Drinking Age Underage Drinking Essay example Drinking Age Essay Drinking Age Drinking Essay On Drinking Age Lower the Drinking Age Essay examples

1. Drinking Age
Drinking Age The drinking age was moved from 18 to 21 for a reason. The higher drinking age
of 21 has saved many lives, helped reduce the amount of underage drinking, and therefore should
not be lowered. Many studies from a large variety of sources have proven higher drinking ages
have a positive effect on society. Alcohol is harmful to the development of younger people.
Research has shown that an adult is less likely to binge drink (have five or more drinks in a row).
According to statistics from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, teens become
intoxicated twice as fast as adults. Because the teens get drunk faster they...show more content...
Some argument for lowering the drinking age claim that alcohol is more enticing to youths when
they can't have it, and if the legal age was lowered there would be less underage drinking
problems. Studies and history have proven this wrong (Fell, James: Debating Reform). Before the
drinking age was raised in the U.S. there was a larger underage drinking problem, and over twice
as many fatal alcohol related accidents as today. Sources: European School Survey Project on
Alcohol and Other Drugs. DiClemente, Ralph J. et al "Parental Monitoring: Association With
Adolescents ' Risk Behaviors" Pediatrics 107: 6 June 2001, 1363–1368 Fell, James. From "Chapter
2: Federalism: Resolved, the Federal Government should restore each State's freedom to set its
drinking age." in Ellis, Richard and Nelson, Michael (eds.) Debating Reform. CQPress Publishers,
Fall 2009. Fell, J.; "Minimum Legal Drinking Age Policy Knowledge Asset," website created by the
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation 's Substance Abuse Policy Research Program; March 2009. Fell,
James C. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Oct. 2008 "An Examination of
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2. Underage Drinking Essay example
Underage Drinking
In the article Why the Drinking Age should be Lowered, Ruth Engs believes that the drinking age
should be lowered to about 18 or 19. Engs is a Professor at Indiana University in the Health and
Sciences department. In this article Engs makes a valid point in that "responsible drinking could be
taught through role modeling and educational programs." Engs also states facts about the different
drinking ages in other countries, and that the United States has the highest legal purchasing age for
alcoholic beverages in the world.
According to Engs's research all of the irresponsible behaviors involving drinking such as: fighting,
drinking and driving, students missing class because of hangovers, or vomiting after...show more
content...
In these cultures young people learn from their parents about drinking and the responsibility that
comes with it. Engs suggests that we need to change the current prohibition law and teach
"responsible drinking techniques" for people that choose to consume alcohol. Engs states facts,
suggests alternative solutions, and relates the past from the present; this is why her article is
believable.
Engs does have many valid points in this article; however the drinking age probably won't change
any time soon. The problem with drinking and driving would greatly increase, if the prohibition
were to change the law of purchasing or consuming alcohol. Society would break out in madness and
there would probably be many riots, and reports of violent behavior would increase. I believe that
Engs has a fantastic argument; however the government probably won't change their drinking laws
in the near future.
Engs obviously has a great experience with this topic because she is a professor at Indiana
University in the Health and Science department. However, I am not sure why she is trying to
argue for the drinking age to be lowered because she is obviously over the age of 21. She has
many strong points and can tell she has done a serious amount of research on this topic. Engs does
give many examples about how college students drink responsibly.
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3. Drinking Age Essay
The United States has one of the highest legal drinking ages among the developed world, and the
entire world overall (McCardell). Yet underage drinking is still prevalent in American drinking
culture, and typically indicates an instance of binge drinking and often results in dangerous activity
(Hingson, Zha, and Weitzman). Supporters of the current federal policy on the drinking age would
suggest that drinking under 21 results in these instances of irresponsible drinking by default. Other
developed countries in Europe have lower drinking ages and trends that would suggest otherwise
(Rooney). The legal drinking age in the United States should be lowered to at least 18 years old to
ensure a safer drinking environment for young people and to guarantee...show more content...
Before the National Minimum Age Drinking Act was passed by Congress in 1984, individual states
had the right to set their own drinking age. The law made it so that any state who did not raise their
drinking age to 21 would lose 10% of their highway funding, leading to all states eventually changing
their drinking age to 21 (McCardell). The change in drinking age and the general attitude many
Americans have about drinking today can be attributed to the Prohibition Era, a time when
consumption and sale of alcohol was prohibited. The Prohibition Amendment was the only
amendment in United States history to be repealed, but Prohibitionist attitudes still remain in
American drinking culture. American drinking culture is considered to be a 'dry culture', where
drinking is not an everyday practice and alcoholic beverages are less accessible. 'Wet cultures',
particularly common in Southern European and Mediterranean countries, tend to have drinking as a
daily ritual, like having wine with dinner. In these countries there tends to be a lower drinking age
and alcoholic beverages are far more accessible (Bloomfield et al.). People start drinking younger in
these countries, and do report drinking more on average than American youth. The difference
between American youth and youth from different countries lies in their drinking habits; in
European countries where the drinking age is lower than 18, teens have more instances of drinking
per month but less instances of binge drinking per month compared to their American counterparts
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4. Drinking Age Drinking
There has been an ongoing discussion in the United States on whether the drinking age should be
lowered to eighteen like most of the world or if it should stay at twenty–one. Underage drinking has
been a major questionable issue for years, yet why is it not under control? Teenagers are continuing
to buy alcohol with fake identification cards, getting into bars and drinking illegally. As a recent
teen, I have proof that these things are going on not only in college but in high school as well.
There are a lot of factors that come together to why the drinking age should be lowered to eighteen.
The most obvious reason is too many people are drinking before they are twenty–one. Liquor stores,
bars, and clubs all want to make money and if they...show more content...
However, these states were later essentially bribed by Congress which used fiscal blackmail and
threatened to retract funding for highway construction – to pass the National Minimum Drinking Age
Act, which forced all states to change their legal drinking age to 21. In the Equal Protection Clause of
the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, it is stated that no state shall "deprive any person of life,
liberty, or property." If the Constitution clearly declares that the States cannot discriminate in any
way that will deny a person his civil rights, why is the government allowing states to create another
second–class citizen in the millions of people aged 18 to 21 unable to drink like the rest of the
adults in the country? After all, the government is ready and willing to allow its citizens to die
fighting for their country, but suddenly, a beer puts these citizens too much at risk. Lowering the
legal drinking age to 18 would make alcohol less of a forbidden fruit, taking away the thrill that
many young people get from breaking the law, make alcohol less of a taboo for adult's newly
entering college and the workforce, and make alcohol consumption a more normalized activity
done in moderation. A drinking age of 21 only forces alcohol consumption behind closed doors.
Always unsupervised, done in secret and too often excessive, this style of drinking among minors
has no doubt been responsible for the alarming rise in rates of dangerous binge drinking at colleges.
In 2006,
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5. Essay On Drinking Age
The legal drinking age in the United States is twenty one years old, the age is three years higher
than the legal drinking age in many developed countries around the world. At eighteen years of
age most legal rights are given, an individual may chose to enlist in the military, sign a contract
without parental consent, and is responsible for all actions however is prohibited from drinking
alcohol. At age 18 most individuals in the United States are able to graduate High School, some
chose to enter the workforce while others move on to college. Once in college many experiance
living alone for the first time. Drinking is widespread on college campuses 4 out of every 5 kids
drink alcohol in college according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
Freshman and sophomores are mostly under the age of 21 and are not legally allowed to purchase
...show more content...
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.22.7% of individuals aged
12–20 have reported have reported having a drink in the past month. The higher drinking age has
resulted in drinking at private venues with a lack of supervision where teens are more susceptible
to drive a motor vehicle while under the influence or engage in other dangerous behaviors
because of the lack of supervision. If the drinking age was 18, they would be able to drink in a safer
environment such as a restaurant or bar where they are more likely to be controlled. While many
advocate the need for a lower drinking age, some are strongly opposed to lowering the drinking age
since the brain does not fully develop at 18 and a 21 year old has a much more mature brain
which can handle alcohol and its deadly effects better. According to MADD(Mothers Against
Drunk Driving) 25,000 lives have been saved because of the drinking age set at 21 years old. Its also
helps reduce crashes by 16% annually by keeping alcohol away from underage
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6. Lower the Drinking Age Essay examples
When people turn eighteen they are finally considered an adult. They can join the army, vote, buy
cigarettes or tobacco products, get a tattoo and even die for our country. Although everyone
considers that person to be an adult, they are still not old enough to buy or consume alcohol. A
person can be responsible enough to live on their own, make their own money, pay their own bills,
and yet they are still not considered old enough to purchase or consume any type of alcohol.
Lowering the drinking age to 18 would help prevent the crime and personal injuries that are caused
by alcohol abuse. Although many states are trying to get the drinking age lowered, there are many
groups and national statistics that are keeping the drinking set at 21....show more content...
But the penalties that these states face in order to lower the drinking age, has stopped them from
pursuing these laws. These are just a few of the many issues that are keeping most states from
lowering their drinking age to 18. It has been a rising issue within the past century to have the
drinking age set at 21, but many people are more in favor of having the age set at 18. For
instance, "'Raising the drinking age to 21 was passed with the very best of intentions, but it's had
the very worst of outcomes,' stated by David J. Hanson, an alcohol policy expert" (Johnson).
Many people believe that having the drinking age set at 21 was a smart idea, but it has caused
many more deaths and injuries over the years. Most of these fatalities are cause from people who
are underage and choose to consume alcohol. Again, "Libertarian groups and some conservative
economic foundations, seeing the age limits as having been extorted by Washington, have long
championed lowering the drinking age" (Johnson). These groups see that keeping the drinking age
set at 21 is dangerous as it causes more problems to the Untied States. If the drinking age was
lowered, or set at 18, there would not be such unforgiving outcomes, like deaths and lifelong
injuries, which are usually caused from people who are under the age of 21 drinking alcohol.
Although there are numerous groups that are fighting to keep the age
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