Assignment 1.1: Conflicting Viewpoints Essay - Part I
Prewriting
Antonio Smith
Professor Erin DiCesare
PHI 210 Critical Thinking
April 20, 2015

Drinking Age

Should the drinking age be lowered from 21 to 18 years old? I think that the drinking age should be lowered to 18 years old. There are some interesting subjects that oppose my thinking that can be argued to be true. First, lowering the drinking age would be medically irresponsible. Second, lowering the drinking age would give high school and middle school students easier access to alcohol. Third, lowering MLDA 21 to 18 will irresponsibly allow a greater segment of the population to drink alcohol in bars and nightclubs.
It would be medically irresponsible to lower the age limit from 21 to 18 years old to legally drink or purchase alcohol. There are studies that show alcohol consumption can interfere with the growth and development of a young adult brain’s frontal lobes. The frontal lobes are essential for functions such as emotional regulation, planning, and organization. The potential for chronic problems such as greater vulnerability to addiction, dangerous risk-taking behavior, reduced decision-making ability, memory loss, depression, violence, and suicide is greater when drinking at an early age. [1][2][3][4] What’s interesting about this view is that the brain is still growing and effected by early drinking. If I was to look from this angle I would understand that younger people already have a hard time planning and organizing without drinking and lowering the age may create a worst problem. This idea could be true if an 18 year was drinking and was faced with a breakup with a girlfriend/boyfriend causing them to act irrationally by hurting themselves or others.
High school and middle school kids would have easier access to alcohol if the drinking age was lowered from 21 to 18 years old.