Top-Rated Free Essay
Preview

Should the Legal Drinking Age Be Changed to 21?

Good Essays
526 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Should the Legal Drinking Age Be Changed to 21?
Everyone knows that it is illegal to drink alcohol until the age of 18. Many people are in agreement with this legal age. Some would even say that it should be raised. However, the legal drinking age sometimes causes more trouble than it prevents. Why is 18 the magical age that makes one intelligent and mature enough to consume alcohol? There's a idea that immature people are less likely to handle the effects of alcohol, so why is the random age limit (at age 18). We all know that some people under 21 who can drink responsibly, and some over 21 with no hope of ever drinking responsibly, Why isn’t the limit 21 or 35 or 40? This apparently random number is associated with adulthood, as if the day a person turns 21 they know everything and are mature.

The first reason why the legal drinking age should not be changed to 21 is the fact that in Australia, the legal drinking age has been 18 for many years, why change it now? Many parents of today's teenagers were legally allowed to drink at 18. Today's teenagers face more responsibility and are treated more like adults than their parents were. This makes the 21 restriction seem ridicules. At 18, people are considered adults. It is the view of many people that if it is legal for 18 year olds to drive cars, fly planes, vote, marry, pay taxes and take out loans. then it should defiantly be legal for them to drink alcohol. The second reason Today's legal drinking age should not be changed to 21 is that Prohibiting the sale of liquor to young adults creates an impression where binge drinking and alcohol abuse have become a problem. Banning drinking for young people makes alcohol a teasing banned rule. Teenagers look at drinking as something exciting and something that may bring there mates closer together. It is viewed as an adult activity and teenagers want to be adults as soon as possible. In order to get a drink, teenagers will carry fake I.D.s ask people to buy for them or even sneak drinks from their parents 'Homes. Therefore do not change the legal drinking age to 21.

The third reason why the legal drinking age should not be changed to 21 With schools focusing on education about safe drinking instead of limit. Young people learn to view sensible drinking as an enjoyable social activity rather than as something they have to sneak around to do. Without this kind of system, If 18 year old's do not have legal access to even a beer in a public place, they are aren’t up to to dealing with the responsibilities that come with drinking when they do have the right. The drinking age should be kept at 18 because the raising the age has no real basis. With a higher drinking age, more problems will be present. All need to do is teach responsible drinking, not forbid teens from drinking. The problems, which make a drinking age limit necessary, are better solved through keeping drinking level the same age and more education on responsible drinking.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    According to the United States law, people age eighteen and above are considered adults. Likewise, other European countries and developed countries. Why should adults, then be barred from consuming alcohol?, Since adults are capable of making their own life decisions. The minimum age for drinking is set at twenty one in the us. This simply neglects adult choices, rights, desires, and wants. However, it is obvious in the society that alcohol is consumed by individuals age sixteen and above, for recreational uses. The law does not reflect the drinking population and the actual age in which it should be set. I personally started drinking at age fifteen, although…

    • 150 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    In 1987 the United States passed a law mandating all states to have a twenty-one year old alcohol purchase age. This means over half of college students are not legal to buy alcohol. College kids are college kids though, and one way or another they are going to get their alcohol. Many people, myself included, believe that the legal drinking age should be changed from twenty-one to eighteen. “An 18-year-old is afforded, among other things, the right to vote, the right to marry, and the ability to serve in the military” (Engs, Heath, Levine, Smith). In the United States an eighteen year old is considered an adult, yet eighteen year olds are not completely treated like adults. They should be able to make their own choices at this age, and buying and consuming alcohol is one of these choices. Even with all the arguments, the legal…

    • 877 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In the U.S. the age of adulthood is 18. And with that comes many responsibilities and decisions that can now be made without consents. But there is still one thing a now young adult can’t decide on their own and that is if they will consume alcohol. The legal drinking age is not until you are 21 years of age. People argue that it should be lowered for it is an individual decision and 18 is old enough to make that decision. The legal drinking age should remain as is because the brain of a young adult is not fully developed till the age of 21.…

    • 483 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    There are many pros and cons to lowering the national drinking age from 21 years of age to 19 years of age. I believe the drinking age should stay at 21 even though many of my peers feel otherwise. People under the age of 21 are drinking whether it is legal or not. They may have a fake identification or have someone purchase alcohol for them, the fact is they are drinking. When I talk with others about this topic, comments are always made such as: when a person turns 12, they can get a hunting license and carry a gun, at 16, they can get a driver’s license and quit school, at 18 they have the right to vote, serve in the military and are considered an adult. They can have a baby and get married but can’t have a glass of champagne to celebrate. I understand these thoughts and sometimes wish it was 19 but when you look at the research, it is better for everyone that every state to set the legal drinking age 21.…

    • 1251 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    For many years, there has been the question should the drinking age be lowered to 18? In today's society, most young adults drink behind their guardians back, but do not realize the consequences that come with their choices. With much speculation, this topic has became a very intriguing argument. What does drinking do to the growth of the brain? Can alcohol do just as much harm to someone 18 then someone 21? Will they be just as responsible? Can someone that young make the correct decisions?…

    • 594 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The drinking age should definently not be lowered considering many factors. For one, the age to purchase a weapon is 18, which would cause many complications between drunk teenagers and the authority to purchase a weapon. Second, alcohol consumption in a teenagers undeveloped brain can cause many health problems later in life. Lastly, a teenager drinking in a bar is definently not a safe environment because many people get killed, raped, drugged and much more in bars and other drinking affiliated environments.…

    • 365 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Note: I do not encourage underage drinking. I just picked this topic because I thought it was really interesting and would catch peoples attention.…

    • 446 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Teenagers are not mature enough for the drinking age to be lowered to eighteen years old. Being able to drink at an early age can lead to alcoholism at more quickly. When teenagers consume alcohol it is more easily for them to drink and drive because they believe nothing can or will happen to them. All fifty states minimum age to drink is twenty-one, but in some states it is okay for people under that age to drink under adult supervision. Having to drink in front of adults brings…

    • 639 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Several would argue that the 21 year old drinking age is possibly too low, some even think that the age should be lowered, and some even think the age should be at 25. I believe that the drinking age should remain the same at 21 due to the fact that there are already plenty of issues with underage drinking. “The Age of Responsibility” by Alan Greenblatt, goes into depth about the different problems and aspects that go into searching for a golden age to entrust people to have the ability to accomplish certain things. Considering that there are an excessive amount of issues that relate to drinking, I feel that there are countless efforts that could be put into decreasing the overwhelming volume of underage drinking, drunk driving, and alcohol abuse. There are copious amounts of conflicting arguments that believe the drinking age should be decreased to 18, whereas some feel that the age should even be increased to 25.…

    • 592 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Since 1987, it has been argued that the legal drinking age in the United States should be lowered to 18 so that young adults are allowed to drink in certain environments. This argument has many sides which can be argued. At 18, you are considered an adult. You can vote, charged with adult crimes, and even die for your country, but you cannot consume alcohol. To me that is discriminating against people in the age group of 18-20. As of now, adults over 21 years old are allowed to drink in places such as restaurants, bars, and some other controlled environments. Adults over the age of 21 could work to be seen as role models and promote responsible drinking. They could teach younger adults about the affects of alcohol and how it can affect your ability to function properly. Sensible drinking and responsibility would eventually be seen.…

    • 940 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    There has been a question looming for years on whether or not the drinking age should be dropped down from 21 to 18. Many people have views or opinions on what the legal drinking age should or should not be. Right now the legal drinking age is 21, and many people, especially a younger crowd, are working extremely hard to change that to 18. All over the world, different countries have a different standard which leads to a different drinking age. There is a reason why the United States has put the legal drinking age at 21. This was to ensure that there will be no underage drinking, which today has clearly not been the best idea because underage drinking happens more and more frequently.…

    • 777 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    More than twenty one thousand lives have been saved with the drinking age being twenty one. For about 10 years in the early 1900’s, our country ratified the 18th amendment which banned the production and consumption of alcohol. This amendment led to extreme crime, violence, and even speakeasies. Our country realized that it wasn’t the best idea for prohibition, and we then ratified the 21st amendment that repealed the 18th amendment. The 21st amendment has helped prevent car related tragedies in the 18-20 age group while they were under the influence. I believe the alcohol age should not change because of it reducing crashes, the fact that your brain is more developed and you understand your limits, and a change in New Zealand’s drinking to age 18 has spiked the percentage of alcohol related crashes.…

    • 842 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The percentage of deaths caused by alcohol only is 25 percent. Alcohol is already proven as a fatality for persons aged 21 and up, imagine if there was the 18-year-old age group added to the rate of those fatalities all over the country. The rate would be dramatically increased because younger people drink more. 10.1 million people are underage drinkers in America. The drinking age should stay at 21 years because the brain is not fully developed yet which can cause problematics to the brain through the final stage of its completion due to alcohol use. Alcohol violence comes in the shape of family, friends, loved ones, and associates when they are under the influence of alcohol. No matter how nice a person is, when they are under the influence, they are not the same person as they are when sober. The drinking age needs to stay at 21 for health and well-being…

    • 800 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    One of the reasons why the legal drinking age should be lowered is because it would diminish the thrill of breaking the law to get a drink. According to Ruth C. Engs, Pofessor, Applied Health Sciences, “Although the legal purchase age is 21 years of age, a majority of college students under this age consume alcohol but in an irresponsible manner. This is because drinking by these youth is seen as an enticing "forbidden fruit," a "badge of rebellion against authority" and a symbol of adulthood." This implies, students and people under the age of 21 will drink in an irresponsible manner because of peer pressure or just wanting to show adults that they don’t have to listen to them anymore. This also shows, if legal drinking age was lowered then most students and people under the age of 21 would learn that they don’t need to rebel to get a drink or break laws and since 18 year olds get a lot of responsibility like voting, this would add to it and show that they can be trusted with not over drinking.…

    • 307 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Alcohol in the hands of an irresponsible under aged person, can be deadly. Furthermore, for anyone to consider lowering the legal drinking age from 21, to 18, in my opinion is simply ludicrous. John Bowersox reports, “Since Colonial times, drinking alcohol has been part of American culture and its use by young people has been accepted by many as part of growing up. In fact, during the late 1960s and early 1970s, many States lowered the legal drinking age from 21 to 18. Following this change, the number of alcohol-related traffic fatalities among young people increased. In response to these acute consequences, beginning in the early 1980s individual States increased the drinking age to 21. In 1984, Congress passed legislation that would…

    • 927 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays