Argumentative Essay: Lowering Drinking Age
Jaime Hamilton
22 May 2014
Phil 3
Term Project Phase 3 A very controversial argument amongst Americans is determining that the current legal drinking age which is 21 should be lowered to eighteen or not. Alcohol consumption has become the number one choice drug to be used by America’s adolescents. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) wrote in their fact sheet titled “Underage Drinking”:
“Particularly worrisome among adolescents is the high prevalence of binge drinking... Underage drinkers consume, on average, 4 to 5 drinks per occasion about 5 times a month. By comparison, drinkers age 26 and older consume 2 to 3 drinks per occasion, about 9 times a month”.
I see and hear about underage drinking way too often. It is portrayed as something …show more content…
Popular reasons to support the lowering of the drinking age have been that (1) you can vote, marry, and join the army at 18 so why not be able to drink, (2) other countries have a drinking age of 18 and they have no problems, and (3) People under 21 are still getting alcohol regardless of the law. An article written in the Huffington Post titled “Is the National Drinking Age Doing More Harm Than Good?” argued why it would be in the United States best interest to lower the drinking age. Sam Tracy, author of the article, is Chairman of Students for …show more content…
A large majority of studies have found no relation between the drinking age and other alcohol-related harms like suicide, homicide, or vandalism.
8. Under age drunk driving is sole focus.
9. More than 3 out of 5 alcohol-related deaths among people under 21 occur off the road. (direct premise of 8)
10. More than 130 other college presidents have signed John McCardell, president at Middlebury College, Amethyst Initiative petition to reconsider the drinking age.
11. “Current age hasn't reduced binge drinking, and that it's unreasonable to tell some adults -- who are able to join the military, gamble, and get married -- that they're not responsible enough to drink,” McCardell argued.
12. It would be wise of the federal government to let states set own age laws.
13. Lowering the drinking age is a life-saving reform.
In claim (6), an example of appeal to ignorance is shown. Appeal to ignorance, as in “Critical Thinking” written by Bassham et al., is defined as an “arguer claims that something is true because no one has proven it false or vice versa”. Tracy is arguing that since no relationship has been proven so far that there must be no link between the drinking age and drunk driving deaths. Perhaps no one has found the relationship yet, but with more research could find one in the years to come. This would make Tracy’s premise invalid and we would have to reject part of his
22 May 2014
Phil 3
Term Project Phase 3 A very controversial argument amongst Americans is determining that the current legal drinking age which is 21 should be lowered to eighteen or not. Alcohol consumption has become the number one choice drug to be used by America’s adolescents. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) wrote in their fact sheet titled “Underage Drinking”:
“Particularly worrisome among adolescents is the high prevalence of binge drinking... Underage drinkers consume, on average, 4 to 5 drinks per occasion about 5 times a month. By comparison, drinkers age 26 and older consume 2 to 3 drinks per occasion, about 9 times a month”.
I see and hear about underage drinking way too often. It is portrayed as something …show more content…
Popular reasons to support the lowering of the drinking age have been that (1) you can vote, marry, and join the army at 18 so why not be able to drink, (2) other countries have a drinking age of 18 and they have no problems, and (3) People under 21 are still getting alcohol regardless of the law. An article written in the Huffington Post titled “Is the National Drinking Age Doing More Harm Than Good?” argued why it would be in the United States best interest to lower the drinking age. Sam Tracy, author of the article, is Chairman of Students for …show more content…
A large majority of studies have found no relation between the drinking age and other alcohol-related harms like suicide, homicide, or vandalism.
8. Under age drunk driving is sole focus.
9. More than 3 out of 5 alcohol-related deaths among people under 21 occur off the road. (direct premise of 8)
10. More than 130 other college presidents have signed John McCardell, president at Middlebury College, Amethyst Initiative petition to reconsider the drinking age.
11. “Current age hasn't reduced binge drinking, and that it's unreasonable to tell some adults -- who are able to join the military, gamble, and get married -- that they're not responsible enough to drink,” McCardell argued.
12. It would be wise of the federal government to let states set own age laws.
13. Lowering the drinking age is a life-saving reform.
In claim (6), an example of appeal to ignorance is shown. Appeal to ignorance, as in “Critical Thinking” written by Bassham et al., is defined as an “arguer claims that something is true because no one has proven it false or vice versa”. Tracy is arguing that since no relationship has been proven so far that there must be no link between the drinking age and drunk driving deaths. Perhaps no one has found the relationship yet, but with more research could find one in the years to come. This would make Tracy’s premise invalid and we would have to reject part of his