Arguments Against Lowering The Drinking Age

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ALCOHOLIC ABSTINENCE

Statistics show that alcohol-related deaths are the third leading cause of preventable death in America, with over 100,000 people succumbing to death by alcohol annually, as stated by Margaret Hyde and John Setaro, M.D. Hyde and Setaro, 11. Alcohol is regularly consumed by many worldwide, but not solely by those of legal age. The legal age for purchasing and consumption of alcohol is a topic debated by many–whether to be raised, lowered, or kept the same in America. However, medical factors are commonly overlooked when discussing this topic. It would be better for the drinking age in the United States to be raised, rather than lowered.

Several options exist regarding the drinking age. According to the Footprints to Recovery …show more content…
In stark contrast, in several European countries the rate of teenage intoxication is extremely high and binge drinking patterns remain the same, despite the lowered legal drinking age. The current drinking age of 21 is scrutinized because it does not align with many other legal age restrictions. At eighteen years old, an individual is legally allowed to vote in the United States of America and is granted many other rights like purchasing and owning a gun (Footprints to Recovery Editorial Staff). However, according to Hyde and Setaro, the current drinking age is not entirely effective. The modern drinking age of twenty-one is not followed because underage drinking is now seen widely as a sign of rebellion and coming of age. Hyde and Setaro, 33, Finally, twenty-five is the last developmental age being debated for restrictions regarding regulation. The Footprints to Recovery Editorial Staff claimed that while raising the drinking age to twenty-one did drastically decrease the amount of automobile accidents, raising …show more content…
Footprints of Recovery Editorial Staff More arguments in favor of raising the drinking age to twenty-five are focused around the new independence of college students. Promises Behavioral Health suggests that age restrictions being raised to twenty-five for the consumption and purchase of alcohol is based, majoritively, on the sheer amount of drinking that occurs on college campuses. For the first few years of college life, the average college student will be below the age of twenty-one. However, because the students of all ages at the college have access to alcohol, parties often include alcohol left to be consumed by any party-goer that pleases himself with a drink, regardless of his age. Further statistics by Promise Behavioral Health show that in college, the amount of drinking could be restricted further, saving both money and lives if the age for drinking were elevated to 25 years old. Surveys on college campuses have shown that one-fifth of failures to pass final exams for college students are alcohol related. In addition, one-third of students were shown to have missed a class due to alcohol. Finally, an average male
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