...In all 50 states of the United States, the legal age to consume alcohol is 21. However, there have been disputes to change the age from 21 to 18. Two authors show their different points of view in this matter. Ruth C. Engs is a professor of Applied Health Sciences at Indiana University. Tara Watson is an associate professor of economics and she's the chairwoman of the Program in Public Health at Williams College. The article "Why the drinking age should be lowered" by Ruth C. Engs explains why adults 18 and older should be allowed to drink. The article "Lowering the Drinking Age Has Serious Consequences" by Tara Watson shows how the legal age for drinking should stay at 21. The article "Why the drinking age should be lowered" starts off by Engs explaining that young adults should be able to drink but taught how to drink responsibly. Throughout the article, Engs stays with an intelligent tone...
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...The drinking age in the U.S. is a widely debated topic. People everywhere think it should be lowered while other people think it should stay the same. In this report I will explain both sides of the story and all of the pros and cons of lowering the official age, and then explain to you my view on the topic. Why we should lower the drinking age. 18 is the age of adulthood in The United States, and adults have the right to make their own decisions about alcohol consumption. By lowering the drinking age, allowing 18-20 year olds to drink in regulated environments would decrease unsafe drinking activities. Also there are fewer drunk driving accidents and fatalities in many countries with the MLDA of 18. Lowering the MLDA from 21 to 18 would...
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...Period Drinking Age In all of the articles and political cartoon there are many examples of ethos, pathos and logos. However, some of them are more effective than others. Each of these documents discuss the drinking age in the united states and why it should be either be lowered to 18 or stay at 21. The first source is the least effective out of the three because it does not explain what age the drinking age should be at. On the other hand, the third source, “Lower the Drinking Age Back to 18” is a very affective article because of the facts that it has and the experience that he had growing up in a world were colleges taught you how to drink responsibly In the first source you see a cartoon. This Cartoon shows the drinking age at 21 and what the drinking age would look like at 18 years old. However, both of these cartoons look exactly alike. The repetition of the same image with different captions emphasizes in what happens if the drinking age changes … nothing. Ethos is created because there are less females than males and statistically speaking more men drink binge drink. The symbolism in the shorts "OSU" and a fraternity are all zeugmas for drinking. This cartoon also establishes pathos by showing the emotion each person has in there face. All of the “adults” in this cartoon are very happy and look like they are ready to have fun. On the other hand, it does not show the repercussions of drinking irresponsibly. To improve this cartoon, I feel that it should show the after...
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...argumentation paper I plan on discussing the drinking limit and why I feel it should be lowered to 18 instead on 21. There has been an ongoing controversy in the United States on whether the drinking age should be lowered to 18, like most of the world, or if it should stay at 21. 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, 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 18. The most obvious reason is too many people are drinking before they are 21. Liquor stores, bars, and clubs all want to make money and if they can get away with selling to underage teens then they will. My opinion along with a growing number of people across the country is questioning the reason of the 21 legal drinking ages. Throughout history, people have always wanted what they can’t have. Today, many teenagers experience different things in the world. Teens are always eager to try something different or new. One of the things that teenagers try is drinking alcohol. Around the 1980s many states changed the legal drinking age from 18 to 21. The theory behind this was, that if you increase the drinking age, people will drink more responsibly, because with age comes responsibility. Unfortunately, the people...
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...Drinking age is a common thing in the United States. Based on what I found out in the articles is that the minimum age for a person to drink is at 21. People argued that they should lowered the drinking age to 18. In some parts of the U.S, they are allow to drink, with exception of the Muslims religion. Underage drinking can result an increase on teen pregnancy or a disease. Drinking age can result a brain disorder or even dead. In some college schools 10 out of 20 students have try alcohol and the does not stop them from doing it repeatedly until they can’t handle no more. The idea of drinking age legal is that the government want to lower the legal drinking age to 18, but we know that students are not full develop to drink or do drugs. Perhaps...
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...Edwin Muniz English 1010 Lowering the Legal Drinking Age There are many controversial topics in today’s news involving the younger generation. One of the most talked about topics is lowering the legal drinking age in the United States. Lowering the drinking age could have a really good impact on society as a whole. Although there are people that believe that lowering the age limit will have a really bad effect on the US, the good outweigh the bad. The drinking age being at 21, makes those underage look at alcohol sort of like the “forbidden fruit,” making them want to drink even more, sort of as a rite of passage. Lowering the drinking age to 18 seems almost undeniable considering that in the US, 18 is considered the age of adulthood. In the United States, turning 18 gives you the right to vote in elections, smoke tobacco, serve on juries, get married, sign legal contracts, be prosecuted as adults, and even join the military. Just imagine being 18 in the military, watching everyone 21 and older having a cold beer while you’re sitting there drinking water because you’re not old enough to drink alcohol. Not only are you risking your life being in the military like the others, you are also able to do everything the older members are able to do but, you absolutely cannot have an alcoholic beverage. In 1984 the U.S. Government raised the legal drinking age to 21 in an effort to decrease instances of drunk driving and related injuries and fatalities. However, this attempt...
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...As a whole the United States set the legal minimum drinking age at 21, but expectation such as drinking for medical reasons, consumption at home, under adult supervision, and many other reasons do exits depending on the state. In an article called "Should the Drinking Age Be Lowered From 21 To a Younger Age?" argues the legal drinking age for Americans should be lowered because, "Turning 18 entails receiving the rights and responsibilities of adulthood to vote, serve on juries, get married, sign contracts, join the military--which includes taking on the responsibilities of life and death--and be prosecuted as adults. Adults from the age of 18 should therefore also be trusted to make decisions about alcohol consumption"("Should The Drinking Age Be Lowered From 21 To A Younger Age?", n.d.). In this rebuttal using valid arguments, supporting data, analyzing the reliability, credibility, and validity of the data used by the author, and identifying any logical fallacies in the argument it will be explained why the minimum drinking age should not be lowered. The legal minimum drinking age was not always 21 for the United States. At one point in time different states had the legal minimum drinking age set to age 20, 19, even 18. The main reason the legal age for drinking should not be lowered is safety." Federal transportation authority's viewed this hodge-podge of state laws as a real highway traffic safety problem. Alcohol-related traffic injuries and fatalities were increasing...
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...In the western world, the nature of free will deeply branded in the people’s heart. People vote for everything and what’s the biggest success made by people’s free will recently is Brexit. Among all the topics that people discussed for years, the legal drinking age may be the most popular topic. After helping the Britain exiting from the EU, people now start to devote themselves to lower the legal drinking age from 21 years old to 18years old. Some people consider staying the limit as 21 is hidebound, but I believe it’s not and the legal drinking age should be 21. Before stating viewpoints that defend why legal drinking age should be stay 21, historical perspective on this issue is indispensable. The first question is why the legal drinking age is 21. The reason the government set the age limit to 21 is because the concept that a person becomes a full adult at age 21 dates back centuries in English common law; 21 was the age at which a person could vote and become a knight. Since a...
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...Brendan Michael ENGL 1104: Written English I Professor Beighley 09-23-14 Minor Essay #2 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. The drinking age should be lowered and Americans should take charge and know their limit. 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, and also that effects of long time drinking on the body. Citizens of the United States tend to be rather opinionated on this particular issue for some of the above reasons. These lobbyers for the lowering of drinking age and the ones who think the age of consumption should stay the same are very passionate about their side of this issue as well. Many Americans agree that young students right out of high school are not to full maturity even though many of the students...
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...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, and also...
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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 Drinking Age Do you think the current drinking age should stay the same? Nearly every country, all over the world has a certain drinking age. The minimum drinking age shouldn’t remain at 21. Other countries throughout the world, have a drinking age of at least 18 years or under. The U.S. has one of the highest drinking ages (Minimum Drinking Age). As a result of having the 21 and over drinking law, it has actually made it become a more dangerous environment. The national minimum drinking age act, needs to be reconsidered. First of all, while having a minimum drinking age may sound like a good idea, it only prompts private drinking. In today’s society, drinking is promoted as a noviolet activity. For example, the minimum drinking age actually makes the youth drinking culture less safe by encouraging irresponsible drinking habits among those under age. For instance, since it’s illegal to purchase or drink alcohol, teenagers often drink in unsafe environments. “Instead of drinking in a controlled situation, going to a bar with a drink limit or something, they’re doing it at keg...
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...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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...out where the shooting is coming from. You stay low and pray that you will not be struck by a bullet. Thankfully the shooting eventually stops and you escape with only a few minor wounds. You go back to camp and tell your comrades about your near-death experience. At this point you are still on edge and need help calming down. A drink of alcohol would do just the trick. However, you are just an 18 year old adult and not a 21 year old adult so you cannot legally consume alcohol yet. But don’t worry, you can still fight and die for your country. How can we possibly send 18 year olds to war, but not allow them to drink alcohol? To adults under the age of 21, alcohol is seen as a forbidden fruit. Since they cannot legally have it, they want it that much more. So when they are granted an opportunity to drink, they do so in a dangerous way. This binge drinking is where many alcohol related injuries come from, and what must be decreased. According to our laws, an 18 year old has enough maturity and judgment to drive a car, sign a legally binding contract, perform jury duty, and vote. Why shouldn’t they be able to decide if they want a drink or not? The drinking age should be lowered to the age of majority, which at this time, is 18. This decrease in the drinking age will allow young adults to safely consume alcohol in regulated environments. In turn, this will decrease the risk of alcohol-related injuries that result from unsupervised drinking. When a person turns 18 they are treated...
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...000 young people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking…” (1). This quote shows that underage drinking is a very dangerous thing and many people should start taking that into consideration. The drinking age should not be lowered for various reasons. If the drinking age was to be lowered it could potentially cause more deaths and interfere with the development of minors along with many other consequences. The drinking age has been 21 since 1984 because of an act that said if states didn’t make the drinking age a minimum of 21 years old they would lose 10 percent of highway funds. “The legal drinking age in the United States has been 21 since the National Minimum Drinking Age Act in 1984. When President Ronald . . . Reagan signed the act, he issued a blanket requirement for all states to raise their drinking age, or risk losing highway funding from the government” (7). Reagan did find studies that the 18-20 age group are most likely to be in an accident related to alcohol than any other age group...
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