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Argumentative Essay: Lowering The Drinking Age

1300 Words6 Pages

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.” A person becomes legally emancipated at the age of 18. Emancipation is when one is considered an adult in the eyes of the law. Some “perks” of being an adult include: the right to get married, buy a house, or be charged as an adult in a court of law. Proponents of lowering the drinking age may say if one can buy a house, why can he not buy a alcoholic beverage? According to the same article, “If I want to vote democrat, I can. If I want to ink up my body, I can. If I want to fill my lungs with smoke, I can do that too. Going wine tasting with some friends, however, is somehow too far.” Aguirre also …show more content…

“ [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. If the drinking age is decreased, then there would be no need for such

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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

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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

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When you are eighteen you have to ability to buy virtually anything you desire, eat anything you want, smoke anything you want, and drink anything you want, except alcohol, but why? I’ve waited so long to enjoy my newfound freedom, but can’t drink alcohol. What do you mean? At eighteen, I am allowed to purchase cigarettes, fight and die in wars, purchase firearms, or even get married, but no alcohol. This seems so un-American, a country I can live and die for, but cannot have an alcoholic beverage.

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Letting young adults consume alcohol will help them get experience based on their firsthand experiences of what they saw, or what they were told or advised to drink alcohol more responsibly and maturely. By restricting young 18-20 year old’s from drinking even though they are considered “adults” will lead to drinking

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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.

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Frat parties, for example, serve booze, often, if not always, without the supervision of a responsible adult (aka an adult over the age of 21). Lowering the drinking age to 18 can be beneficial in that responsible drinking can be taught before the student turns 21. My favorite analogy, by Huffington Post writer, Elizabeth Glass Geltman, says, “We don’t have students teach each other how to drive, why is alcohol different?” In her article on Huffington Post, she talks about her college experience in the 70s and early 80s, where the legal drinking age in the US was 18. She talks about how drinking was legal for most students in her senior year of high school and in college, and that beer was commonly served at dances, proms, graduation events, etc.

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When a person turns 18 they’re considered to be legal, and have the right to make their own decisions. You’d think they’d also be able to make the decision to whether they want to consume alcohol. When turning 18 a person is granted the right to vote, smoke cigarettes, get married, serve on a jury, sign certain contracts, and other things. If a person is mature enough to make a

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Should the legal age for alcohol consumption be lowered? In the United States, The legal drinking age is 21, but in my research, I have found that it is actually allowed, under certain circumstances and situations, to people of even lower age. Though all 50 US states have set their minimum drinking age to 21, exceptions do exist on a state-by-state basis for consumption at home, under adult supervision, for medical necessity, and other reasons. In fact, all but 5 states, Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, New Hampshire, and West Virginia, under age drinking is permitted. Parents are allowed to furnish alcohol to minors if they are under proper supervision.

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Over the years, there have been debates about lowering the drinking age in the United States to eighteen. People argue that if a person can fight in the military or vote in elections, then he or she should be allowed the right to drink alcohol. Others feel that it is not wise to lower the legal drinking age because the results would be dangerous. Although there are arguments for lowering the drinking age, there is also an abundance of research that proves lowering the drinking age would be destructive. The legal drinking age should not be lowered to eighteen because it will give high school and even middle school students greater access to alcohol, interfere with brain development, adult rights begin at twenty-one, and increase traffic accidents among the youth.

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People will oppose to this law, but at the age of 18 an adolescent's brain is not fully developed yet. Underage drinking is a common action in today’s society. What kids do not know is the effect that underage drinking has on their brain. Since the brain is not fully developed at the age of 18, drinking

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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).

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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

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