Argumentative Essay: Aging The Drinking Age

KEEPING THE DRINKING AGE THE SAME
I believe that the drinking age should remain at twenty-one. Underage drinking is dangerous to the drinker and the rest of society. The U.S Department of Health and Human Services analysis shows that frequent binge drinking causes young people to engage in risky behavior such as using other drugs like marijuana and shows that people tend to have sex with six or more partners. Alcohol is very unhealthy for the brain and drinking at a young age could cause many health problems which includes becoming addicted. Alcohol related car accidents would increase if the drinking age were lowered; teens are too irresponsible to handle it. Those who drink are not always aware of their actions, therefore they are more likely to so other drugs which could also result in an unplanned pregnancy increase. If the drinking age remains the
same there will be less alcohol related car accidents, unplanned pregnancies, and people would be less likely to become addicted, use other drugs and have health problems. According to the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (January 2006) the brain keeps developing well into the twenties, which means when young adults drink alcohol it will have an impact on their thinking and memory skills and could even have long term effects. This could potentially make them fail academically and even fail to succeed in life. Alcohol elevates liver enzymes which causes some degree of liver damage. The liver helps make your digestive system healthier, why would anyone want to risk damaging it? The average first use of alcohol now is about fourteen years of age compared to seventeen in 1965 (U.S Department of Health and Human Services January 2006). Those who start drinking around the age of fifteen are four times more likely to be dependent for alcohol at some point in their lives. New research shows that serious drinking problems occur during young adulthood. To help minimize the risk of addiction & other problems the drinking age should remain the same rather than be lowered.
KEEPING THE DRINKING AGE THE SAME
As a result of underage drinking, nearly five thousand people die a year, which includes one thousand nine hundred deaths from motor vehicle crashes, one thousand six hundred homicides, three hundred suicides, and hundreds from other injuries such as burns, drowning, and falls (U.S Department of Health and Human Services 2006). Thirteen thousand four hundred and seventy people were killed in 2006 due to alcohol related car crashes, every thirty-nine minutes there was an alcohol related car accident. What if one of those thirteen thousand four hundred and seventy people was one of your family members or even a friend, I’m sure you’d think that keeping the drinking age at a more responsible age would be a more convenient idea. Of the car crashes in 2006 nearly twenty six percent were due to alcohol related driving (NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis 2006). I feel that if the drinking age were lowered then there would be an increase of alcohol related crashes. Some teens are just getting their first cars and their licenses’ why ruin all of that excitement with an alcohol related car accident. Drinking lowers inhibitions, it is a depressant and may lead to general arousal, a person may do things he or she would not normally do. Is it any surprise that when under the influence teens have sex they forget to use a condom? According to Wendy Hafford the central nervous system is affected by numbing the part of the brain that controls a person’s behavior the person feels more comfortable and relaxed. The presentation by the Coventry University said young people reported that alcohol consumption increased the likelihood that they would have casual unprotected sex and that being drunk in general was more likely to lead to unprotected sex than the use of other drugs. They also stated that young people drink, as a way of getting over embarrassment, to get confidence for approaching potential sexual partners and engaging in
KEEPING THE DRINKING AGE THE SAME sexual behavior.
One of the few occasions that young women could express any type of sexual activity seemed to be when they were intoxicated (Teenage Pregnancy and Alcohol in Rural Areas). You would probably agree that teens are more likely to be irresponsible with alcohol in their systems. As teens drink they become even more irresponsible, with alcohol in their systems they seem to be capable of even more things like having unprotected sex and not even thinking about the consequences. Twenty-one year olds can’t even control their urges while drinking alcohol, let alone teenagers. The opposing view may state that once you are eighteen years of age you are old enough to vote which should make you old enough to drink alcohol. But in my and many others’ opinions teenagers are just too irresponsible and immature to handle the situation. Many teenagers will admit that they are not responsible enough. Statistics have shown that your brain is still developing through your teenage years and will cause health problems. Therefore the safest thing for yourself and society is to keep the drinking age at
twenty-one. Underage drinking causes many unwanted problems. As you drink it causes liver and brain problems. One of the main problems across America is car accidents. If the drinking age were lowered car crashes would increase as well as the number of deaths. As young adults drink they become unaware of their actions. During intercourse they may forget to wear a condom, which increases unplanned pregnancies. If the drinking age remains the same there will be less unplanned pregnancies, alcohol related car accidents, and people would be less likely to have health problems.

KEEPING THE DRINKING AGE THE SAME
References
NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis (2006). “Alcohol-impaired driving.” Retrieved April 18, 2011, from .
U.S Department of Health and Human Services (January 2006). “Underage Drinking.” Retrieved April 19, 2011, from .
Craig, Gary (2004). “Teenage pregnancy and alcohol in rural areas.” Retrieved April 18, 2011, from .
Hafford, Wendy (1999). “Alcohol” friend or foe of teenage pregnancy.” Retrieved April 18, 2011, from .