Changing Drinking Age To 18 Essay

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Becoming Adults: Change Drinking Age to Eighteen In the United States of America, as most know, the minimum legal drinking age is twenty-one years old. There have been many debates when it comes to lowering the drinking age; some are against the idea and some are for the idea. It most cases, once you turn the age of eighteen, you are legally an adult. You have the right to vote and serve in the military. In other developed countries such as the United Kingdom, Spain, and others in Europe, the legal drinking age is eighteen. Changing the legal drinking age in the United States to eighteen needs to be enforced because we already have the responsibilities of grown-ups and other developed countries are doing exceptionally well for themselves for …show more content…

“There are also arguments that young people shouldn 't be in a rush to drink--waiting three more years isn 't much of an inconvenience-and of course, the safety factor” (“Lowering Drinking Age Limit to 18”). Many who are against the whole idea of changing the drinking age to eighteen often have the arguments such as the safety of their loved ones and others. A statistic says that 25,000 lives have been saved because of the drinking age being twenty-one and it continues to prevent tragedies while car crashes are being decreased by 16%. (“Lowering Drinking Age Limit to 18”) Many car crashes are due to drunk driving, and having young adults at the age of eighteen allowed to buy and drink alcohol can lead to new drivers making wrong decisions on the road. Being eighteen is a privilege, and most take advantage of that. Most think since they are eighteen that they are “free” and can do whatever they want now. They don’t need their parents to tell them no anymore and say that they aren’t allowed to do something, because they are eighteen and they are legally an adult. When teenagers get a hold of alcohol, many don’t know when to stop and don’t not know their limits. This is what leads to deaths and major accidents. Keeping the drinking age at twenty-one will keep alcohol out of public schools, decrease the amount of accidents and deaths, and decrease the