...Should we change the drinking age? There has been many questions on the drinking age in the United States. Why should we be able to vote and not be able to drink?, Why should we fight for our country but we cant have a drink?. Some people believe that the age we drink 21 suddenly means that we are mature enough to handle the responsibility of drinking safely. In this short essay I will give my opinions on why the drinking age should be changed or why it should not. Underage drinking is a major problem in todays time. There are countless of accidents and deaths because of underage drinking. Some are due to car accidents, suicide and even simple accidents caused from the drunken state of mind of an inexperienced young adult. I believe that underage drinking is often a reality do to the fact that it is exciting. It is the idea that it is bad that makes tennagers want to drink. I personally can say that I drank underage because it was an answer to boredom caused by a small town and not very many options. I believe that if the drinking age was lowered from 21 to 18 that for one it would cut down on the criminal side. instead of people stealing alcohol or finding a buyer they could buy it themselves. It also would be more fitting for society. I think it is embarassing that we allow a 18 year old person to die fighting for thier country, to vote for a president, and to be a responsible, working, contributing citizen, but not allow...
Words: 314 - Pages: 2
...Persuasive Essay I can’t wait until you turn 21 and then you can buy us alcohol!” something I’m sure many of you have said to an older friend or sibling. Well, many of you may not know this but I was surprised when I learned that the law in IL only states that the possession and purchase of alcohol for those who are underage is illegal. ProCons.org informs us that exceptions do exist on a state-by-state basis for consumption at home, under adult supervision, for medical necessity, and other reasons. So this brings about a very controversial question that I have. Why can’t we lower the drinking age? Yes, there are risks, but there are also many facts that bring the pros of this recreation to light. (First, let me say, that I am definitely not delusional in saying this would be a perfect plan, but even though there are risks they do not outweigh the good) Before we go into the pros and cons of this situation I think you should all know the reason as to why the drinking age is 21 anyway. Well, according to a blog from a reputable source called the mental floss, we ended up with a national minimum age of 21 because of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984. This law doesn't prohibit drinking per se; it merely requires states to outlaw purchase and public possession by people under 21. So, that being said, the first risk everyone seems to touch upon is that drinking under the age of 21 can interfere with brain development. I have learned from previous classes that...
Words: 888 - Pages: 4
...The drinking age should be lowered in the US By ashley_white11, Auburn, NY More by this author Email me when ashley_white11 contributes work The drinking age should be lowered in the US Image Credit: John W., Evergreen, CO The author's comments: Quotes This was my English essay and I was told to publish it on here. Quotes The drinking age should be lowered back to the age of 18. I feel that for many reasons including that people are adults at that age and should be able to make their own decisions. Setting the Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA) to 21 is unconstitutional and setting the drinking age to 21 sent the wrong message to teens in the US. The drinking age should be lowered to 18 years old because people are considered adults at that age. When you are 18 you receive the rights and responsibilities of adulthood. When you are that age you can vote, drive a vehicle, get married and even join the military. So why not be able to consume alcohol? When you are 18 you should be able to make your own decisions about alcohol consumption. This includes taking the responsibilities of life or death. Another reason is that when the US lowered the drinking age it sent the wrong message about alcohol consumption to people under the age of 21. In this case it seemed like they raised the drinking age to 21 because people where more mature at 21 years old than they are at 18. So teens want to consume alcohol to appear more mature. If the drinking age were lowered it would...
Words: 568 - Pages: 3
...writing my essay reasons on why I feel we should keep the drinking age at 21. I know that many people believe that the drinking age should be lowered to 18, and I will be talking about one of those strong points through out my essay. Many people argue that if a young person is able to support his country and go to war than that person should be able to drink legally. I do understand where the reasoning on why most young people believe that serving our country gives them the right to be able to drink alcohol. I am a veteran and understand that it takes a lot of personal courage for someone to join the military and serve our country in a combat zone and risk their lives every day. So yes it is fair to say that these young people should be able to drink, but there are so many other reasons that prevent the government from lowering the drinking age. There are so many other reasons on why the drinking age should be kept at 21, and I will go into more depth on what those reasons are and provide evidence to support my reasons. Research has shown that teenagers have started to use alcohol as early as the tenth grade, which means that they are more likely to encounter a lot of the issues that come along with drinking alcohol at an even earlier age. Teenagers are not ready and mentally prepared to face a lot of the issues that come along with drinking alcohol, such as being more aggressive and violent. There are multiple negative effects that come along with underage drinking such as...
Words: 497 - Pages: 2
...Annotated Bibliography for Underage Drinking Heather Myers DeVry University Annotated Bibliography for Underage Drinking The author stares that, “39% of current 8th graders, 58% of 10th graders, 72% of 12th graders, and 85% of college students have tried alcohol” (Bowersox 2013). Now think in eighth grade the teen is only fourteen years old! That is seven years under the state designated drinking age of twenty-one years. Why is the community allowing teens to drink under the age of twenty-one? Maybe because they think it makes them “cool” parents. This shouldn’t happen there are many reasons on why adults should become less lenient and should not allow their children, friends or family to drink underage the legal drinking age. Our community should be aware of the effects that alcohol has on teens, families, school, and communities. Our young generation does not need alcoholic beverages because those years leading up to the 21st birthday are years to cherish that don’t involve alcohol. After the 21st birthday adults have their whole entire lives to go out and drink minimally without damaging their bodies. Bowersox, J. (2013, March 29). NIH Fact Sheets - Underage Drinking. Retrieved September 22, 2014. This source is categorized in past, present and future facts. It shows different facts about underage drinking in the United States. For example, in the year 1960 to 1970 the legal drinking age in the U.S. was only 18 years old. Later, it was raised to 21 years. This kind...
Words: 775 - Pages: 4
...Period Drinking Age In all of the articles and political cartoon there are many examples of ethos, pathos and logos. However, some of them are more effective than others. Each of these documents discuss the drinking age in the united states and why it should be either be lowered to 18 or stay at 21. The first source is the least effective out of the three because it does not explain what age the drinking age should be at. On the other hand, the third source, “Lower the Drinking Age Back to 18” is a very affective article because of the facts that it has and the experience that he had growing up in a world were colleges taught you how to drink responsibly In the first source you see a cartoon. This Cartoon shows the drinking age at 21 and what the drinking age would look like at 18 years old. However, both of these cartoons look exactly alike. The repetition of the same image with different captions emphasizes in what happens if the drinking age changes … nothing. Ethos is created because there are less females than males and statistically speaking more men drink binge drink. The symbolism in the shorts "OSU" and a fraternity are all zeugmas for drinking. This cartoon also establishes pathos by showing the emotion each person has in there face. All of the “adults” in this cartoon are very happy and look like they are ready to have fun. On the other hand, it does not show the repercussions of drinking irresponsibly. To improve this cartoon, I feel that it should show the after...
Words: 1244 - Pages: 5
...Drinking binges are generally occurring among college aged people. Binge drinking also known as episodic drinking is defined as “drinking alcoholic beverages with the primary intention of becoming intoxicated by heavy consumption of alcohol over a short period of time. “Some binge drinkers may also consume a consistent amount of alcohol over a long period of time, also leading to intoxication. Binge drinking can also be described as four or more drinks for women and five or more drinks for men per sitting. “Binge drinking is a kind of purposeful drinking style, and somewhat overlaps with social drinking since it is often done in groups.” Due to long-term effects of alcohol misuse binge drinking is considered to be a major public health issue. “As college students arrive on campus, it’s a time of new experiences, new friendships, and making memories that will last forever.” Binge drinking is more common in males, during young adulthood. Most binge drinkers do not know any of the risks associated with binge drinking. “Heavy regular binge drinking is associated with negative effects on neurologic, cardiac, gastrointestinal, hematologic, psychiatric, immune and musculoskeletal organ systems.” Up to one third of college aged people binge drink, six percent result in having an alcohol related substance use disorder. Binge drinking in college aged people is commonly associated to unprotected sex, car accidents, unplanned pregnancy, contraction of diseases, suicide and other types of...
Words: 801 - Pages: 4
...Should the legal drinking age be reduced to 18 years of age? When a citizen of the United States reaches the age of 18, they receive all their rights of a legal adult, from voting too marriage. They receive all of them, however, except for the right to legally purchase and consume alcohol. In this essay I will discuss why the drinking age of 21 should be lowered to 18 due to country wide disobedience of the law, How most developed countries already have their legal drinking age reduced to 18, and how it is counterproductive to society to give people some of their rights at 18 but not all of them. I choose these due to most parents and their kids drinking before 21 regardless the law is in place, how places like Europe have their drinking age set to 18, and how kids do not fully feel like an adult and use drinking as a way to be irresponsible, when they should see drinking alcohol as one of their rights....
Words: 1019 - Pages: 5
...Assignment 1.1: Conflicting Viewpoints Essay - Part I Prewriting Antonio Smith Professor Erin DiCesare PHI 210 Critical Thinking April 20, 2015 Drinking Age Should the drinking age be lowered from 21 to 18 years old? I think that the drinking age should be lowered to 18 years old. There are some interesting subjects that oppose my thinking that can be argued to be true. First, lowering the drinking age would be medically irresponsible. Second, lowering the drinking age would give high school and middle school students easier access to alcohol. Third, lowering MLDA 21 to 18 will irresponsibly allow a greater segment of the population to drink alcohol in bars and nightclubs. It would be medically irresponsible to lower the age limit from 21 to 18 years old to legally drink or purchase alcohol. There are studies that show alcohol consumption can interfere with the growth and development of a young adult brain’s frontal lobes. The frontal lobes are essential for functions such as emotional regulation, planning, and organization. The potential for chronic problems such as greater vulnerability to addiction, dangerous risk-taking behavior, reduced decision-making ability, memory loss, depression, violence, and suicide is greater when drinking at an early age. [1][2][3][4] What’s interesting about this view is that the brain is still growing and effected by early drinking. If I was to look from this angle I would understand that younger people already have a hard time planning...
Words: 902 - Pages: 4
...Brendan Michael ENGL 1104: Written English I Professor Beighley 09-23-14 Minor Essay #2 When it comes to the subject of lowering the drinking age, many speculations have been made, both positive and negative. Ohio legislature should take into account both view points. A positive being a drastic reduction in binge drinking among the American population. A negative is the fear of higher death rates due to alcohol poisoning. The drinking age should be lowered and Americans should take charge and know their limit. The drinking age in America has been under speculation for many years now and even though the law is set for 21, there are still minors abusing their availability to the stimulant. One can argue that the law shouldn’t be 21 and should be reduced for many reasons. On the contrary others believe that it just might be the right age if not too low already. Many people disagree with lowering it because of the lack of maturity in young adults, the number of increasing injuries, deaths related to drinking alcohol, and also that effects of long time drinking on the body. Citizens of the United States tend to be rather opinionated on this particular issue for some of the above reasons. These lobbyers for the lowering of drinking age and the ones who think the age of consumption should stay the same are very passionate about their side of this issue as well. Many Americans agree that young students right out of high school are not to full maturity even though many of the students...
Words: 1152 - Pages: 5
...CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Background of the study “Drinking is the cause and the solution is drinking”. Teenager’s starts to sneak out, party all night and drinks excessively. The youth today is convinced that drinking liquor is part of being a teenager. They believe that to have a sense of adventure drinking liquor is one way to have fun, an exciting but dangerous way of seeking for adventure. The generation today is not fully aware of what danger these vices could do to them. They tend to overlook the fun and excitement it could bring instead of the Statement of the Problem To find out the disadvantages of drinking liquor as perceived by the Fourth Year male high school students of the College of the Holy Spirit (CHS). Specifically, this study aims to answer the following questions: What is the profile of the 4th year male students of C in terms of the following? Age Annual Family Income Academic Performance How many of the fourth year student experienced to drink liquor? What are their reasons in drinking liquor? How often the fourth year male students of C drink? How much did they spend in drinking liquor? Did their parents aware that they are drinking? What are disadvantages they foresee in drinking liquor? Scope and Limitation This study is conducted to determine the disadvantage of drinking liquor as perceived by the Fourth Year male high students of CHS. This study is limited only to the 4th year male students of the High School Department of CHS...
Words: 2573 - Pages: 11
...What words did you use to find this article? Abuse What type of article is this (research, summary, reflection, essay, etc.)? Summary Did this article include an abstract? Yes Summarize the article (75 to 100 words) Childhood sexual abuse is a social problem in the healthcare arena. A lot of children who have endured sexual abuse in their lives, usually have long term psychological, behavior, or social effects. The National Child Abuse Data estimates that at least over 700,000 children were victims of abuse or neglect in the U.S. A national survey conducted during the periods of 2001 to 2003 documented that 1 in 15 adults in U.S experienced forced sex in their lifetime. In women sexual abuse is related to poor health, gynecological and gastrointestinal symptoms. But for men physical health and functional impairment is what seem to be underlining issue. Childhood Sexual Abuse is usually associated with anxiety, depression, and mood swings. While tackling the effects on the Childhood Sexual Abuse, begin to make changes in the way they parented their in order to protect them abuse. Source 2 Author: Coleman Smith, Virginia Date: 2/2/13 Title: The Reluctance of Women to Respond to Preterm Labor Publication: 4/2012 Peer Reviewed? Yes What words did you use to find this article? Infant What type of article is this (research, summary, reflection, essay, etc.)? Research Did this article include an abstract? Preterm birth occurs before 37 weeks gestation and is associated...
Words: 1179 - Pages: 5
...Driving Age Learning to drive is an important part of learning responsibility and adult values. If we keep delaying when kids can learn to drive then young people will never learn responsibility. This essay will include the three strongest reasons why I think that the driving age should stay at 16 years old and reasons why it could be changed to 17 or 18 years old. The first reason I believe the age should remain at 16 years old is maturity. Driving at 16 will allow drivers to have more experience behind the wheel. This will help prepare them for adult life, such as dealing with rush hour traffic and driving their kids to school. Some people might argue that this will give kids too much freedom which may lead them to making bad decisions, such as going to parties where there is drinking involved. I believe that this will actually help build trust and security between you and your parents. The second reason why 16-year-olds should drive is because they can help with family responsibilities. Many families have both parents working or are single-parent families. If 16-year-olds were allowed to drive, they would be able to drive themselves and their siblings to school, work, and activities. They would also be able to help with grocery shopping, picking up dinner, and running other household errands. The argument against this might be that this is too much independence and could lead to poor decision-making as well as putting too much pressure on a teenager to take...
Words: 415 - Pages: 2
...The Welsh Baccalaureate Individual Investigation ‘A comparison of underage drinking in Wales and England’ Ismail Ibrahim Cathays High School 68720 The Individual Investigation Checklist Name: Form: |Have you? |Student Check |Teacher Check | |Planning | |Looked at example Investigations | | | |Used the booklets and help sheets given to you | | | |Chosen a topic and checked it with staff | | | |Looked at the topic in Wales and another country | | | |Checked that there is enough data on the topic | | | |Chosen and checked a suitable title | | | |Mind mapped your ideas | | | |Filled in and printed your planning sheet ...
Words: 5009 - Pages: 21
...MLDA to 18 For years upon years there has been a huge debate on whether or not the minimum legal drinking age should be twenty one or eighteen. In the year of 1980 a law was passed that changed the minimum legal drinking age from eighteen to twenty one in order to decrease the amount of car crashes and fatalities and to keep alcohol out of the hands of an "irresponsible" age group (Ruth Streeter). Since the raising of the drinking age, more harm has been done than good and the drinking age should be lowered back down to eighteen, given some restrictions and changes. While each state was given the option of whether or not to support this act, the government threatened to cut highway funds if the states kept their drinking age to eighteen. It is strange that an eighteen to twenty year old can vote for our Nation's leader, risk their life fighting for our freedom, and be viewed as an adult, yet still cannot sit down and have a few drinks. At the age of eighteen one is considered an adult. This title of "adult" basically gives people the opportunity to make life changing decisions like voting, buying tobacco products, getting married, signing contracts, serving on juries, having abortions, and being drafted into or joining the military. Scientists claim that the pre-frontal cortex of the brain in which controls judgment is not fully developed until the mid twenties, which then leads to people against lowering the drinking age to claim that opportunities new "adults" take on are...
Words: 2592 - Pages: 11