Should the Legal Drinking Age be Lowered?
The legal drinking age should remain 21. The United States minimum legal drinking age of 21 years old is set at the highest in the world. People consume alcohol for many different reasons; celebrations, anxiety, depression, peer pressure and boredom. This group of people includes teenagers. It is very easy for teens to get ahold of alcohol whether it be from the cabinets in their own homes or from older friends and family members, who would buy it for them. Teenage drinking has become one of the largest social issues today. More than 25,000 lives have been saved because of the MLDA (minimum legal drinking age). When states had lowered drinking ages in the past, the underage drinking problem was worse than ever before in the US.
To have a better understanding on the controversy around the legal drinking age, some background information may be helpful. Kids are now experimenting with alcohol at early ages than they have ever before. Teens who are drinking can be affected in many different ways. Alcohol has been linked to a wide range of illnesses such as cancer, high blood pressure and liver disease. Some studies and surveys have shown that between the ages of 12-21, young adults have consumed alcohol at least once. Every year there are about 5,000 deaths in young people as a result in underage drinking. However with the ratings and percentages of teens drinking there are some ways to educate and possibly prevent the negative outcomes. A survey taken in 2004 showed that students “who completed AlcoholEDU were 20% less likely to be heavy-episodic drinkers and 30% less likely to be problematic drinkers” (Teens at Risk 173). These numbers “prove that alcohol education can be a useful tool in altering students drinking habits” (Teens at Risk 173). Having a higher MLDA will help decrease the risk of teen suicides, accidents and deaths caused by overdose.
Alcohol affects the adolescent brain in ways it does not affect the adult brain. The brain is the body’s control center that manages every move they body makes. Alcohol can affect the brain functions that can cause short term and some long term changes. During the adolescent stage in life, the brain “undergoes major remodeling” (Teens at Risk 182) that involves new connections between nerve cells. There have been some studys that show when drinking during the “Critical development stage it will affect the long term memory and learning skills” (Teens at Risk 182) in adults who started drinking heavy as a teen. Research has shown that teens may have a higher alcohol tolerance level then adults, causing teens to have more injury to the brain following high alcohol exposure levels. Different parts of the brain are affected by alcohol in different ways. Some of these effects can be life threatening. A person becomes addicted to alcohol when his or her brain adjusts to how alcohol changes the way the brain normally would function and alcohol becomes necessary in order to have some kind of brain function.
There are other risks to teen drinking. Starting to drink at a young age can lead to liver damage. It only takes as little as one glass of wine or beer per day to cause liver problems. The liver requires water to function. Its job is to breakdown dangerous substances to include alcohol. Toxic substances remain in the body when the liver fails to function. This can cause a life threatening situation. Drinking too much at once can slow the body’s ability to fight off infections; even up to 24 hours after getting drunk. Drinking alcohol can dehydrate the body causing the liver to find water from other sources, which can then cause more damage to the brain and stomach lining. Teens who are heavy drinkers have shown to have “elevated liver enzymes indicating some degree of liver damage” (Teens at Risk 182). Excessive alcohol and liver damage usually occurs after drinking too much for an extended period of time. Teens who are “overweight or obese” (should the legal 75) can show elevated liver enzymes even with one single drink, which can put them at even more high risk for cirrhosis or hepatitis, which are both different kinds of liver disease.
Hormones are responsible for growth, mood, immune system function, metabolism, reproduction, hunger cravings and sexual arousal. With both boys and girls, puberty is a stage of hormonal changes such as “sex hormone, estrogen, and testosterone” (Teens at Risk 182). On average, girls begin puberty at ages 10 to 11 and generally complete puberty by ages 15 to 17. Boys begin puberty at ages 11 to 12 and complete puberty by ages 16 to 17. Drinking during puberty can negatively change the hormone balance needed for normal organ development. The dysfunction can either be an overproduction or underproduction of specific hormones. Having chronic alcohol consumption has been found to “interfere with pancreatic functions causing liver damage that leads to malnutrition” (Should the Legal 76) which all effects hormone balance. They are also at greater risk for a variety of adverse consequences which include a risky sexual activity and poor performance at school.
Another issue is the amount of vehicle accidents that are caused by underage drinking. A study has shown that out of 8,000 fatal car crashes involving driver’s ages 15-20 approximately 20% had high blood alcohol levels. The CDC reports that while occurrences of drunk driving by teens has declined over the past 20 years, nearly one million teens drove while under the influence of alcohol in 2011. Teens and “Drunk driving is a serious problem” (Should the Legal 77) for them as drivers, their passengers and other people on the road. Underage drinkers have a tendency to binge drink as reflected in the blood alcohol content (BAC) of victims of car accidents caused by such drivers. Teens often do not consider the consequences of drunk driving, and these consequences often result in a loss of life, which could have been prevented. Drunk driving kills approximately 4,000 teens each year. With the increased education “the number of incidents involving teenage drinking has declined” (Should the Legal 77).
However at age 18 one is considered an adult and should be able to make decisions on alcohol consumption. Identifying the teens who are at the biggest risk for alcohol use or abuse can help prevent any problems before they start. Interactive alcohol education programs “have had greater success” (Teens at Risk 175) to change their drinking habits. American 18 year olds have the right to “marry, vote, buy guns, and join the military” (Teens at Risk 172) they should be able to “regulate their own appetite” (Teens at Risk 176). It’s been said that 18yr olds have less tolerance then 21yr olds, but this is not true. Tolerance doesn’t come with age it comes with responsibility and realization. The current MLDA of 21 years olds has not stopped underage drinking it has only pushed adolescents and young adults to drink behind closed doors and away from supervision.
In today’s society, alcohol is available almost everywhere and “aggressively promoted” (Teens at Risk 189). Letting younger people drink is giving immature citizens the ability to make bad decisions that not only affect themselves but can also be harmful to others. Of all age groups, 15-24 year olds have increased death rates caused by car accidents, suicides and homicides, most of which are alcohol related. Drinking alcohol as a teen puts one at a higher risk for becoming addicted to alcohol at some point in life. The obvious recommendation is to keep the drinking age at 21” (Should the Legal 79) because this will allow extra time for teens brains and bodies to develop both mentally and physically while also helping others stay safe.

Works Cited
Califano, Joseph A. High Society: How Substance Abuse Raveges Aerica and what to do about it. New York: Public affairs, 2008. Proquest Ebrary.
Diclemente, ralph J, John S. Santeli, Richard A. Crosby. Adolescent Health: Understanding and proventi Risk behaviors. Hoboken: Jossey-Bass, 2009. Proquest Ebrary.
Grant, Estee C., Vincent J. Grant, Cecile A Marczinski. Binge Drinkig in Adolescents and college students. New York: Nova, 2009. Proquest Ebrary.
Teens at Risk. Farminton Hills, Christine Nasso, 2008, Print.
Should the legal Drinking age be lowered. Farminton Hills, Christine Nasso, 2008, Print.