The Effects of Lowering the Drinking Age to 18
Parker Howard
Professor Woodward
Rhetoric and Composition
15 December 2012
Lowering The Drinking Age Alcohol is considered to be a large problem in society today. Especially with young adults between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one. Which presents the question of whether or not the drinking age should be lowered. Lowering the legal drinking age to eighteen would have positive and negative influences on society. Positive through raising more government taxes and keep high school age and young college students out of trouble with the law for drinking. Negatively; students, both in high school and college, would drink during the week which could cause problems with education and crimes related to alcohol would be more likely to increase. Also alcohol consumed at a younger age can cause brain damage if consumed in large amounts. With both positive and negative effects coming from a change, should the law be changed? While most high school and college age students would be for lowering the drinking age, do they realize how much of a challenge that responsibility really is? These students would have to learn how to balance their partying with studying enough to pass their classes and stay in school. Most college age students would present the argument that eighteen is the age in which they can “legally vote, get married, purchase tobacco, be prosecuted as adults, and join the military-which includes risking one’s life” (ProCon.org). So why should they not be giving the right to purchase and drink alcohol as well. Allowing them this privilege would lower drinking in house parties as well as help stop the influence of binge drinking on these students. Professor William DeJong, an expert on alcohol education, says that he doesn’t predict the law being changed anytime in the near future (Daniloff).
Surprisingly enough in a survey of one hundred college freshman taken in 2009, sixty-four said that they would vote against changing the drinking age.
Professor Woodward
Rhetoric and Composition
15 December 2012
Lowering The Drinking Age Alcohol is considered to be a large problem in society today. Especially with young adults between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one. Which presents the question of whether or not the drinking age should be lowered. Lowering the legal drinking age to eighteen would have positive and negative influences on society. Positive through raising more government taxes and keep high school age and young college students out of trouble with the law for drinking. Negatively; students, both in high school and college, would drink during the week which could cause problems with education and crimes related to alcohol would be more likely to increase. Also alcohol consumed at a younger age can cause brain damage if consumed in large amounts. With both positive and negative effects coming from a change, should the law be changed? While most high school and college age students would be for lowering the drinking age, do they realize how much of a challenge that responsibility really is? These students would have to learn how to balance their partying with studying enough to pass their classes and stay in school. Most college age students would present the argument that eighteen is the age in which they can “legally vote, get married, purchase tobacco, be prosecuted as adults, and join the military-which includes risking one’s life” (ProCon.org). So why should they not be giving the right to purchase and drink alcohol as well. Allowing them this privilege would lower drinking in house parties as well as help stop the influence of binge drinking on these students. Professor William DeJong, an expert on alcohol education, says that he doesn’t predict the law being changed anytime in the near future (Daniloff).
Surprisingly enough in a survey of one hundred college freshman taken in 2009, sixty-four said that they would vote against changing the drinking age.
Bibliography: “ALCOHOL 'S DAMAGING EFFECTS ON THE BRAIN." ALCOHOL 'S DAMAGING EFFECTS ON THE BRAIN. National Institute On Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Oct. 2004. Web. 12 Dec. 2012. Cattoi, Kristen. "Should the Legal Drinking Age Be Lowered to 18 in The U.S.?" My Sociological Imagination. My Sociological Imagination, 26 Jan. 2009. Web. 12 Dec. 2012. Daniloff, Caleb. "BU Today." BU Today RSS. N.p., 21 Oct. 2010. Web. 06 Dec. 2012. "The Debate On Lowering The Drinking Age." CBSNews. CBS Interactive, 01 Mar. 2010. Web. 12 Dec. 2012. "Drinking Age ProCon.org." Drinking Age ProCon.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2012. "Politics Opinions." Should the U.S. Drinking Age Be Lowered to 18, Instead of Set at 21? – Debate.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2012. Sopher, Christopher. "How We Get Hammered: The European vs. U.S. Drinking Age."The Next Great Generation. N.p., 28 July 2010. Web. 15 Dec. 2012.