Legal Drinking Age Research Paper

Submitted By LindsayOctober
Words: 644
Pages: 3
Open Document
In 2010, more than 100 college presidents signed a statement arguing that the legal drinking age of 21 years old wasn't working. This is not a new argument; close to every adult has an opinion on the matter. Some people say there are many reasons not to lower the legal drinking age; these include: drunk driving, violent outbursts or destructive behavior, and alcohol poisoning.
“5,000 people under age 21 die each year from alcohol-related car crashes, homicides, suicides, alcohol poisoning, and other injuries such as falls, burns, and drowning.” (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism) It is also said that more than 190,000 people under the age of 21 were treated in an emergency room over just the last five years. While not all drunk drivers are under 21 years old, drunk driving can be associated with age, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services claims “the rate was highest among persons aged 21 to 25 (23.4 percent). An estimated 5.8 percent of 16 or 17 year olds and 15.1 percent of 18 to 20 year olds reported driving under the influence of alcohol in the past year. Beyond age 25, these rates showed a general decline with increasing age.” (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2011) With these statistics, some may argue that the legal drinking age should be higher than 21 years old.
Young people who drink are more likely to suffer from impaired judgment. Therefore young drinkers are more likely to carry out or be the victim of a physical or sexual assault. They are more likely to make decisions that they would normally not make while under the influence of alcohol. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 40 percent of violent crimes committed in the United States are alcohol related. (Buddy T, About.com Guide, 2013) The brain continues to develop well into a person’s twenties, and alcohol can cause interference with this development. Adolescence is a time of great impulse and adolescence carries a natural tendency to behave in a particular way. Adding alcohol to already delicate minds is a recipe for disaster.
“In 2011 the National Survey on Drug Use and Health External Web Site Icon reported that 25% of youth aged 12 to 20 years drink alcohol and 16% reported binge drinking.” (U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, 2011) By age 18, more than 70 percent of teens have had at least one drink. All while the legal drinking age is 21 years, so if the age is lowered, how many children will have their first drink at say, 12 or 13 years old? It has been stated that nearly 600 thousand college students in the U.S. alone are victim to
Show More

Related Documents: Legal Drinking Age Research Paper

Should Drinking Age Be Lowered Essay

Should the Drinking Age Be Lowered? Imagine driving home from work or school and BOOM! You have just been in a car crash because the other driver is under aged for drinking, so they drink secretly without anyone watching them. This is what happens when the drinking age is set too high for “adults”. The state is putting all their people in trouble, setting the drinking age too high because kids are drinking anyway. The drinking age should be lowered from twenty-one to eighteen.…

Words 1002 - Pages 5

Aggumentation And Persuation Essay

Should the drinking age be lowered are say the same? I personally think the drinking age should be lowered Teens find a thrill in doing things they aren’t supposed to, so by decreasing the drinking age be are decreasing the amount of alcohol they will probably consume Odds are teens would not want to drink as much if it was legal. Many teens also drink because of peer pressure 87% of high school seniors have used alcohol. That means that a large quantity of teens under the age of seventeen…

Words 2221 - Pages 9

Drinking Age Debate

Young is too Young? It is a key issue: what should the drinking age be? Everyone has their own opinion. Many advocates of raising the drinking age to 25 agree that the brain has not fully matured until that age. They believe that drinking before the brain is fully mature can cause health and psychological problems. Advocates of lowering the drinking age believe that if one is eligible to vote and serve in the military, then one should be allowed to purchase alcohol. Others believe that the age should…

Words 1474 - Pages 6

ENGL 1020 Essay 1 Finished

the Drinking Age be Lowered? The drinking age being raised was a result of what was perceived to be a drunk driving epidemic. The comprehensive approach with a goal of reducing the number of alcohol related deaths on the nation’s highways. The big question is should the legal drinking age be lowered back to eight-teen? Most people will say yes it should because at the age of eight-teen you can choose to enlist in the military. By law people are considered an adult when they reach the age of eight-teen…

Words 1532 - Pages 7

How Alcohol Effects Teenagers Essay

Alcohol has many effects on the body, especially the teenage body. Alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence are not only adult problems -- they also affect a significant number of adolescents and young adults between the ages of 12 and 20, even though drinking under the age of 21 is illegal (Dimeff 204). Alcohol is created when grains, fruits, or vegetables are fermented. Fermentation is a process that uses yeast or bacteria to change the sugars in the food into alcohol. Fermentation is used to…

Words 2130 - Pages 9

Underage Drinking Research Paper

Underage drinking has been said to have declined in the past couple of decades; however, recent studies show that it still remains a prominent problem with youth between the ages of 15 and 20. According to a 2003 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions, results showed that the onset for first-time alcohol dependence for adolescents is 1.4 percent higher than adults (Windle & Zucker, 2010). The legal drinking age in the United States is 21. Underage drinking refers to the consumption…

Words 737 - Pages 3

Alcohol Can Rewire Teenage Brain Summary

and children before the age 15 are more likely to become alcoholics and abuse alcohol than adults. Tara includes that children who experiment with alcohol end up consuming too much in a short amount of time. She refers to this issue as “binge drinking.” Tara lists a few reasons why teens drink such as low self-esteem or to feel happy. Others may drink because they are looking for something new. Eleven percent of alcohol consumed in the United States is from underage drinking. Two out of three teens…

Words 399 - Pages 2

Alcohol Facts (Australia) Essay

2% amphetamine. In Australia it is 18, in New Zealand its 20 and in America it is 21 Alcohol was responsible for 62% drug related deaths in this age group, followed by tobacco Alcohol is a depressant and slows the brain and reactions down. Drinking too much alcohol can result in Alcohol overdose, fighting and vomiting. Binge drinking to a greater risk of harm. As a proportion of each population less Aboriginal people drink than non-Aboriginal people in Australia. A recent survey…

Words 543 - Pages 3

Drinking Age Should Be Lowered

The drinking age has had quite a bit of controversy lately about whether or not the US should lower it. Many colleges have done studies on the pros and cons about it but the main worry for lowering the legal age is with the parents. The parents are mostly worried about if their kid/s will be smart enough not to get behind the wheel and a parent can only hope that he/she is smart enough to know. But when they are under the influence one can't be too sure. On the other hand most college students would…

Words 836 - Pages 4

The Effects Of Alcohol On The Teen Brain

cleaner, an antiseptic, or a sedative. So if alcohol is a bad thing, why are teens so concerned about drinking it? Why, because it absorbs in your bloodstream. From there, it affects the nervous systems such as the brain and the spinal cords, which controls all body functions. Because experts now know that the human brain is still developing during our teens, scientists are researching the effects drinking alcohol can have on the teen brain. Alcohol is a depressant; it slows down the nervous system. Alcohol…

Words 885 - Pages 4