...How do you feel about the drinking age going up to 25? There are many positive effects of the drinking age being raised, such as it will stop college students from missing class, it will allow our body be fully developed and it will show that just because you can do other things that make you an adult at 18 that doesn't mean you can drink and buy alcohol at 18. “Nearly one third of college students have missed class because of drinking, and one fifth failed an exam for the same reason” (The legal drinking age:18,21,25?). Drinking causes students to not be fully successful students. They are either too drunk or have a hangover, and both of those stages wont let you function properly. “Because there is a mix of underage and aged students on...
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...she should never get anywhere near alcohol drops out of said college after only one years worth of attendance. Why did this happen? Because to the law an 18 year-old is an adult, but is not seen responsible enough to drink. She was never exposed to alcohol and because of that went absolutely crazy in college because of the taboo allure paired with peer pressure from other students that may not know the effects of alcohol. Alcohol should be entrusted to all adults, and as the law sees the age 18 as “adult” then that should be the cut off mark. This would have brought attention to the colleges that drinking may happen on...
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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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...To think of the legal age for drinking and joining our army has been a controversial issue of which many prefer not to argue about. Currently the law sates that a person who is at least 18 years old can join the army and serve his/her country at war. The law considers a young adult of 18 years of age responsible enough to make a decision which may cost him/her their life. Yet, the law prohibits an 18 year old person to make the decision of drinking alcoholic drinks. If we believe that a person cannot be responsible enough to make a decision such as drinking because we think it may ruin his/her life, then why do we let them take the decision of joining the army which in many cases leads them to their death. It is true that drinking alcoholic drinks may end up destroying the life of a young adult only if the drinks are used irresponsibly. The age restrictions on drinking should not be modified, but the age requirement for joining the army should be raised to 21 as the alcoholic one. Joining the army of any country is an important decision but joining the American army is not a decision you can take so easily. Such decision at that early age puts the young adult’s life experience at risk. It is completely ignorant for us Americans to think that an 18 year old person has the maturity to make decisions such as joining the army. An 18 year old person is someone who has barely graduated from high school, may be starting his/her first college semester, or may be applying for their first...
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...The Effects of Raising or Lowering the Legal Drinking Age The debate about whether the legal drinking age should be raised or lowered is a common debate in the public domain. The decision on what age one begins drinking is determined by various factors which involve the gene combination of the person and the immediate environment around the person (Vingilis and Smart 415). For instance, the changes that adolescents go through in their biology and physiology can influence the age at which they start drinking alcohol. The behavior of a child influences his environment as the child gets to make friends and these influence the age at which the child can start to experiment with alcohol. Raising or lowering the legal drinking age is bound to raise major concerns. This will be a major concern for parents whose children are directly affected by the issue. Likewise, adolescents and youth are bound to get affected thus they are likely to engage in this debate too (Vingilis and Smart 415). Raising the legal drinking age lowers death rate. According to Mothers against Drunk Driving (MADD) and Congress members who met to mark the 20th anniversary of passing of a federal law that rose the minimum legal drinking age to 21, about 20,000 lives were saved through the passing of the law (MADD). The law signed in July 17, 1984 by the then President Reagan set the minimum drinking age as 21. An estimate by MADD approximates that underage drinking kills 6,000 people every year through traffic...
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...You're known as an adult in the big wide vast world but cannot enjoy the occasional alcoholic beverage? The legal age of drinking in the U.S should be lowered to 18. This is an ongoing topic throughout law enforcement and very debatable if it should stay, be raised, or even lowered which is what should happen. As civilians are allowed to enlist in the military and fight for our country but cannot have alcohol? As Americans turn 18 they are known as adults but cannot drink. If underage drinking is very common and not often stopped by authorities, why will it not be lowered? There are also many reasons to not lower it and even raise it. Having the ability to enlist into the military and risking the lives of many Americans as they fight for our country but yet, these fellow...
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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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...Drinking Age of the Military: Should it be Lowered Jason M. Stoudt DeVry University The drinking age in the military is currently set at 21 years old as it is set for the rest of the country. There has been an age old statement widely used by those in the military, “If I am old enough to fight and die for my country, I should be old enough to drink”. The debate is out there that the drinking age should be lowered for all young adults from 18 years old to 21 years old. The idea behind the fact that younger people tend to have less responsibility and are not good candidates for being allowed to drink is a valid point. Those serving in the military are different in that respect for the fact that they have more responsibilities than that of their counterparts in the civilian side of the realm. Anyone in the military from 18 until retirement has to be more responsible and is dealt with more severe consequences if they break the rules. Now the thing to look at is that it has not always been this way. In earlier years the military service members were allowed to drink if they were 18 years old and older as long as they were on a military base. It did not matter if the military base was overseas or inside the United States. In the middle of the 1980’s advocacy groups such as MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) as well as other groups lobbied Congress to have the rules changed. Per the U.S.C. 10, Section 2683, an amendment was made that changed the policy to reflect that the...
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...Annotated Bibliography for Underage Drinking Heather Myers DeVry University Annotated Bibliography for Underage Drinking The author stares that, “39% of current 8th graders, 58% of 10th graders, 72% of 12th graders, and 85% of college students have tried alcohol” (Bowersox 2013). Now think in eighth grade the teen is only fourteen years old! That is seven years under the state designated drinking age of twenty-one years. Why is the community allowing teens to drink under the age of twenty-one? Maybe because they think it makes them “cool” parents. This shouldn’t happen there are many reasons on why adults should become less lenient and should not allow their children, friends or family to drink underage the legal drinking age. Our community should be aware of the effects that alcohol has on teens, families, school, and communities. Our young generation does not need alcoholic beverages because those years leading up to the 21st birthday are years to cherish that don’t involve alcohol. After the 21st birthday adults have their whole entire lives to go out and drink minimally without damaging their bodies. Bowersox, J. (2013, March 29). NIH Fact Sheets - Underage Drinking. Retrieved September 22, 2014. This source is categorized in past, present and future facts. It shows different facts about underage drinking in the United States. For example, in the year 1960 to 1970 the legal drinking age in the U.S. was only 18 years old. Later, it was raised to 21 years. This kind of example...
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...Topic: Drinking Age in the United States Specific Purpose: to motivate my audience to protest for lowering the Drinking Age from 21 Central Idea: Lowering the legal alcohol consumption age will reduce the rate of underage drinking charges: INTRODUCTION I. The Attention Step A. 10.4 million kids reported drinking last year so obviously this law is not working. The average teen begins drinking at 14, seven years before they can legally drink. 1. I’m sure at least a few of you have taken some of your parents alcohol without them knowing about it or have participated in underage drinking at some point in your life up to now and if not you might in college. 2. If you haven’t and don’t plan on it because it is illegal, just know that if the legal drinking age were changed, one would have nothing to think about. Transition: So why do we need to lower the drinking age? II. The Need Step: A. Since the drinking age was raised teens have tended to drink in more of an abusive manor. 1. In 2011 in the United States, 13,000 underage kids died from alcohol poisoning. The next closest country had just 5,000. 2. If the number of underage drinking charges in America reduces, then the overall rate of crime in America will drop therefore making America a safer country. 3. A recent Kansas City newspaper asked 8,726 students if the drinking age should be lowered. Out of 8,726 asked 7,992 said yes B. Underage kids want to consume alcohol and them not being of legal age will not be...
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...The drinking age should be lowered in the US By ashley_white11, Auburn, NY More by this author Email me when ashley_white11 contributes work The drinking age should be lowered in the US Image Credit: John W., Evergreen, CO The author's comments: Quotes This was my English essay and I was told to publish it on here. Quotes The drinking age should be lowered back to the age of 18. I feel that for many reasons including that people are adults at that age and should be able to make their own decisions. Setting the Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA) to 21 is unconstitutional and setting the drinking age to 21 sent the wrong message to teens in the US. The drinking age should be lowered to 18 years old because people are considered adults at that age. When you are 18 you receive the rights and responsibilities of adulthood. When you are that age you can vote, drive a vehicle, get married and even join the military. So why not be able to consume alcohol? When you are 18 you should be able to make your own decisions about alcohol consumption. This includes taking the responsibilities of life or death. Another reason is that when the US lowered the drinking age it sent the wrong message about alcohol consumption to people under the age of 21. In this case it seemed like they raised the drinking age to 21 because people where more mature at 21 years old than they are at 18. So teens want to consume alcohol to appear more mature. If the drinking age were lowered it would...
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...Learning Team Debate Paper A topic with considerable debate is 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...
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...until the age of twenty-one. The United States is one of four other countries with a drinking age of twenty-one or higher. The other three are Indonesia, Mongolia and Palau (Gillespie). The government does not trust anybody under the age of twenty-one to consume alcohol but trusts them to die and kill for them. They also grant 18 year olds the right to marry, vote, pay taxes, take out loans, adopt a child and buy tobacco. The minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) should be lowered to eighteen to match the other responsibilities an eighteen year old is granted. The drinking age has been debated throughout history. Many states set the drinking age to eighteen to match the responsibilities given to them at that age after prohibition was ended. These ages were only raised because of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 put into effect by Ronald Reagan. If the states did not agree to this, they were cut back ten percent in their federal highway funds (Devon). The federal government states they give the right to control the drinking age to the state government. This does not make sense since they would cut back ten percent of their highway fund for just thinking about lowering the drinking age, which no state could survive without (Jolley). The supporters of the twenty- one drinking age believe that it has saved many lives. This is true to some degree. The deaths from drunk- driving accidents did go down, but some argue it wasn’t just the higher drinking age. Cars...
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...Blackjack is 21, Drinking should not Happy Birthday! You're finally 18, legally an adult! What are you going to do first? Maybe buy a pack of cigarettes, or a lotto ticket, or porn; because you're an adult you can do anything you want... except buy alcohol. By current law, to buy and drink alcohol legally one must be at least 21 years of age. But why is this magical number 21? As a legal adult, I do not understand the reason behind not allowing me to drink. President Ronald Reagan passed the national minimum drink age law in 1984. The act stipulates a minimum legal age of 21 for the purchase or public possession of any alcoholic beverage, and incorporates sanctions against states whose laws are not in compliance (Daniloff). Many argue that the age was changed to 21 because that is the approximate age that brain development levels off. This seems fairly logical, but is it really? And is it fair? Many feel that 21 years of age is when someone truly becomes an “adult” and that is a fitting age to legalize the use of alcohol, I disagree. When one turns 18, in this country, they are legally an adult no ifs, ands, or buts and should have all the rights as any other citizen of this great country. As an adult, one can legally vote, serve in the military, get married, get a credit card, buy cigarettes, gamble, etc. the list goes on. So, in all aspects of life, when someone turns 18 they are an adult and responsible for themselves, except alcohol; so the government should not limit this...
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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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