Also lowering the drinking age from twenty-one to eighteen would make alcohol less of a restriction for people just getting into college and the workforce, it would take away the thrill that many young people get from breaking the law, and by doing this it would make alcohol consumption a more normalized activity that would be done in moderation.…
Though not all of the authors references are backed up or clearly stated as having come from an actual, truthful, or real source, he makes a strong argument. From his references to the laws in Vermont and New Hampshire, the military, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, to rates and laws in other countries as well as the United States, Voas is convincing in his argument. In the end of Voas 's article, after making numerous references as well as…
One argument brought up for lowering the drinking age is that we mature based on experience rather than time, and that there may be little difference between ages 18 and 21, so why not just lower the age to 18. Although that is a good point, take this into consideration. Are freshman in college really as experienced and mature as students ready to graduate? Maybe some are, but "some" means there are exceptions. Do you really want those "exceptions" to be exposed to drinking if they are not ready for it? Because those same "exceptions" will be the ones causing accidents that could have been avoided. If we allow these people to drink, we are not allowing them to mature at their rate. Instead of taking chances, why don't we make sure we give everyone in this age group a chance to "grow up" and reach their full potential???…
According to the United States law, people age eighteen and above are considered adults. Likewise, other European countries and developed countries. Why should adults, then be barred from consuming alcohol?, Since adults are capable of making their own life decisions. The minimum age for drinking is set at twenty one in the us. This simply neglects adult choices, rights, desires, and wants. However, it is obvious in the society that alcohol is consumed by individuals age sixteen and above, for recreational uses. The law does not reflect the drinking population and the actual age in which it should be set. I personally started drinking at age fifteen, although…
There is a huge problem with underage drinking in the U.S. Some states have already lowered the drinking age such as Maine, Massachusetts, and Michigan. One main point on why it shouldn’t be lowered is because of a higher chance of depression in teens. Second, it increases health and educational problems in teens also. Lastly, it would increase the amount of alcohol related accidents because of teens brains not being fully developed.…
The pros of lowering the drinking age are just as many as there are bad. Lowering the drinking age to 18 is only fair since you already have the right to vote, smoke cigarettes, serve on juries, get married, sign contracts, be prosecuted as adults, and join the military. Permitting 18- should 20-year-olds to drink liquor over controlled situations for supervision might diminish perilous drinking movement. Bringing down the drinking age from 21 to 18 would decrease the thrill of breaking the law to get a drink. The drinking age now is ineffective since the majority of teens still consume alcohol. Many law enforcement agencies ignore most underage drinking. And lastly if the drinking age was lowered it would be good for the economy.…
A lot of people believe that having the drinking age at 21 helps prevent teenagers from making thoughtless decisions. Teenagers that want to drink, do it anyways before they are of legal age. No matter what the drinking age is, there will always be some people that are going to drink before that specific age. A lot of people start drinking because they know it is illegal and they just want to break the rules. So if the drinking age was lowered, it could possibly lower the amount of people drinking because they won't feel obligated to drink since they can drink whenever they want. Also once teenagers reach a certain age they realize that they have a lot more responsibility and they think that the drinking age is overrated. Since the privilege of drinking is far from any other privileges that one obtains at a much earlier age, they don’t want to wait for just one privilege. By lowering the drinking age some people might wait a few years till they are legal and therefore there would be less teenagers making thoughtless mistakes.…
“’Drinking is Fun’ and ‘There’s Nothing You Can Do About It’: The Problem With the 21-Year-Old Minimum Drinking Age” an essay by Dr. Reginald Fennell, found in the Journal of American College Health, focuses on the effects of the minimum drinking age on college students. Fennell explains the benefits of lowering the drinking and gives alternatives to the current law. This article is of interest to readers since society seems to have a strong opinion of whether the drinking age should remain the same or be lowered. When a teenager turns eighteen, they have all the legal rights of an adult with the exception of consuming and purchasing alcohol. The author feels strong about his opinion. Fennell is not only an editor for the Journal of American College Heath, but he is also a professor at Miami University in Ohio where he teaches health classes. By speaking to his college students, and also having been a student himself, Fennell knows first-hand the experiences and actions of students on college campuses.…
In America, 38 states have the minimum drinking age at 21. However, the other 12 have exceptions to that law. Although underage drinking has been a problem in society. Lowering the drinking age would create responsibility in young adults (Top pro and con arguments). It would also allow young adults make better decisions and take responsibility for their actions.…
Eighteen is the age that everyone becomes an adult in the United States. Eighteen is also the age when you should be able to decide if you choose to consume alcohol. Turning eighteen is a big responsibility at the age of eighteen you are allowed to choose to smoke cigarettes, vote, get married, serve on juries, sign contracts, and join the military which includes risking one's life. So if you're allowed to choose all of these then I feel like you should be allowed to make the decision on either or not you want to consume alcohol.…
As you can see decreasing the legal drinking age to 18 years of age is only going to be a mistake, that will only waste money, lives, and valuable time.…
No matter what the law states there are people that will break it. This especially includes teenagers who are going through a rebellious phase and trying to find their identity. “In 2006, 72.2% of twelfth graders reported drinking alcohol at some point in their lives” (procon.org). The law that twenty-one is the legal drinking age is clearly not being abided and is no longer relevant in today’s society. Drinking is very common and included at most gatherings, as a way to have fun and enjoy the night. However, with drinking being illegal for those under twenty-one, drinking tends to happen in some sketchy places and surrounded by unfamiliar people. It is in these situations where drinking becomes unsafe. Therefore, lowering the drinking age will drop unsafe drinking rates throughout the United States (procon.org). Allowing people to purchase and drink alcohol in the comfort of their own home. Instead of drinking it illegally and needing to worry about unsafe…
One of the reasons why the legal drinking age should be lowered is because it would diminish the thrill of breaking the law to get a drink. According to Ruth C. Engs, Pofessor, Applied Health Sciences, “Although the legal purchase age is 21 years of age, a majority of college students under this age consume alcohol but in an irresponsible manner. This is because drinking by these youth is seen as an enticing "forbidden fruit," a "badge of rebellion against authority" and a symbol of adulthood." This implies, students and people under the age of 21 will drink in an irresponsible manner because of peer pressure or just wanting to show adults that they don’t have to listen to them anymore. This also shows, if legal drinking age was lowered then most students and people under the age of 21 would learn that they don’t need to rebel to get a drink or break laws and since 18 year olds get a lot of responsibility like voting, this would add to it and show that they can be trusted with not over drinking.…
Lowering the Drinking Age: A Problem or a Solution? Why is it that 18 year old citizens, like myself, can legally obtain a driver's license, register to vote, be forced into jury duty or a draft, can be tried as an adult and even be put to death, but cannot buy and consume alcoholic beverages legally? It is hard for me to comprehend as a young American that we can be permitted or subjected to perform actions that affect the lives of other people, but we are not allowed to have the freedom of choice on an issue that directly involves one's own life. By setting the standard drinking age at 21, a taboo was placed on alcohol for young people. Perhaps by settling the standard drinking age to 18 young adults would no longer see alcohol as the forbidden…
Alcohol in the hands of an irresponsible under aged person, can be deadly. Furthermore, for anyone to consider lowering the legal drinking age from 21, to 18, in my opinion is simply ludicrous. John Bowersox reports, “Since Colonial times, drinking alcohol has been part of American culture and its use by young people has been accepted by many as part of growing up. In fact, during the late 1960s and early 1970s, many States lowered the legal drinking age from 21 to 18. Following this change, the number of alcohol-related traffic fatalities among young people increased. In response to these acute consequences, beginning in the early 1980s individual States increased the drinking age to 21. In 1984, Congress passed legislation that would…