Michael Mondelli Mrs. Wright English 12 Period 12 16 February 2017 Drinking Age Lowering the MLDA (minimum legal drinking age) would positively impact society. The rise of the MLDA might have prevented some issues but it created far more than it prevented. Many other states already have or are on their way to have a MLDA of 18. At the age of 18, you are legally an “adult” but are restricted from many rights given to other adults because of unknown reasons, but are given the right to do far more dangerous things than consuming alcohol whenever they please. Lowering the MLDA from 21 to 18 in the state of New York will significantly solve more issues and create happier and safer environment for the adolescents of the ages 18 through 21. The …show more content…
College presidents from more than 120 US universities are calling on lawmakers to consider lowering the drinking age from 21 back down to 18. The group argues that the current laws actually encourage binge drinking on campus (“President 's Campaign”). The rise of the drinking age from 18 to 21 caused far more problems than it has solved in today 's society. Regardless, crimes are going to be committed, alcohol related or not, but controlling and monitoring it would decrease the crime rate, rather than teenagers drinking secretly, with little to no supervision at all. “ The 21 year drinking age has not reduced drinking on campuses, it has actually probably increased it” says Middlebury president John McCardell. Determined minors have a relatively easy time getting their hands on liquor, even if it 's not kept in their own homes. They find adults that will buy it for them, or use fake IDs, which in this day in age are widely available on the internet (Kluger). This causes binge drinking, and drinking in unsafe environments such as an empty house or in the woods, where something bad is more likely to happen. According to Mary Kate Cary, when she was underaged, the drinking age was 18. Frats had kegs out in the open on university property, and student gatherings more often than not, included beer. She remembers university police regularly strolling through the frat parties, just making sure everything was …show more content…
Before the MLDA was raised to 21, there were many positive effects that came from a lower MLDA. Lowering the MLDA diminishes the thrill of breaking the law to consume alcohol (“Should the”). Young adults experience a thrill when drinking underage knowing that they are adults, but are restricted from consuming alcohol. If the MLDA was lowered, they would no longer have that thrill and it could lead to less alcohol intake. One reason many young adults drink is because they know that hey shouldn 't be doing it, however if this was just another right given to them, they wouldn 't feel obligated to take advantage of it, because it is just another privilege that comes with growing up and maturing into an adult. Drinking age being 18 would also open the doors for young adults to drink in safer public places like bars, rather than unsupervised places. Surely people would rather hear of kids sipping beer out if a red solo cup at a well patrolled fraternity party, than drinking shots and popping a vicodin in somebody 's basement off campus. Lowering the drinking age will also help dissolve the need for kids to “pregame” and bring the college fake ID business to a dead stop. It can 't really help reduce the binge drinking, drug overdoses, and sexual assaults (Cary). Unsupervised parties could lead to binge drinking and even young adults being drugged by others at a party. Lowering this will reduce the chance of binge drinking significantly, and in turn, prevent the drugging of
“There’s No Benefit to Lowering the Drinking Age” explains, on average about eleven teens die daily as a result of drunk driving (Voas 464). When teens throw a party, alcohol is usually involved. Then once the party is over the kids have to get home somehow and they often drive themselves. When an alcoholic drink is placed in an eighteen-year-old hand decisions are made that harm them and others
Although it is a law commonly evaded; it prevents young people from car accidents and alcohol abuse or dependence. In the article is acknowledged that “more than 40 percent of college students reported at least one symptom of alcohol abuse or dependence”; a rate that would be highly increased if the drinking age is reduced. On top of that, it is worth considering the magnitude in which car accidents have dropped since the drinking age was lowered. The organization Mother Against Drunk Driving (MADD) CEO Chuck Hurley said “Nearly all peer- reviewed studies looking at the change showed raising the driving age reduced drunk-driving deaths.” It is undeniable that lowering the drinking age would generate an already managed issue in regards alcohol and its relation to car
“If the legal age were lowered in the US it would have to come with much more education in this area, not just the shock-value of Every 15 Minutes” said Ulrike Skillman, math teacher at Saugus. Skillman suggests the lowering of the drinking age will have to come with more alcohol education and that is the exact purpose of a “drinking license.” Which would allow 18 year olds to consume alcohol, with strict regulations, then take classes to officially receive a “drinking license” at 21 years old. The license would replicate a driver’s license, but be geared toward consuming alcohol.
There has been many discussions all over the United States is whether they should change the drinking age from twenty-one to eighteen. Most teens will argue that they should change the age because they can go to a store or a gas station and they can buy a pack of cigarettes, a black n mild, play the lottery at the age of eighteen so they will ask so why can they not buy a beer or alcohol at the age of eighteen. Underage drinking has been out of control in the United States because teenager use fake identification cards and they will also try to go to the club with their identification card. As a teenager when I was in high school I have proof that these things happen not only in college but high school it happens more often than college students. What is
The Effects of Lowering the Drinking Age According to Carla T. Main in “Underage Drinking and the Drinking Age” from The Tennessee Electronic Library, the legal drinking age shouldn’t be reduced in result of all of the things that occur due to underage drinking. She talks about how institutions could help by having discussions with the college students about responsible drinking. When the drinking age was lowered between 1970 and 1976, the results were catastrophic. The highway deaths among teenagers and young adults skyrocketed.
The U.S. Age limit being the highest in the world means that there is a high possibility that drinking becomes more attractive to the younger generation as a result. This outcome of the national age limit makes Americans feel younger
To address this drinking age should not be lowered to 19. Many people in families think that drinking can harm their life. It’s people jobs to take care of your health and live a happy life with families and friends. Many parents take care of their children and evidence is that an average family spent $24,164 for paying for college and kids don’t know that. People of this world it is more important that you can be more efficient that you can be of not drinking.
Alcohol abuse and alcoholism seems like an issue that keeps getting increasingly worse each year in the United States. According to USA Today and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention both say that approximately 6 people die from alcohol poisoning, caused from binge drinking, each day, which amounts to roughly 2,200 people each year. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism says that “In 2013 an estimated 697,000 adolescents ages 12–17 (2.8 percent of this age group) had an [alcohol use disorder]” (“Alcohol Facts”). Something has to stop and something has to change from preventing this more because 6 people dying each day from binge drinking alone is a lot, not to mention that 12-17 year olds are having alcohol problems at such a young age. Lowering the drinking age will enforce this act even more, promoting more drinking in fact.
Lowering the drinking age: risky or safe? When teenagers turn 18, they are told that they are adults and are sent into the world. They go to college, get a job, marry or join the military. They do grown-up things like vote, pay taxes and become parents, but they can 't go to the bar for a beer.
It has instead pushed underage binge drinking into private and less controlled environments, leading to more health and life-endangering behaviors by teens. If the legal drinking age was lowered, those teens would be able to drink in a more controlled and much more safe environment where they can be monitored and supervised. Then they will be less likely to harm themselves or others. The second argument that is used is that there are fewer drunk driving accidents in countries with lower drinking ages. In quite a few countries around the world, the legal drinking age is already 18.
But while it has succeeded in that, it is also believed that tougher rules, such as DUI rules and seatbelt safety rules have also played a part in this decrease. However, this higher drinking age hasn’t reduced drinking, its only “driven it underground,” Gabrielle Glaser states in her NY Times article. It has been driven underground to the riskiest settings, high school parties and frat parties that are unsupervised. This age raise segregates the drinking away from adults that can model moderation in drinking. If an 18-year-old high school senior is shown by his/her parent(s) how to drink responsibly and in moderation, I believe that it would greatly help in reducing the chance of making bad decisions by overdoing it, such as driving while drinking.
If young adults at the age of 18 are old enough to vote and enlist in the army, then why can they not purchase and consume alcohol? Over the years, the set drinking age has been a controversial topic among society. Some people believe the MLDA (Minimum Legal Drinking Age) should stay at the age of 21 because it is safer for their kids. However, lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18 would change the standards of alcohol as it encourages those of legal adulthood to make responsible decisions as adults, learn to control binge drinking and promote less automobile accidents. To further explain, 18 is the age of majority therefore young adults are mature enough to make their own decisions.
In some countries, like in Europe the drinking age is set at 18. Even though people in the US think this is insane, this set age has more positive effects than people think it would. It is known that binge drinking is a problem in the US since it has the highest rate in the world for binge drinking. In Europe, teenagers get their license at age 18, and some drinking ages are lower than that, they figure out how to control their drinking before the drive. Unlike in the US, kids drink and then drive because they either have to be home by curfew or they are too scared to call their parents for a ride, and admit they had been under the
“ [The drinking age] is unfavorable because it forces youth to consume alcohol in unsupervised places that are risky and consumption may be abused.” The idea is, if the drinking age is lowered, youth will be able to drink in open, public places that can be supervised by others. By being public, it would decrease the risky behavior seen with alcohol in private, unsupervised settings. Pomata also asserts, “The age restriction inspires undesirable activities just as the National Prohibition Act did.” Some undesirable activities that are associated with underage drinking include the making and distributing of fake ID’s.
A poll taken on July 2014 asked the public opinion of US adults for lowering the US legal drinking age from 21 to 18. Approximately 74% of the people opposed the idea, whereas roughly 25% of the people supported the idea ("Public Opinion" 1). The statistics indicate satisfaction among the majority of the people; however, with the current laws many issues arise that must be addressed concerning alcohol use. For starters, studies show an increase of dangerous drinking habits among young adults (Hall 2). In addition, the enforcement of the drinking laws and education on alcohol is insubstantial (Moyse, Fonder 3).