Drinking Age At 21 Research Paper

Traffic crash rates have been inversely related with the minimum legal drinking age since the 1970’s. Studies conducted since the 1980’s analyzed how the change in the MLDA affected the outcome of total traffic crashes for youth, drinking-driving convictions, single-vehicle nighttime crash fatalities, and alcohol problems among youth. The MLDA needs to be at 21, because 67% of the studies completed have concluded that there was a significant decrease in traffic crashes and crash fatalities when the drinking age was higher. In addition, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated that in 1987 alone, 1,071 traffic crashes were prevented because of the MLDA of 21 (NHTSA 1989). Lower rates of death caused by vehicle crashes were found in states with higher MLDA’s throughout these various studies, and a 16% decrease in vandalism rates were observed in 4 states that raised their MLDA.

Alcohol seems to be an important part of daily life for many people. It's a substance associated with having fun amongst friends and family. Fortunately, certain laws help to protect us against the dangers that alcohol potentially brings upon our society. Although a section of the population argues for lowering the drinking age to 18, there have been many benefits with keeping it at 21. The main purpose of setting the Minimum Legal Drinking Age at 21 is to provide safety for the public, which should be the primary responsibility of the government.

If the legal drinking age was eighteen people wouldn’t feel a thrill of breaking the law to get a drink. “Lowering the legal drinking age would reduce the number of underage people who are hurt from alcohol related injuries or accidents due to fear of legal consequences if they sought medical attention.” (Tracey

By the time they are high school seniors, seventy-two percent teenagers say they have already consumed alcohol. Proper education at younger ages is needed for our country’s youth to learn the proper use of alcohol through experimentation with their own limits in safe environments.

People have said that if the drinking age was lowered it was lower the risk of everything else that is happening with alcohol problems. For example, more than one hundred and thirty people have signed a petition initiated in the 2008 in support of the idea. Since the mid 1930’s, the legal drinking age in the United States has been set at twenty-one. At some point there was no uniform drinking age, with some states choosing eighteen, nineteen and even twenty as the legal age for drinking. Back then, it was safe to drink because everyone knew everyone.

For about 40 years ago there have been discrepancies about the drinking age. In the late 60s and early 70s exactly 29 states lowered their drinking age. They did this because they wanted to at least match the enlistment and voting age. Which was and is 18. This resulted in drunk-driving accidents.

The drinking age in America has been unchanged over many years but I believe that this is one area of law that should stopped being overlooked as it may be the cause for many unforeseen negative effects. The amount of taxpayers money that is spent on the current law system is outrageous for many reasons, one reason is the number of people in jail or correctional facilities. As we move on to try and better our society in gender inequality and many other areas this is a area that deserves to be targeted as well. One of the ways we could limit the number of people in the law system is ridding the system of unjust laws. Another way is to try to teach people the effects of using alcohol in a responsible manner. This is not a topic that should only

My opinion on the whole situation is that the drinking age should be lowered because of binge drinking. Since the drinking age has been twenty-one it has not stopped underage teens for drinking and has actually caused more problems. Binge drinking has especially been caught in college. With the mix of ages ranging anywhere from around 17-24 years old it’s easy for teens to fall under peer pressure. The opposing side to this argument says however that lowering the drinking age would be...”Pushing the drinking problem further down to 16-and 17-year olds.”

The author of this essay, Michael Clay Smith, believes that the age limit for drinking should be lowered back to 18, similar to before creation of the new drinking age limit in the 1980’s. Michael feels like this is a “Second Prohibition” (1). I believe that the drinking age should be lower, and Smith does a good job at giving reasons why. For the better of society, Smith believes the legal drinking age should lowered, and the age limit is unfair to teenagers who are already adults, causes dangerous drinking, and ruins promising teenager lives.

Across the country, college students participate in an illegal activity known as underage drinking. The drinking age in America is an ongoing debate of whether it should be kept at 21, or reduced to 18. While some believe lowering the drinking age would make drinking for young kids safer, others presume the opposite. According to Alexis Aguirre, a journalist at the Texas State University Star, “The legal drinking age should be lowered to 18. Once 18, a person is legally considered an adult and should be able to drink.”

“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.

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).

Over the years, the legal drinking age in the United States has been heavily debated. Some argue that the legal age to drink should be 18 or 19 because people at that age are recognized as adults; others argue that the drinking age should be 21 because people who are able to drink should be more mature and have their lives better planned out. Although people are legally adults at 18, they are not yet mature adults; in fact, according to NRP, “emerging science about brain development suggests that most people don’t reach full maturity until the age 25” (“Brain”). Before earning the right to legally drink, people should allow their bodies to fully develop and gain a better knowledge of how to organize their lives. The drinking age should remain

America decided to do things differently than other countries for a reason. Lowering the age for drinking would lead to a disaster. The law needs to remain at an age of 21 to keep the next generation safe as long as possible. Drinking is extremely harmful and potentially fatal, this is coupled with its addictability, add young adults and the consequences are terrible. Many people follow the law and other countries experience more issues with underage drinking than the US.

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.