Drinking Age Argumentative Essay

Argumentative Essay On The Drinking Age

The Drinking Age The three biggest milestones a person passes in their life are the age they can drive, the age they can vote, and the age they can drink. One gets behind the wheel at fourteen with a learner's permit, they vote after turning eighteen, and legally drink alcohol at the age of twenty–one. This raises the question, if one is considered mature enough to make decisions about the future of their country at eighteen, can they drink at that age too? No, the drinking age should remain at 21 years of age. The drinking age should not be changed for three main reasons. Drinking as a teen or adolescent can cause many otherwise unnecessary health problems, teen drinking leads to many issues outside of medical conditions, and because raising the drinking age has reduced the number of alcohol related motor vehicle accidents. The drinking age should remain at twenty–one rather than be moved to eighteen because drinking as an adolescent can cause many health problems that would be nonexistent if alcohol was not a factor. According to the website, helpguide.org, "...researchers believe that heavy drinking at this age [18–25], when the brain is still developing, may cause lasting impairments in brain functions such as memory, coordination, and motor skills..." This is just one way that alcohol consumption as an adolescent can lead to negative health effects. Other effects of adolescent alcohol consumption are explained. In the same article the author says, "The highest prevalence of problem drinking occurs among young adults aged 18 to 25, nearly 42% of whom admit to binge drinking at least once a month..." This factor is important because many health problems that young adults experience in regards to alcohol are due to binge drinking. According to the website, indirect.gov.uk, "This makes young people particularly vulnerable to the long–term damage caused by alcohol. This damage can include: cancer of the mouth and throat ...depression and suicidal thoughts...liver cirrhosis and heart disease." These are just some of the health risks that teen drinkers face. The age should not be lowered because of alcohol's adverse health effects on adolescents. Not only should the drinking age stay at twenty–one

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Argumentative Essay On Underage Drinking

In today's day and age, being the life of the party and the focus of your friend group is the new craze upon reaching college age. There is no issue with going out with some friends or hanging out at the house around the bonfire. However, when someone takes it upon themselves to decide to bring some beer or perhaps some other substance to the gathering, decisions are now short–thought and spastic. Underage drinking or even drug use will raise an innocent get together to an illegal event. By making that avoidable mistake others are now inevitably involved, an alternate path for their lives is created, and normal activities now become a daily stress. When a friend slowly pulls a white–wrapped substance, a whole new vibe is created and...show more content...

This first–time offender will now go through a legal process that they never imagined being a part of. While they may do the community service and of course pay the fine, they will now have a "hole to dig out of" for their future. They will from now on have a record, this requires to "check that box" that asks of any previous criminal offense. That little box will turn into a big wall for many offenders. And in the case of the first–time offender will put his future and success on a long and delayed track. Whether it be trying to get a job, a house or any deals with the bank will not be laid back. And in many cases, many doors of opportunity will be shut and never opened. Not all parties will end in a police officer at the door and people charged. Many parties or gatherings will continue without control. These are the types of events that put others in a situation to cave in towards your actions and drink underage or try drugs that they normally would not have. These people have now accepted and unknowingly signed an invisible form for an alternate path to a successful life. With this new lifestyle, these users are now in a different state of mind. Whether it be present around police officers and the constant worry or stress of being approached. To now deciding between going out with friends for food or hanging with the new crew and buying some more "supplies." Additionally, these people are now putting themselves in a situation to rely on others.

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Drinking Age Should the Drinking age be lowered? Many people believe that people should not drink until the age of twenty–one. And some believe that it is working because it is keeping the drinking rate down. What side are you on? Would you let someone enjoy an alcoholic beverage legally before they join the military? Or would you let them die before they are old enough to legally have a drink? At the age of eighteen people are allowed to purchase and use tobacco products in forty–six of the fifty states. Eighteen you can also begin to vote. They can also establish a checking and saving account and apply for loans. And you can also get married without parental approval in forty–eight of the fifty states. In Iowa, you can drink underage if on private, non–alcohol–selling premises, with parental consent or for medical purposes. Gabrielle Glaser said "Raising the drinking age hasn't reduced drinking – it's merely driven it underground, to the riskiest of fraternity parties that make 'Animal House' look quaint." The number of alcohol poisoning from eighteen to twenty–four–year–olds nearly tripled from 779 cases to 2,290. Of the 190 countries, sixty–one percent have a drinking age of eighteen or nineteen years old yet for the age of twenty–one, it is six percent, which is even less percentage of countries that allow sixteen to seventeen–year–olds drink, which was at eleven percent. Allowing eighteen to twenty–year–olds to drink alcohol would decrease unsafe drinking

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A very controversial argument amongst Americans is determining that the current legal drinking age which is 21 should be lowered to eighteen or not. Researching the following propaganda made me understand the dangers to the youth and people in America if the drinking age were to lower. Therefore i will argue with whoever disagrees with me that the drinking age should be lowered. I'd like to explain six reasons to why the drinking age should not be lowered beginning with the strongest reasons. First reason being is that alcohol effects the brain badly in many ways such as effecting a persons memory. This is not good since adolecent brains dont stop growing until their mid twenties. Recent studies included "animal studies suggest that...show more content...

Reviewing these statists one may be able to analaze and see that even drivers between 21 to 24 were high at risk. What would make a person want to lower the drinking age to 18. Young adults at eighteen are new drivers and less expierenced then the 21 + drivers and logically would produce more fatal crashes. Thirdly another serious effect alcohol has is suicide. More than "150,000 students develop an alcohol–related health problem (Hingson et al., 2002[–>0]), and between 1.2 and 1.5 percent of students indicate that they tried to commit suicide within the past year due to drinking or drug use (Presley et al., 1998[–>1]). People who have any sort of mental condition such as depression, manic depressive and anxiety should not be drinking alcohol at all. It's simply not good for a mentally ill person. "Alcohol has been found to lower serotonin and norepinephrine levels" Meaning that by having the serotonin levels lowered it will actually make the person even more depressed and higher risk for sucide. Alcohol is also known as the new gateway drug. Marajuana once was but now alcohol has been added into this classification list. " youth who drink drink alcohol were 50 times more then likely to use cocaine and those who smoke ciggarettes were 19x more as likely to use cocaine"(Two Dangersous Gateway Drugs, 2001). Why should America lower the drinking age if alcohol has the potential to cause people to try drugs then those who don't Get more content

American society has become littered with so–called "Rights of Passage" and none more desired than what comes at the age of 21–the privilege to drink. This event is arguably the most anticipated day for any American because they are finally granted the responsibility of choosing for themselves whether or not they want to drink and bear the risks involved.

The legal drinking age has been volatile throughout the United States' history changing from absolutely no restrictions to a complete ban. Since the passing of the 21st amendment, the legal age has been 21 making America one of only 4 countries with a legal age at or above 21. Sadly, this has produced a society of immaturity that denies the general populous the ability to make their own decisions and instead conditions the populous to rely on authority to dictate their lives.

American's have long been educated about safe alcohol usage and about how the legal age of 21 leads to fewer deaths by way of alcohol–attributable factors. As a student, I am aware of this incessant peppering of facts and figure all too much; however, this claim about a higher age leading to fewer deaths is simply inaccurate as demonstrated around the world. Two prime examples are Singapore and Norway, which both have legal drinking ages of 18. In reference to what American students are taught in school, this would cause immediate concerns that improper alcohol usage would be more prevalent and the death rates would increase, however; Singapore and

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Essay On Legal Drinking Age

The legal drinking age should not be lowered in the United States for the safety of all humans. To move the minimum drinking age lower in the United States would mean that a very high percentage of people would need to be completely done growing. This is not always the case, meaning that people can have defects in their body because of alcohol consumption at a younger age. Certain men do not stop growing until past the age of 18 (http://www.newhealthguide.org/When–Do–Men–Stop–Growing.html). If the legal drinking limit was lowered any, then people who are not fully done growing will be consuming a beverage that can harm their body growth. During consumption of alcohol, many body systems are affected. According to (http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa26.htm),blood sugar levels, reproductive functions, and bone structure...show more content...

On the contrary, the right to drink is not guaranteed just because the title of being an official adult. When one becomes 16 they are eligible to receive their license, but with this license they are not instantly allowed all of the privileges of others with a license. Likewise, when someone turns 18 he or she is not allowed to do everything that those of older ages are. Some of these activities include; gambling at a casino, adopting a child, or even purchasing a handgun. Adopting a child and purchasing a gun are both closely related to drinking alcohol because when any of these actions are performed it puts the safety of others in the hands of the beholder. The president of the United States, the person who leads the country to prosperity even has age restrictions that prohibit him or her from entering presidency consideration until the age of 35. Age restrictions are put in place to help provide the optimum flow of society while providing safety to all of those

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Is the Legal Drinking Age Good

Should we raise or lower the legal drinking age? The legal drinking age varies from place to place, in Canada the legal age goes from 18 to 19 years. But what are the effects different legal drinking ages have on long term alcohol addiction and alcohol related youth crimes. I'm interested because I am a quick to take part in skepticism, so when someone says drinking has a larger effect on youth I am quick to doubt unless objective evidence is given. Also one of my cousins (not named for privacy reasons) got what you would consider to be drunk before the age of 7 after he drank from half empty cans of beer left unattended, He turned out just fine and is living a happy life. The only negative effect was the headache the next morning.

In 1984 a bill known as the "National Minimum Drinking Age Act" commonly referred to as the MLDA21 Act was passed by congress. The National Minimum Drinking Age Act made the minimum legal age you could buy, possess, or drink alcohol for non–religious practices 21 years of age. According to a Harvard document the minimum drinking age and its effects, all 50 states of the USA reported "substantial heterogeneity in MLDA21's effect". Some states reported positive improvements in alcohol related crime rates, while other states reported little to no change. From table 5 of the Harvard study I have concluded that the MLDA21 had a level of effect that does not justify the implementation of the MLDA21 Act. Of the states that

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SUMMARY Lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18 will delay underage drinking, as well as terrible injuries or deaths that result from such conduct. Keeping the drinking age at 21 is driving to more cases of binge drinking in a short time because it has become a ritual among this age group. However by lowering the drinking age to 18, the binge drinking practice will decline, because it will demystify the drunken experience therefore viewed the moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages becomes a disciplined behavior. Roughly 11 million young Americans consume alcohol, and an upsetting number of them drink way too much, for the purpose of my research, described as guzzling five or more drinks in a row, one or more times in a two–week period....show more content...

Prohibiting this age group from drinking in bars, restaurants, and other licensed locations causes them to drink in unsupervised places such as fraternity houses or house parties where they may be more prone to binge drinking and other unsafe behavior. Considering the societal impact of binge drinking (by the numbers) and the marketed number of young Americans' lives spared by MLDA–21 since its inception it behooves politicians to change the federally coerced prohibition law and to teach responsible drinking techniques for those who chose to consume alcoholic beverages. The records show that as a nation we have two strikes on prohibition laws that failed in the past (Thornton, 1991) notwithstanding, the general good intent for controlling irresponsible drinking problems. The non for profit organization Choose Responsibility (CHOOSE RESPONSIBILITY), pro–lowering MLDA–21, openly publishes statistics that on the surface would validate the current prohibition stance, however when analyzed by removing any cognitive biases those who genuinely care can see that despite the MLDA–21 law, an alarming number of underage Americans are drinking, and many are drinking worryingly. "Alcohol is a reality in the lives of young Americans. It cannot be denied, ignored, or legislated away" (CHOOSE Get more content

Lowering the drinking age to 18 would make a lot of sense in the world. Lowering the drinking age to 18 would make more sense. It would be better for the teens that drink on college campus. The drinking age should be lowered to 18 because you can vote at eighteen, buy tobacco, it'll reduce the thrill of breaking the law, evidence supports that early introduction of drinking is the safest way to reduce juvenile alcohol abuse, and college people that are not 21 drink also. If teenagers that are now turning 18 can vote, then they should be able to drink at the age of 18. If teens are 18 and old enough to vote, they should be able to drink. Saying they can vote, is calling them responsible and mature enough to pretty much vote. At age 18,...show more content...

Tobacco, can give the person doing it buzzed or drunk and give them the risk of a disease. Therefore, in the long run, the person will probably regret doing tobacco. It'll reduce the thrill of breaking the laws. Teens find it exciting to break the law. Once they start breaking the law, it'll get them addicted to the thrill of breaking the law. They're going to want to keep breaking the law just to be cool. ("Reasons"). When they break the law, they think that since other people won't do it, that it's going to be cool to break the law and look bad. Most parents should know that almost all kids drink. If they know that their kids drink, why not let them have legally drink at 18, with not having their kids get in jail for drinking under age. ("Age"). For example, why would you go through the trouble if your child drinks and gets caught because they're not 21 yet, but are in college and over 18 and you have to bail them out? Therefore most college kids aren't even 21 yet, but are still exposed to alcohol and drink. Early introduction into drinking will reduce binge drinking. If people are introduced into drinking early, they'll be drinking moderately. Scientific evidence supports that early introduction to drinking is the safest way to reduce juvenile alcohol abuse. Young people in France, Spain, and Argentina, rarely abuse alcohol. They start drinking within their families, which sees drinking in moderation as natural. They rarely

Another idea comes from Ruth C. Engs, from Indiana University. In this article, Ruth is trying to point out that with lowering the drinking age responsible drinking could be taught through role modeling and educational programs. A majority of college students under twenty–one consume alcohol but all in an irresponsible manner. Drinking is seen as an enticing "forbidden fruit." Prohibition did not work in 1920 and for young adults under twenty–one it is not working now. Those under the age of twenty–one are more likely to be heavy drinkers, which averages 5 drinks a week. Twenty–two percent of students under twenty–one, compared to eighteen percent over twenty–one, are heavy drinkers. Thirty–two percent of people are underage drinkers. Only twenty–four percent of drinkers are legal. In conclusion, this source says that with lowering the drinking age there will be more responsible young adults than irresponsible ones (Engs). Yet another source, CNN, states that younger people are more responsible than most people think. Dwight Heath had a few words...show more content... Dee show the traffic fatalities over the years. This source states that drinking isn't the most common cause of accidents. The teen traffic fatality rate of sixteen to nineteen year olds is doubled the rate for adults aged twenty–five and older. Teen traffic safety has improved the past twenty years. Since 1979 the teen traffic fatality rate has fallen thirty–seven percent. Statistics show that along with the thirty–seven percent, only twenty–two percent has dropped for adults over the age of twenty–five. The age of traffic fatalities after drinking have been affecting more older people than younger. To add to these numbers more teens have traveled more because they are becoming dependent on automobiles, which means they are becoming more responsible with them. Between 1983 and 1995 the miles traveled by teens just about doubled. By vehicle miles of traveling, teen fatality rates have

Under Age Drinking

Today, in our modern society, drinking alcoholic beverages among young people isn't surprising anymore. Under aged drinking is very common around the world as we become more liberated every passing year. According to HelpGuide.org "More than half of American youths ages 12 to 20 have tried alcohol. Girls are nearly as likely as boys to experiment with drinking." Drinking alcohol can have a serious effect in one's physical and cognitive health, excessive use of alcohol can be very dangerous as it may lead to accidents, violent behavior and alcohol poisoning. Drinking at a young age can lead to alcohol problems later in life.

Ethyl Alcohol or Ethanol is the ingredient found inbeer, and wine that causes drunkenness. Alcohol is formed when Get

America Must Lower the Drinking Age Essay

America Must Lower the Drinking Age

The current drinking age in the United States of America is 21. There are some people who agree with the current drinking age even some who think it should be raised. On the other hand, a number of people feel that the current drinking age produces more problems than it prevents ("Cross Fire"). The United States has unsuccessfully tried prohibition legislation not once, but twice in the past. These laws were eventually done away with due to the inability to enforce and the repercussion towards them that ended up causing even more trials and tribulations (Engs).

"Prohibition demonstrates beyond a doubt that drinking and the problems caused by drinking cannot simply be eliminated from the...show more content...

If individuals were taught that drinking is another privilege obtained at age eighteen it would be taken more seriously. Lowering the drinking age to eighteen would not give people a better reason to abuse it, but instead a sense of trust and reliability that the U.S. government expects people to live up to (Dodd).

The focus of alcohol needs to be on educating the youth about responsible drinking instead of on restriction. American teenagers, unlike European teens do not have the opportunity to be taught how to drink gradually, carefully, and in moderation. "Though the per capita consumption of alcohol in countries like France, Spain, and Portugal is greater than in the U.S., the rate of alcoholism and alcohol abuse is lower" ("Cross Fire"). Due to legal restriction in this country, young people in America postpone drinking until they can no longer benefit from their parents' supervision and guidance (Don). "Irrefutable evidence supports the fact that the early introduction of drinking is the safest way to reduce juvenile alcohol abuse" (Ford). Young adults need an opportunity to learn sensible and moderate drinking in controlled and safe circumstances. Parents should be allowed to serve their children alcohol and young adults should be permitted to drink in controlled environments such as restaurants. Alcohol needs to be portrayed as a natural, normal

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A US citizen at the age of 18 has the right to vote and serve in our military. If they have the right to vote of the potential leader of the United States of America's president they shouldn't be able to consume an alcoholic beverage? I will be discussing what alcohol is and if the legal age should she moved to 18. Along with that I will first discuss the benefits of moving the drinking age, then the effects on teenagers, and lastly I will have a general discussion over the topic. Alcohol is seen as the "forbidden fruit" to people under the age of 21. If the "fruit" wasn't forbidden then less people would be urged to try it. Isnt the United states the land of the free? Then why do other countries have more rights than we do? These are all...show more content...

According to "Mothers on drunk driving"http://www.madd.org moving the drinking age to 21 has saved 17,000 lives since it has been in effect. According to the "annual review of public health"http://www.annualreviews.org/journal/publhealth Alcohol has contributed to 1,700 deaths, 599,000 injuries, and 97,000 sexual assault cases. There's a part of the brain that rapidly changes throughout your teenage years. It's call the prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex has to do with decision making and judgment. When it's not completely developed their is more of a chance to make the wrong decision, And being a teenager I know that I don't always make the right decisions in life but it's fine because everyone makes mistakes. Some seem to mess up a little more often than others. Consuming alcohol while your brain is still developing can the chance of having alcohol dependency. They might not develop right away as research states it usually happens down the road closer to the age of 25. Alcohol dependency is a previous psychiatric diagnosis in which an individual is physically or psychologically dependent upon drinking alcohol. There have been a fes rebel states that have lowered the drinking age for a small amount of time and they notice a increase in fatal crashes in the 18–20 year olds. Raising the drinking age to 21 has decreased crashes in 18–20 year olds by 13% which is approximately 27,775

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Argument Essay On Underage Drinking

The Issue of Underage Drinking Do you know someone who drinks under the circumstance of being too young? Do they know what causes can come about from such thing? Drinking under the age of what is said on the law is not only illegal but it is what we call underage drinking. Maybe you are going to school and everyone their is telling you that you aren't cool unless you drink. Will you listen to them? Will you drink because you want to be cool? If you are someone who drinks because it is "cool", then do you feel any "cooler" drinking something you shouldn't be? This is what I believe people should ask themselves if they are drinking too young. Drinking uderage is dreadful and can lead to, drunk driving, other dreadful outcomes, may have you thinking you are "cooler", a solution needs to come about and as a nation we can find many, and not everyone may be affected, but those who are know why it's unjust! Drinking and driving can be something adults do, but teenagers do it to. Although it may happen to anyone, when it is someone not legally able to drink it makes it even worse. There are many terrible outcomes that can happen to many of those who do drink, but drinking and diving is the worst one. According to, 'Why is Underage Drinking Bad?' it claims, "...many more suffer through accidents"(n.p). I believe one of the worst things that can happen to anyone, is getting into a car accident from being under the influence of alcohol. Approximately 2,000 underage drinkers die

Underage drinking has become one of the largest social issues among teenagers in America today. Although more than half of high schoolers drink on a regular basis, the problem is that they're not aware of how dangerous alcohol can actually be. The reality is that alcohol is often the cause of many issues among many teenagers today. Simply saying alcohol is what's ruining many young adults' lives. Drunk driving, clubs losing their licenses, and the individual losing control of their own actions. Have you lost a close friend or family member from alcohol? The number of drunk driving accidents from underage minors is rising. Another issue of alcohol is that it slows down the reaction time and resulting in less control of the individuals' actions in accidents that occur when under the influence of alcohol. The accidents range from motor vehicles, suicide, sexual assault, to as simply as losing your balance and causing harm to yourself or others. Not only is this an argument for minors but as ...show more content...

Many owners think with the economy sinking, that it would be a wise financial decision to allow eighteen to twenty–year olds in their clubs. Some bars have tried to put restrictions on the eighteen to twenty–year olds, by making them wear armbands so they know who is who. When an underage minor goes up to the bar, they will see the band and not let them order alcohol. While not thinking about the possibility of selling alcohol to a minor with a fake ID. The main thing that the club owners see is more people which means more money in their pocket. Although many club owners are worried about losing their revenue, they should also consider the cost of just one teen getting caught drinking in their club or the individual getting into an accident and then the club getting held responsible for selling alcohol to a Get more content

As opponents of the current MLDA of 21, claims that this law is causing young adults to be in danger from the increase in binge drinking, and it is not an effective law. The current MLDA is causing higher death and serious injuries for young adults, especially students who binge drink at the sororities and fraternity parties. When an accident happens they are afraid to call and report that accident because they are drinking illegally. Young adult students try as much as they can, not to mess with their legal records, Michael Smith, a professor, and director of graduate studies in criminal justice at the University of Southern Mississippi, and Margaret Smith, a professor of educational leadership and director of the Mississippi Institute for Drug and Violence Prevention at USM mentioned that "The drinking age of 21 has driven student partying in less public, and thus more dangerous, venues. To avoid being caught drinking illegally, students frequently party off campus".

As well as, it is the right for the...show more content... Obviously, their body is still growing and any other harmful elements might affect them negatively. James Fell stated that the normal adult's liver can process "50 alcohol calories an hour", and he said that a study showed that " teenagers' liver can only process half that amount". He also mentioned that an 18–year–old adult might be physically fit and strong that is why they might be allowed to fight.(Fell). Even though some might think that in some countries outside the US where the drinking age is 18 or lower, things are going fine. In fact Carla Main the author of Bulldozed (Encounter Books, 2007) mention in her article about "Underage Drinking and the Drinking Age" that countries outside USA alcohol drinkers are"25 percent heavy drinkers" while inside the USA alcohol drinkers are only " 15 percent heavy drinkers" that shows us thatbinge drinking in countries outside united state are much more than US (Main

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Did you know that in the year 1980 the legal drinking age was only 18? In 1987 there was a law passed that said in order to drink legally and to buy alcohol a person had to be 21. At the age of 18 people are allowed to buy tobacco, vote, get married without parental consent, and even join the armed forces, so why can't some one who is 18 by alcohol. This is a question I have; I believe that the legal drinking age should be 18. Dr. Ruth Engs, a professor of Applied Heath Sciences at Indiana University, agrees with me also. She states, "the legal drinking age should be lowered to about 18 or 19 and young adults should be allowed to drink in controlled environments." (Engs) These controlled places include...show more content...

They are not getting the right to drink freely and so they go out and deviate from the laws. Professor Engs has tested this theory by using a student alcohol questionnaire. The questionnaire tested 3,375 students that were both underage and of legal age. The questionnaire showed that 81.2% of the underage students were drinkers, which was compared to the legal age students that had a percentage of 75.3%. Out of the 81.2% of the underage drinkers about 24% of them are heavy drinkers. This compares the lower percentage of heavy drinkers that are legal age; they only have a percentage rate of 15.93%. In Boulder Colorado is a similar debate going on, whether to lower the drinking age or not. Tom Koby, Police Chief of Boulder Colorado, also believes that the drinking age needs to be lowered. He thinks that they need to focus on the underlying issue of alcohol abuse more than on people who are consuming alcohol illegally. "The problem is we've forgotten to teach people how to use alcohol. There is nothing fundamentally bad about alcohol." (Bregman) Professor Engs says, "responsible drinking can be taught through educational programs and role modeling." Both Police Chief Koby and Professor Engs think that by educating students about the effects of alcohol and what may happen while intoxicated will help lower the percentage of binge drinkers. Along with Professor Engs, Koby thinks, "when used properly alcohol can serve important societal functions." Professor Engs Get more content

Argumentative Essay On Teenage Drinking

Teen Alcohol Abuse The legal drinking age differs by country, but in America, it is twenty–one. However, it is not new knowledge that underage citizens can still easily obtain alcohol and face the consequences. Close to half of American high school sophomores reported drinking habits within the past year "Teen Alcohol Abuse". Further, people aged "12 to 20 years, drink 11% of all alcohol consumed in the United States" (Facts Sheet). As teens grow, the likelihood that they drink also increases greatly, because "as children mature, it is natural for them to assert their independence, seek new challenges, and try taking risks. Underage drinking is a risk that attracts many developing adolescents and teens". (Underage Drinking). Underage drinking, especially the way teens drink it, can have major consequences that can impact the way their bodies develop and function and their health and future lives. American society depends greatly on alcohol and is used as a means of celebration for many special events. Although drinking is illegal under a certain age, the vast majority of teenagers and minors have been exposed to alcohol and have had to face the decision of whether or not to follow the trend and drink "By age 15, about 33 percent of teens have had at least one drink" (Underage Drinking). The main reason teens are so greatly affected by alcohol is that they binge drink, which consists of drinking multiple drinks "On average, underage drinkers consume more drinks per drinking occasion than adult drinkers" (Facts Sheet). Such excessive drinking leads to poor, and often life–threatening, decisions. Alcohol related accidents are the most fatal incidents amongst teens it is "responsible for more than 4,300 deaths among underage youth each year" (Facts Sheet) "32 percent of underage drinking deaths are caused by motor vehicle accidents. The remaining 68 percent...are caused by homicide, suicide, alcohol poisoning, drowning and other causes of death" (Caba). The reason alcohol has the effects it does is because it "acts on the nerve cells of the brain and disrupts the communication between cells...and alter[s] the actions of two major neurotransmitters" (Alcohol Think Again) The three leading causes

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Argumentative Essay On Under Age Drinking

Under Age Alcoholism Under age drinking is not just an issue that the United States experiences, but all over the world. What most teens do not realize is that under age drinking is a major concern to people, it can be quite dangerous to themselves and to others as well. Underage drinking is when a minor under the legal age of twenty one decides to consume alcohol. In the article, The Problem Of Underage Drinking And What Parents Can do by Heidi Steven, it is said by the National Institute of Alcohol Abusethat "the percentage of teenagers who drink is slowly declining" (Stevens 1). Although the percentage is declining for underage drinking, the numbers are still roughly high. Alcohol is one of the most widely used substance among teens in America, even compared to the statistics of marijuana and cigarettes combined. With these odds, the number of incidents that are reported every year, are just likely to happen if underage drinking isn't put into control. Another study that was reported by the Centers for Disease Control mentions that "excessive drinking is responsible for more than 4,300 deaths each year...[and] 189,000 emergency rooms visits" (Stevens 1). The consequences of underage drinking not only affects the drinkers health but, others who are around or who are perhaps even involved in the act are at risk. The statistics of deaths and injuries that are linked to alcohol show the true dangers that underage drinking is associated with, which is why underage drinking should be taken into account. n addition to controlling underage drinking, it is the parents job to help maintain their drinking.parents should have a talk from now and then, starting at a young age. Another factor that underage drinking has a negative effect against your health, is that it affects to major areas of the brain. The two areas are the hippocampus and the prefrontal lobe, their roles are responsible for memory, learning, concentration and emotion. Most young people's brains are still considered to be developing by the time they hit their 20s. Studies of adolescents have shown "that heavy and extended alcohol use is associated with a 10% reduction in the size of of the hippocampus" (Steven 1), and that "these young people

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It is horrendous that 18–year–olds are able to go to war and die but are not allowed to drink alcohol. If one has the capability and responsibility of holding a gun that could kill someone, that person should be allowed to drink legally. It is about being an adult, and at the age of 18 one is technically an adult. The drinking age should be lowered from 21 to 18. "Lowering the drinking age to 18 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 attentions," (Should the Drinking Age Be Lowered from 21 to a Younger Age?). It would also help because a lot of teens like the adrenaline of almost getting caught. While some people think that lowering MLDA to 18 would be fine, others believe that it would cause teens to become prone to illicit drugs....show more content...

Thus showing that 18 year olds acted more responsible when given the privilege to drink at 18. The man or woman is accepted into the adulthood at 18. If people are still treated like minors and not allowed to drink, That's when they start acting irresponsible. If you treat a person like a kid, they tend to act like a kid. According to the the US Army, a man or woman is allowed to serve in the military and protect our country. I believe that is one of the most responsible things you can trust a person at the age of 18 with. So by not allowing the man or woman to drink at the age of 18 is just being hypocritical. Saying we are accepted into adulthood and allowing Get