding. Some saw this as unfair and put laws into place where it was still legal for underage drinking with certain conditions attached, such as being supervised within your parents’ home. This bill has claimed to of saved 17,000 lives since 1988. The debate on the drinking age has raised many concerns for both sides and still continues to be a subject that brings controversy to any conversation. The pros of lowering the drinking age to 18 can be a very valid argument. At the age of 18 a young person is considered an adult and most believe that if you have the rights to join the...
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...Minimum Legal Drinking Age Debate Name University Affiliation Date There are many topics where people have different opinions whereby they either agree or disagree. An example of these topics is should the drinking age be lowered from 21 to a younger age. All states in the United States have their minimum drinking age stated as 21 although there are some exceptions in some states based on consumption at home, medical necessity, under adult supervision and other reasons. This paper is a synthesis on the ideas brought out on the debate of whether the drinking age should be lowered from 21 to a younger age. The position that I hold on the topic is that lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18 would not make a difference or have a major impact on the society. I disagree with the law on lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18 years due to some of the premises that have been brought forward to support the law. The Procong.org website explores the pros and cons of controversial issues such as whether the drinking age should be lowered from 21 to a younger age. I will examine three premises from the Procon.org website that support my position on this topic. One of these premises is that lowering the MLDA 21 would be medically irresponsible (Dejong, & Blanchette, 2014).I do not think that lowering the age from 21 years to 18 years should be considered as medically irresponsible. I agree that consuming alcohol below 18 years is harmful to the mental health of an individual...
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...Communications Lowering the American Drinking Age April 18, 2011 Table of Contents I. Introduction- Speculation on the drinking age II. Maturity Level III. Cons against lowering the drinking age a. Students and Drinking b. Party Habits IV. Pros for lowering the drinking age c. Binge Drinking d. The Limit V. Risk VI. The American View e. Legal Responsibilities f. Government Statistics g. Capital VII. Conclusion \Abstract/Executive Summary The drinking age should be lowered and Americans should take charge and know their limit. When it comes to the subject of lowering the drinking age, many speculations have been made, both positive and negative. Ohio legislature should take into account both view points. A positive being a drastic reduction in binge drinking among the American population. A negative is the fear of higher death rates due to alcohol poisoning. Lowering the American Drinking Age The drinking age in America has been under speculation for many years now and even though the law is set for 21, there are still minors abusing their availability to the stimulant. One can argue that the law shouldn’t be 21 and should be reduced for many reasons. On the contrary others believe that it just might be the right age if not too low already. Many people disagree with lowering it because of the lack of maturity in young adults, the number of increasing injuries, deaths related to drinking alcohol...
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...Theses: the drinking age should be lowered because it would both benefit the economy this would bring in an a lot of money in the economy. The government if they think that this is a bad thing they could increase taxes on alcoholic beverages to bring in more money. Who are we lie to we know that teens drink and most get away with it. We can’t fully enforce it so why not bring in out so that they don’t have to hide it. This would help the local business to gain more business form a one of the largest spenders in the nation which are teens. The issue of lowering the drinking age or even eliminating has always been there it has gone back and fourth for centuries. The two biggest issues are that should we lower it or should we raise it. There are both pros and cons to how we can look at it. From my point of view as an economist I think that we should lower. First point on why we should lower it that if we at age 18 are old enough to go to war and risk our life’s for this great country that they should allow us to drink. I know that this is has nothing to do with economics but this is a big reason and should not be left out. The next reason is that if we lower the drinking age the will bring a new market out. This market is that if teens drinking. The market right now that is out there for teen spending is huge and every one is trying to get into it. See in order for most business to survive they need to expend past their targeted customer in this they can compete and survive...
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...revolving around how and what the system should do about the limits teenagers have only added to the stereotypical yet evidently true battle between the youth and the more matured adults. In one case, teens have suffered losses as big as having to complete school or acquire a GED to reach a certain level of employment. While in other cases, the fight for earning one’s 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...
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...federal fuel tax of 18.3 cents per gallon of gasoline (The Heritage Foundation, 2010), which initially lost its since of purpose and today no more than 65% of all federal trust fund spending’s goes to general purpose roads. Like any policy in reference to federalism, there are the pros as well as the cons to any situation. The minimum age of drinking, the safety of the way these roads operate and the speed limits are all considered when discussing the Federal Highway Policy as well as the many issues that takes place in reference to the three issues listed. As we are all familiar, the legal drinking age of alcohol consumption is 21. There are many issues to the legal drinking age and why some agree that is should be lowered. Back in the 1970’s, a trend toward lowering the minimum legal drinking age 18, 19, or 20 took place in the states providing many natural experiments (Wagenarr & Toomey, 2005). As a result of lowering the legal drinking age traffic crashes increased significantly and the citizens encouraged to raise the drinking age back to the age of 21( Wagenarr & Toomey,2005). I have witnessed many traffic crashes due to many young adults under the influence of alcohol. I feel that the legal age should stay at 21 and it should not be argued in no way shape or form since it makes it dangerous on the road for anyone...
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...Strategic Marketing & Planning, 2009 Fiji Water Executive Summary: There are multiple recent strategic issues that the bottled water company Fiji Water is facing. The economic recession has led to a change in consumer purchasing trends, and the bottled water category is not as stable financially as it used to be. Environmental issues, such as waste and pollution, are also affected Fiji Water and its competitors. Bottled Water companies are attempting to shift packaging and shipping to more ecologically friendly materials and modes, as consumers favor environmentally sustainable products. Additionally, as consumers focus on obtaining healthier lifestyles and diets, they have begun to question the safety and purity of the water that bottled water companies are producing. Fiji Water has been affected greatly by all of these issues, as well as negative press about the socio-economic conditions of their souring location, and in 2008 was forced to layoff 40% of their staffing resources. With limited resources, an action plan going forward must be cost efficient and extremely effective. By analyzing and critiquing four potential strategic options, a rational next step for Fiji Water can be discovered. By supporting this plan with marketing tactics and communication, it can attempt to stimulate growth for the company. Current Overview: History: Fiji Water is bottled water artesian water that was founded in 1993 in Colorado and first produced and sold to the world...
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...changes that some people may not be prepared for or welcome with open arms. The changes that usually deal with the mind and the body gradually develop as time continues to pass. Some of the most drastic changes are the physical changes that can have a profound effect on the way a person at this stage of life view themselves. Common health problems that evolve during this age The physical modification people in this stage of life may experience varies depending on many factors that contribute to one's health. Smoking, drinking alcohol, unhealthy eating habits and stress can all negatively affect a person's health and increase the chance of acquiring the common health issues middle-aged adult face. Common health issues include Cancer, Diabetes, Hypertension, Arthritis, High Cholesterol and Weight gain, all of which have a direct connection to one another. Hypertension In middle adulthood, the body starts to change and evolve in more ways than one. The metabolism starts to slow down, and health problems are more common to arise at this point. There are various common health problems that we see at this age, and a more common one is Hypertension also known as high blood pressure. The higher one's blood pressure becomes, the harder their heart has to work to pump. Hypertension can stem from a variation of things such as smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity, etc. Addressing hypertension can be done medically or with a few lifestyle changes like weight loss, stop smoking, less...
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