Cited: Sandor, Richard S. The Opposing Viewpoints: Alcoholism. New York, 2009. Print
Cited: Sandor, Richard S. The Opposing Viewpoints: Alcoholism. New York, 2009. Print
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.…
Persistent drunk driver’s have already been through the system. They need an alternative form of punishment. The traditional punitive punishments handed out by statute are not effective. This is proven when a driver gets his third, fourth or fifth DUI. This paper explores the DUI court model and how it is more effective in reducing recidivism. This method of judicial process has been created to handle persistent drunk drivers. It emphasizes rehabilitation and changing an offender’s patterns. Here, the offenders are treated like alcoholics, not criminals. They receive more therapy than jail time. The…
If the drinking age was lowered from twenty-one to eighteen teens would have the opportunity to drink in safe environments with supervision. Instead of drinking in fraternity houses and house parties teens would be able to drink in bars and restaurants. If teens are allowed to drink in restaurants or bars they will have supervision who can monitor the amount of alcohol that person consumes. This supervision could also determine whether a person is fit to drive or not. In places like Applebee’s when a person is too drunk to drive this establishment will automatically call a cab. Unlike in the party scene where one person is appointed to be the designated driver, with no guarantee that person has or has not consumed any alcohol themselves.…
For instance, other research shows that the younger children and adolescents are when they start to drink, the more likely they will be to engage in behaviors that harm themselves and others (NIH). This confirms that having a bad behavior at or under the age of 21 can lead to people getting harmed, harassed, or even killed. Also, driving under intoxication can lead to major car accidents and people can get hurt or even die. Another example is, frequent binge drinkers (nearly 1 million high school students nationwide) are more likely to engage in risky behaviors, including using other drugs, having sex, and earning grades that are mostly D's and F’s in school (NIH). This proves that people can get sexually assaulted while intoxicated and don't even know. You can also be failing your class or classes because alcohol can start deacon functioning your brain and be unintelligent, if you keep on continuing and not stopping at all. The minimum drinking should be raised to 25 because young adults are more expected to abuse and/or even murder themselves or others by consuming above-mentioned to…
Teenagers are not mature enough for the drinking age to be lowered to eighteen years old. Being able to drink at an early age can lead to alcoholism at more quickly. When teenagers consume alcohol it is more easily for them to drink and drive because they believe nothing can or will happen to them. All fifty states minimum age to drink is twenty-one, but in some states it is okay for people under that age to drink under adult supervision. Having to drink in front of adults brings…
I do not think that the mind of a teenager could handle alcohol, especially if not taught how to drink responsibly. Teens, in my opinion, are not mature enough to be given that open opportunity. I think that it would cause more harm than good. It would be my assumption that if we lowered the drinking age, there would be a higher change of alcoholism and alcohol related deaths among teenagers. That may not be true but it seems as though it would be reasonable to assume so. According to SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) statistics, “during the past month (30 days), 26.4% of underage persons (ages 12-20) used alcohol, and binge drinking among the same age group was 17.4%” and “alcohol use remains extremely widespread among today’s teenagers. Nearly three quarters of students (72%) have consumed alcohol (more than just a few sips) by the end of high school, and more than a third (37%) have done so by eighth grade.” So given these statistics, I believe it is time we step up, as adults and teach our youth the effects of alcohol, good and bad, and to teach them how to consume responsibly. If we do not do this, I believe the underage binge drinking statistics will continue to…
Another source decided to look into what the results were in New Zealand when they decided to lower their country’s drinking age to 18 in 1999. NPR.org says in the article, “The review also looked at drinking habits in other countries, paying special attention to New Zealand, which lowered its drinking age from 20 to 18 in 1999. Several studies found a spike in alcohol-related car crashes and increased drinking there among still under age 16 and 17 year-olds.”(1) It truly doesn’t matter if a lower drinking age will stop people from drinking underage and driving with the law being 21. People who choose to drink underage get a ride instead of driving while intoxicated. This is also important to show you because once again it didn’t change for the good in those countries it crashes of kids who were even underage which is why it should stay 21 because it is saving…
A source called “Should The Drinking Age Be Raised To 25?” stated that there are fewer accidents involving drunk drivers since they have raised the drinking age from 18 to 21. If the drinking age was raised even more, there would even be less wrecks involving alcohol than there are now. The next big reason I believe it should be raised would be that the brain doesn't fully mature until the age of 25. With that being said, alcoholic beverages being consumed will have a different reaction on people who drink before that age. Many young people are killed every day due to drinking and driving. With the drinking age being raised, the brains of humans will be fully mature and they will be able to make the best decisions because young people aren't educated out drinking risks. Another article that I visited stated that on average, 73% of college students drink sometimes, but the average male freshman in college drinks an average of 7.4 alcoholic beverages per week. Imagine how their grades are. If a study in 1960, most college students spent 24 hours a week studying their school work, but now most college students only study around 7.4 hours each week because of parties and drinking. Also, drinking at such a young age can also damage the ends of the neurons, which can differ the way they communicate with the different cells in the brain. Lastly, 75% of people who drank before the age of 25 suffer many issues in their adulthood due to alcohol consumption. Usually, when teens are already drinking at such a young age, manny turn to stronger substances and usually become alcohol dependent by the time they reach their adult…
Many feel as though the law of 21 before drinking saves 1,000 deaths per year. The numbers of teens killed in alcohol related accidents have dropped somewhere from 11-16 percent since the 21 law have been implemented. Taking on higher drinking ages allows for a low intoxication level. For instance, in Georgia, where 21 is the legal drinking age, the blood alcohol level to be considered intoxicated is sitting at 0.08 percent. In places such as New Hampshire, where Arizona is the legal drinking age, blood alcohol content level is listed as high as 0.15 (Carter). These levels start to become dangerous when one realizes that one drink can cause a person’s blood alcohol content to be 0.02. If teen blows even 0.01 into a breathalyzer, it is a crime of underage drinking. The punishment of underage drinking includes a large fine and even jail time (Ash). It is taken very seriously in…
Young adolescences that live in states that allow them to drink at a young age are showing areas of less fatalities overall. That is a sign that the young people are more responsible they older people at age at twenty-one. Individuals that grow up to drinking a at young age will show that they can drive and be very responsible and earned that right to drink and drive. There will be evidence that will back lowering the drinking to eighteen should happen soon.…
According to the MADD Saving Victims Organization, there is a story published in 2013 about a girl named Hannah Evans who went to a NYE party and got drunk. She got in the car with a driver who was highly intoxicated with a BAC of .208; soon after, they got into a fatal crash because she was scared to tell her parents that she broke the law and she was seeking the thrill of drinking underage. Over 5,000 kids under twenty-one die every year in the US because they see drinking as a forbidden fruit (Cognac). As ProCon.org’s editors state in 2016, if the age is lowered, parents could teach their children how to drink responsibly, and kids wouldn't have to thrill seek and be able to make decisions regarding drinking on their…
While it may seem to some, drinking at age eighteen is frowned upon. It is actually true that many people between the ages of 18 and 20 drink alcohol illegally without any sense of guilt. On July 17, 1984, a law was established in the United States that impacted a large number of America’s youth. The indicated law was the National Minimum Drinking Age Act. Legal drinking ages were originally determined by each state. Many states kept the age at twenty one, but several lowered the age to eighteen. The bill was created and required, “all states to raise their minimum drinking age to twenty one within two years or lose a portion of their Federal-aid highway funds; and encourage States, through incentive grants programs, to pass mandatory sentencing laws to combat drunk driving” (Koroknay-Palicz 1)…
The legal drinking age in the United States is a topic that has been debated for many years. This issue is, as some say we should keep it at the age of twenty-one, others say it should be lowered. Due to the minimum legal drinking age being twenty-one, alcohol has been even more appealing to kids whose brains naturally seek out risk more than adult brains do, but lowering the drinking age to reverse this effect would be detrimental to the developing body. After the drinking age was raised to twenty-one, the amount of fatal crashes and driving under the influence has decreased drastically. Also lowering the drinking age would also have a major impact on the development of the brain mainly targeting the parts of the brain that doesn't fully develop…
The CDC states that “every day, 28 people in the United States die in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver.” This means that a person dies every 51 minutes due to an individual’s irresponsibility with alcoholic beverages. In the year of 2014, “the highest percentage of drunk drivers was for drivers ages 21-24” (madd.org). People on the opposing side may argue that individuals under the age of 21 already drink, therefore an increase in the age would not change anything. While this may be true, any step in the right direction is worth it if it can possibly save an innocent life. The above statistic shows that if the drinking age were raised the amount of vehicular accidents related to alcohol would decrease. It also illustrates the fact that adults under the age of 25 that consume alcohol have reduced decision-making skills. Therefore, this demonstrates another reason the drinking age should be increased to…
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…