Essay On Lowering The Drinking Age To 18
Lowering the Drinking Age to 18
Multiple Perspectives May 10
That moment when you feel like you’re old enough to do something but that law forbid you from doing that. When you turn 18 you’re legally able to buy tobacco, get a tattoo, go to a strip club, take loans out, adopt a child, sign legal documents, and join the armed forces. Yet you can do all except drink under the age of 21. There are many other countries in the world that you are allowed to consume alcohol under the age of 21, for instance in France people under the age of 21 are allowed to drink wine under parental consent as a minor in the confines of their own homes. By lowering the drinking age to 18, why is the drinking age even 21, and the 18 year old kids will be able to drink in safer and more moderately environments.
Everyone knows that it is illegal to consume alcohol until the age of 21. Many people are in agreement with this legal limitation. Some would even say that it should be raised. However, the legal drinking age sometimes causes more problems than it prevents. First, it is …show more content…
essential to question this law. Why is 21 the automatic age that makes one intelligent and mature enough to consume alcohol? In an alcohol summit held in Indiana University Professor Ruth C. Engs said "There 's a general belief that immature people are less likely to handle the effects of alcohol, so our Congress has chosen to set a random limit. We all know some people under 21 who can drink responsibly, and some over 21 with no hope of ever drinking responsibly,". Why isn’t the limit 18 or 25 or 37? This seemingly random number is connected through adulthood; as if the day a person turns 21 they know everything and are mature to handle the responsibility that comes with drinking.
The drinking age used to be 18 in some states; many parents of today 's teenagers were legally allowed to drink at 18. Today 's teenagers face more responsibility and are treated more like adults than their parents were. This makes the 21 restriction seem out of date. At 18, people are considered adults. It is the opinion of many people whose sites I visited that if it is legal for 18 year olds to rent port potties, fly planes, vote, marry, pay taxes, take out loans and risk their lives in the armed forces then it should be legal for them to drink alcohol. I also am in agreement with this statement.
Today 's legal drinking age is impracticable.
Prohibiting the sale of liquor to young adults creates an atmosphere where binge drinking and alcohol abuse have become a problem. Banning drinking for young people makes alcohol a tempting forbidden fruit. Teenagers look at drinking as something glamorous. It is viewed as an adult activity; and teenagers want to be adults as soon as possible. In order to get a drink, teenagers will carry fake I.D.s ask legal drinkers to buy for them or sneak drinks from their parents liquor cabinets. This kind of devious attitude does not encourage responsible drinking. Additionally, when the opportunity to drink arises, there is a kind of "Hurry and drink as fast as you can" attitude. This will result in binge drinking among young adults because they feel like they have to drink so much so fast that they end up hurting themselves even
more.
By lowering the drinking age to 18 with the focus on education about safe drinking instead of restriction, many problems would be prevented. American teenagers, unlike European teens, do not learn how to drink gradually, safely and in moderation. There alcohol abuse isn’t as big of a problem. This comes from educated and gradual drinking. Buy the U.S. teaching and demonstrating to these young adults the “ways” of alcohol, this will demonstrate to them how to consume alcohol in a safe, gradually, and responsibly. Young people learn to respect moderate drinking as a pleasant social activity rather than as something they have to sneak around to do. Without this kind of system, college is viewed as a kind of freedom. If 18 year olds do not have legal access to drink a beer in a public place, they are ill equipped to deal with the responsibilities that come with drinking when they do have the right. The drinking age should be lowered because the current age has no real basis. With a lowered drinking age, fewer problems will be present. Professor Dr. Engs came up with no concrete action plan but they seemed to agree that we need to teach responsible drinking, not forbid teens from drinking. The problems, which make a drinking age limit necessary, are better solved through a lowered drinking level and more education on responsible drinking. So the next time the issue is put to a vote be sure to vote for lowering this random drinking age.
There are many solutions to lower the drinking age to, but the most important one is that to be with your parents or a secured and safe location. By doing this kids will be able to drink with their parents or when a guardian is present and not have to worry about getting caught or having to drink faster. These adults will be able to drink in a more moderate environment and therefore will also reduce the number or underage binge drinking that is going on now. By doing this the parents will be taking on a big risk, but the safest thing to do is to take everyone’s keys and have them sleep over, so they do not end up drinking and the drive. Another for lowering the drinking age to 18 would be limiting 18 and 19 year olds to 7 or 8 drinks in one sitting to where as this way the economy keeps going and will help tremendously. I also believe this would be a solution because they will in a supervised area and will be cut off once they reach the limits of the drinks that they can have.
By lowering the drinking age to 18 there are both positives and negatives to doing so. I believe and strongly support that the positives weigh out the negatives. Due to the facts that I have given you throughout this essay you should and I hope to agree with me and understand that facts that I presented. While the laws tell 18 year old adults saying that they can go out and fight and potentially risk their own life for our country but can not simple sit down and order a beer to drink. This is beyond crazy and I feel like that the Judicial branch of the government take some time and think or re consider to lowering the drinking age to 18.
Works Cited
Should the U.S. lower the drinking age to 18? Albino Gorilla, 10 Dec. 2012. Web. 11 Apr. 2013.
Multiple Perspectives May 10
That moment when you feel like you’re old enough to do something but that law forbid you from doing that. When you turn 18 you’re legally able to buy tobacco, get a tattoo, go to a strip club, take loans out, adopt a child, sign legal documents, and join the armed forces. Yet you can do all except drink under the age of 21. There are many other countries in the world that you are allowed to consume alcohol under the age of 21, for instance in France people under the age of 21 are allowed to drink wine under parental consent as a minor in the confines of their own homes. By lowering the drinking age to 18, why is the drinking age even 21, and the 18 year old kids will be able to drink in safer and more moderately environments.
Everyone knows that it is illegal to consume alcohol until the age of 21. Many people are in agreement with this legal limitation. Some would even say that it should be raised. However, the legal drinking age sometimes causes more problems than it prevents. First, it is …show more content…
essential to question this law. Why is 21 the automatic age that makes one intelligent and mature enough to consume alcohol? In an alcohol summit held in Indiana University Professor Ruth C. Engs said "There 's a general belief that immature people are less likely to handle the effects of alcohol, so our Congress has chosen to set a random limit. We all know some people under 21 who can drink responsibly, and some over 21 with no hope of ever drinking responsibly,". Why isn’t the limit 18 or 25 or 37? This seemingly random number is connected through adulthood; as if the day a person turns 21 they know everything and are mature to handle the responsibility that comes with drinking.
The drinking age used to be 18 in some states; many parents of today 's teenagers were legally allowed to drink at 18. Today 's teenagers face more responsibility and are treated more like adults than their parents were. This makes the 21 restriction seem out of date. At 18, people are considered adults. It is the opinion of many people whose sites I visited that if it is legal for 18 year olds to rent port potties, fly planes, vote, marry, pay taxes, take out loans and risk their lives in the armed forces then it should be legal for them to drink alcohol. I also am in agreement with this statement.
Today 's legal drinking age is impracticable.
Prohibiting the sale of liquor to young adults creates an atmosphere where binge drinking and alcohol abuse have become a problem. Banning drinking for young people makes alcohol a tempting forbidden fruit. Teenagers look at drinking as something glamorous. It is viewed as an adult activity; and teenagers want to be adults as soon as possible. In order to get a drink, teenagers will carry fake I.D.s ask legal drinkers to buy for them or sneak drinks from their parents liquor cabinets. This kind of devious attitude does not encourage responsible drinking. Additionally, when the opportunity to drink arises, there is a kind of "Hurry and drink as fast as you can" attitude. This will result in binge drinking among young adults because they feel like they have to drink so much so fast that they end up hurting themselves even
more.
By lowering the drinking age to 18 with the focus on education about safe drinking instead of restriction, many problems would be prevented. American teenagers, unlike European teens, do not learn how to drink gradually, safely and in moderation. There alcohol abuse isn’t as big of a problem. This comes from educated and gradual drinking. Buy the U.S. teaching and demonstrating to these young adults the “ways” of alcohol, this will demonstrate to them how to consume alcohol in a safe, gradually, and responsibly. Young people learn to respect moderate drinking as a pleasant social activity rather than as something they have to sneak around to do. Without this kind of system, college is viewed as a kind of freedom. If 18 year olds do not have legal access to drink a beer in a public place, they are ill equipped to deal with the responsibilities that come with drinking when they do have the right. The drinking age should be lowered because the current age has no real basis. With a lowered drinking age, fewer problems will be present. Professor Dr. Engs came up with no concrete action plan but they seemed to agree that we need to teach responsible drinking, not forbid teens from drinking. The problems, which make a drinking age limit necessary, are better solved through a lowered drinking level and more education on responsible drinking. So the next time the issue is put to a vote be sure to vote for lowering this random drinking age.
There are many solutions to lower the drinking age to, but the most important one is that to be with your parents or a secured and safe location. By doing this kids will be able to drink with their parents or when a guardian is present and not have to worry about getting caught or having to drink faster. These adults will be able to drink in a more moderate environment and therefore will also reduce the number or underage binge drinking that is going on now. By doing this the parents will be taking on a big risk, but the safest thing to do is to take everyone’s keys and have them sleep over, so they do not end up drinking and the drive. Another for lowering the drinking age to 18 would be limiting 18 and 19 year olds to 7 or 8 drinks in one sitting to where as this way the economy keeps going and will help tremendously. I also believe this would be a solution because they will in a supervised area and will be cut off once they reach the limits of the drinks that they can have.
By lowering the drinking age to 18 there are both positives and negatives to doing so. I believe and strongly support that the positives weigh out the negatives. Due to the facts that I have given you throughout this essay you should and I hope to agree with me and understand that facts that I presented. While the laws tell 18 year old adults saying that they can go out and fight and potentially risk their own life for our country but can not simple sit down and order a beer to drink. This is beyond crazy and I feel like that the Judicial branch of the government take some time and think or re consider to lowering the drinking age to 18.
Works Cited
Should the U.S. lower the drinking age to 18? Albino Gorilla, 10 Dec. 2012. Web. 11 Apr. 2013.