Essay On Keeping The Drinking Age In America

The debate about whether the legal drinking limit in America is the right age has been going on for decades. Only July 17, 1984, Ronald Reagan who was president at the time signed the national minimum drinking age act. This meant that the states had to raise the drinking age to Twenty-One. Americans are able to vote, drive, join the army, and get married but aren’t allowed to drink because of the law. It is unclear why the responsibility of drinking alcohol has more strict laws over these other responsibilities. 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

The age of 18 sides with many other age limit laws for different activities. A lower drinking age may solve many problems within colleges in America. This is a global issue as every country has to weigh up the pros and cons of having a certain age limit to drink. As of the age of 18, you are legally classed as an adult which makes you legally responsible for your actions and choices you make meaning all consequences are placed on you. Therefore, the drinking age should be lowered because college students are at high risk of binge drinking, as well as alcohol is still very easy to buy and be consumed by many people under the age of 18. Which causes our younger generations to drink in unsafe environments versus alcohol-friendly

This is understandable as often this is when students have moved away from home and have the freedom to do what they want without their parents present. Some high-risk drinking events tend to be more prevalent in young adulthood. For example, homecoming, athletic events, spring break, pregame partying, and graduations have all been associated with excessive drinking among college students. This goes to show how the younger generation is very willing to drink. In 2002 the National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse issed a Call to Action to adress drinking on college campuses, based on findings of an expert panel. There is a high possibility that this is a result of the national drinking limit being so high. Because this makes it more attractive to drink and almost rebel against the law in a certain sense. There are many negative effects to binge drinking, both long term and short-term effects. Binge drinkers tended to score higher on measures of depression and anxiety and reported lower positive mood than non-drinkers. Clearly these effects are not going to be positive. To minimize the amount of binge drinking a key factor would be to decrease the drinking age as this would lower the eagerness to drink among a younger generation. These facts portray that the first-time students have the freedom and are able to do things at their own will, they