Drinking Age
Drinking Age
“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy,” was once said by a very smart man named Benjamin Franklin. He lived in a time when there was no minimum drinking age. Before the 1900’s there wasn’t any kind of drinking laws anywhere in the United States. The drinking age was regulated by society which was family, church, and communities. Yes, some kids probably drank too much back then, but I’ve learned that the current laws aren’t doing much to stop it now either. At least back then young people were learning for the most part in controlled environments with their family or at church and not at parties where they learn to binge drink. This is a serious problem right now. Many young people are dying from drinking too much or getting in car accidents because they don’t know how to be responsible. If they learn at a younger age how to drink responsibly and are educated more about the dangers of alcohol it could potentially save a lot of lives. The article I chose to analyze talks about how over 130 college chancellors and presidents are promoting the idea of lowering the drinking age to 18. That is why after the research I have done; I believe the drinking age should be lowered. The article I chose is from the Los Angeles Times. The title of the article is, “Is lowering the drinking age a good idea?”. The author, Jessica Ogilvie, supports lowering the drinking age to 18, but she provides good arguments for both sides. First, Ogilvie talks about the reasons why lowering the drinking age would be good. She states that “Right now we basically have alcohol prohibition for adults ages 18 to 20, and we are getting some of the same results we got through national prohibition in the early 20th century.” Less young adults are drinking, but when they do drink they are drinking more, and excessive drinking it what is the big concern. When drinking is prohibited, it pushes it into environments that are uncontrolled, like frat houses. Ogilvie says
“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy,” was once said by a very smart man named Benjamin Franklin. He lived in a time when there was no minimum drinking age. Before the 1900’s there wasn’t any kind of drinking laws anywhere in the United States. The drinking age was regulated by society which was family, church, and communities. Yes, some kids probably drank too much back then, but I’ve learned that the current laws aren’t doing much to stop it now either. At least back then young people were learning for the most part in controlled environments with their family or at church and not at parties where they learn to binge drink. This is a serious problem right now. Many young people are dying from drinking too much or getting in car accidents because they don’t know how to be responsible. If they learn at a younger age how to drink responsibly and are educated more about the dangers of alcohol it could potentially save a lot of lives. The article I chose to analyze talks about how over 130 college chancellors and presidents are promoting the idea of lowering the drinking age to 18. That is why after the research I have done; I believe the drinking age should be lowered. The article I chose is from the Los Angeles Times. The title of the article is, “Is lowering the drinking age a good idea?”. The author, Jessica Ogilvie, supports lowering the drinking age to 18, but she provides good arguments for both sides. First, Ogilvie talks about the reasons why lowering the drinking age would be good. She states that “Right now we basically have alcohol prohibition for adults ages 18 to 20, and we are getting some of the same results we got through national prohibition in the early 20th century.” Less young adults are drinking, but when they do drink they are drinking more, and excessive drinking it what is the big concern. When drinking is prohibited, it pushes it into environments that are uncontrolled, like frat houses. Ogilvie says
Cited: . "Drinking Age." Drinking Age ProCon. N.p., 05 2012. Web. 28 Nov 2012. <http://drinkingage.procon.org/>. Ogilvie, . "Is lowering the drinking age a good idea?." Los Angeles Times 30 MAY 2011, n. pag. Print Synder, Edgar. "Drunk Driving Accident Statistics." Edgar Synder & Associates. N.p., 25 2011. Web. 28 Nov 2012. Szalavitz, Maia. "Underage Drinking." Alcohol News. George Mason University, 29 2005. Web. 28 Nov 2012.