Drinking Alcohol

Topic:Should the minimum legal age for drinking alcohol raised from 18 to 21 in Australia

Name:Michael
Student #:

Thesis statement:The minimum legal age for drinking alcohol should be raised from 18 to 21 in Australia
Paragraph 1
1st Topic Sentence:Increasing drinking age makes our society safer
1st Supporting Idea:drunk drive causes many accidents
Evidence:new drivers--poor skills--easy to be killed- 3.65 drivers and 0.77 additional people died
2nd Supporting Idea:alcohol makes unwanted assault
Evidence:not good self-control--easy to be angry after drinking--30% violent assaults and 15%-20% sexual assaults caused by alcohol
Paragraph 2
2nd Topic Sentence: Alcohol is harmful to youth health
1st Supporting Idea:stimulate physical diseases
Evidence:growing bodies--damage their hearts and blood vessels
2nd Supporting Idea:cause mental problems
Evidence:easy to be anxiety,stress or depression
Paragraph 3
3rd Topic Sentence:Drinking alcohol influences others
1st Supporting Idea:influence their friends beginning to drink
Evidence:peer pressure--be forced to drink--harmful to other families
2nd Supporting Idea:need others to lift them to home
Evidence:poor self-control--drink too much--feel sickness--cannot go home without help
Paragraph 4
Counter-Argument:Increasing age for drinking influence domestic economy
Refutation:The government waste money in many different ways
1st Supporting Idea:spend money on alcohol related illness
Evidence:
2nd Supporting Idea:
Evidence:

Based on the statistics collected from the Australia Institute of Health and Welfare,about 83% of Australians who are over 14 drunk alcohol in the previous 12 months (2010,p.1),while 2085 alcohol-related mortalities had occurred(CATI Technical Reference Group National Public Health Partnership2003,p.1) The US government changed the minimum legal drinking age from18 to 21 in 1984 in order to prevent alcohol-related problems.Yet,in Australia,people are allowed to drink at 18.However,this situation might changed in the coming years.Whether the minimum legal age for drinking alcohol should be raised from 18 to 21 in Australia or not ,is being discussed intensely at present.A noticeable number of people claim that increasing the legal age will not prevent people aged under 21 from drinking.Even so, this essay will point out that the minimum legal age for drinking alcohol should be raised form 18 to 21 for the following reasons:prohibiting drinking among people who are18-21 will make our society safer,it has detrimental effects on teenagers’ entire lives if they are allowed to drink,drinking will bring others a great number of troubles and there are many other strategies to help government supervising teenagers away from alcohol besides legislation.

Firstly,our society will become safer if the government prohibits people who are 18-21 from drinking alcohol.People are allowed to drive at 18 in Australia,which means most young adults are new inexperience drivers.Poor driving skills and the effects of alcohol would lead to more accidents.According to Carpenter & Dobkin(2011,p.1),upper legal age for drinking alcohol would save at least 3.65 drivers 18-20 year-olds each year.As a result,increasing the minimum legal drinking age will help many potential incomplete families remain intact.In addition, young adults’ self-control is not better as mature adults.They react situation in a negative way after drinking. Dangerous assault occurs between two people, even two groups. This is harmful to not only individuals but also the whole society.For example, “at least 30% of violent assaults, and approximately 15-20% of sexual assaults occur under the influence of alcohol”(Saunders & Rey 2011, p.35). Therefore,the consequence of increasing drinking age would be to make our society far safer,while the citizens will enjoy a better lives.

Secondly,alcohol drinking is really detrimental to people aged 18-21 entire lives as they are currently growing.Alcohol has definitely bad effect on adolescent’s bodies.Their bodies are still improving when they are just above 18 years old.The improving bodies will be easily affected by alcohol.Based on the statement researched by Karakas & Mehmedbegović-Zivanovic(2009,p.4),alcohol has “direct toxic effects on the brain and peripheral nervous system, refers to diseases of the heart and blood vessels, including stroke and hypertension, diabetes, cirrhosis and more malignant tumors”.Since adolescent might get some chronical diseases from drinking,they will be required to take drugs for a long time.It is actually harmful to their lives.Moreover,drinking alcohol may cause different types of mental problems.People who are 18-21 are suffering heavy stress from their study or new career.The result of binge drinking will definitely aggravate the bad effect ,which is caused by pressure.Most action in terms of drinking alcohol affect on neuropsychosis(Pereira et al. n.d),as the nervous systems of young adults are not as good as mature adults.According to Pereira et al.,alcoholic drinking might cause depression, anxiety and stress(n.d).Therefore,they cannot concentrate on their work under the effect of alcohol.Both physical diseases and mental problems make people aged 18-21 into troubles in their whole life expectancy.

Finally,people who drink alcohol will bring a great number of troubles to other people.Since people who are 18-21 are the best time to establish their relationships,they have a lot of chance to engage a party.Therefore,when one of them drinks alcohol,others will feel embarrassed without drinking ,therefore,being forced to drink. According to Kauffman,Lopez & Chen ,there is a big relationship between peer pressure and beginning to drink.As a result,this chain might cause more and more people begin to drink,which has already influenced other families in a detrimental way.Moreover,people who are between 18 and 21 are not mature enough controlling themselves.Because of their immature,when they get opportunities to drink,they might not control themselves .After a heavy drinking,it is probably that they will feel sick and they cannot go home by themselves.Therefore,there should be other people to lift them back to home.However,most people who are 18-21 do not have their own cars,so they should call their parents to help them.Thus,instead of a personal trouble,it has already make many unrelated people in troubles.

Some people insist that the minimum drinking age should not be raised because they think it will not work at all.Statistically,19.7 percent of people in United States who are under 21 drink alcohol illegally,while “18 to 25 year olds have the highest rate of binge drinking among all U.S. Adults”(Center For Science In The Public Interest n.d).Due to the similar culture and laws between the U.S. And Australia,people insist it will also happen in Australia.However,this opinion is simply untrue.Although persuading people who are 18-21 away from alcohol drinking is almost impossible just via laws and policies,homes,schools,communities and some professional organizations would play important roles in stopping them.For example,a professional programme could be provided ,including plenty of information regarding the result of alcohol abuse.A dramatic decrease of alcohol drinking would be seen after this training session(Bollinger et al. 2003,p.47).Furthermore,entertainment media should take their responsibilities to help people who are 18-21 getting away from alcohol attraction.The advertising regarding alcohol in any programme which targets people who are under 21 should be completely banned.These types of advertising increases the consumption of alcohol(Bonnie & O`Connell 2004,p.7).These two strategies mentioned above will decrease the proportion of drinking illegally.Therefore,the increase of minimum drinking age will work well if the government approaches.

In conclusion,increasing minimum legal age for drinking alcohol is essential in Australia.The reason behind this is increasing age will decrease dangerous,there are beneficial regarding young adults’ health and young drinker might bring a lot of troubles to others.Moreover,this policy will work with the help of different group in our society.It is clear from the arguments above that citizens will continuously expose in danger unless the government make laws to raise drinking age.

References

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2010,Drinking patterns in Australia, 2001–2007,Australian Insitute of Health and Welfare,retrieved 10 May 2013,

Bonnie J,& O’Connell M 2004,Reducing Underage Drinking: A Collective Responsibility,THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS,Washington DC
Carpenter C & Dobkin C 2011,’The Minimum Legal Drinking Age and Public Health’,retrieved 2 May 2013,

CATI Technical Reference Group National Public Health Partnership 2003,Alcohol Consumption in Australia,retrieved 10 May 2013,

Center For Science In The Public Interest 2007,Youth and Alcohol,Center For Science In The Public Interest,retrieved 8 May 2013,

Karakas S & Mehmedbegović-Zivanovic A 2009,’Youth Health Promotion Through Rising Daily Physical Activity Levels and Correction of the Behavior in Relation to Food, Tobacco and Alcohol Use’,MATERIA SOCIO MEDICA,vol.21,no.4,retrieved 7 May 2013,Academic Search Complete database

Kauffman S,Lopez D & Chen J 2007,’The Relationship Between Alcohol, Caffeine, and Peer Pressure in College Students’,Western Psychological Association 2007 Convention Presentation,January 1,p.2,retrieved 17 May 2013,PsycEXTRA database

The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University 2003,’America’s Underage Drinking Epidemic ’,Teen Tipplers,February,p.47,retrieved 8 May 2103,ERIC database

Pereira G,Wood L,Foster S & Haggar F n.d,’Access to Alcohol Outlets, Alcohol Consumption and Mental Health’,retrieved 12 May 2013,

Saunders J & Rey J 2011,Young people and alcohol : impact, policy, prevention, treatment，Wiley-Blackwell,retrieved 2 May 2013,