Why the Drinking Age Should Not Be Lowered Essay Example
Heather Evans Mr. PhillipsEnglish 10211/25/2010 |
| Why the Drinking Age Should Not be Lowered. | |
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “Increasing the age at which people can legally purchase and drink alcohol has been the most successful intervention to date in reducing drinking and alcohol-related crashes among people under the age of 21.”(Nakaya) Among teens and young adults, alcohol is the drug of choice. Many are not aware that they are harming their bodies when drinking. Teens may come intoxicated and make harmful decisions that they would not normally make when not under the influence. Many young people are experiencing the consequences of drinking too much, at too early an age. As a result, underage drinking is a leading public health problem in this country (Ojeda). According to the Department of Health and Human Services, approximately 5,000 young people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking. Some are crash related, homicide, suicide, and other injuries such as falls, burns, and drownings. When President Ronald Reagan signed this law on July 17, 1984 at the White House Rose Garden ceremony, he said, "We know that people in the 18-to-20 age group are more likely to be in alcohol-related accidents than those in any other age group. We know that America has a clear stake in making certain that her sons and daughters, so full of vitality and promise, will not be crippled or killed. And we all know that there is one simple measure that will save thousands of young lives if we raise the drinking age to 21”(Hamilton). Teens are starting to drink earlier each year. In 1965, the average drinking age was around 17 1/2. In 2003, the average drinking age was around 14. By lowering the age to drink, people are giving teens and young adults permission to harm themselves and possibly harm others. The brain keeps developing in to the twenties so if teens drink at the age of 18 or younger they are not
| Why the Drinking Age Should Not be Lowered. | |
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “Increasing the age at which people can legally purchase and drink alcohol has been the most successful intervention to date in reducing drinking and alcohol-related crashes among people under the age of 21.”(Nakaya) Among teens and young adults, alcohol is the drug of choice. Many are not aware that they are harming their bodies when drinking. Teens may come intoxicated and make harmful decisions that they would not normally make when not under the influence. Many young people are experiencing the consequences of drinking too much, at too early an age. As a result, underage drinking is a leading public health problem in this country (Ojeda). According to the Department of Health and Human Services, approximately 5,000 young people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking. Some are crash related, homicide, suicide, and other injuries such as falls, burns, and drownings. When President Ronald Reagan signed this law on July 17, 1984 at the White House Rose Garden ceremony, he said, "We know that people in the 18-to-20 age group are more likely to be in alcohol-related accidents than those in any other age group. We know that America has a clear stake in making certain that her sons and daughters, so full of vitality and promise, will not be crippled or killed. And we all know that there is one simple measure that will save thousands of young lives if we raise the drinking age to 21”(Hamilton). Teens are starting to drink earlier each year. In 1965, the average drinking age was around 17 1/2. In 2003, the average drinking age was around 14. By lowering the age to drink, people are giving teens and young adults permission to harm themselves and possibly harm others. The brain keeps developing in to the twenties so if teens drink at the age of 18 or younger they are not