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Minimum Drinking Age

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Under the 1984 National Minimum Drinking Age Act [23 U.S.C 158], persons under 21 years of age are prohibited from purchasing alcohol in all 50 US states. although there are exceptions in certain states when alcohol is consumed at home, under adult supervision, and for medical purposes, the drinking age still stands. There are moves to lower the drinking age, however. many proponents think 18 is a good number, considering that teenagers at this age are practically considered adults. in fact, they think it is hilarious that an 18 year old can marry, vote, join the military or buy guns, but can 't buy or drink alcohol, which is probably the easiest thing anyone can do, as opposed to getting married and choosing the next president. Well, they should be happy now the rule has been amended, since the law to lower legal drinking age to 18, which was signed by President Obama, has taken effect last June 4, 2015. But …show more content…

When it was time to compare the drunk driving traffic accidents and fatalities, countries with a lower drinking age also has lower traffic accidents than the U.S. There was a period, however, when such fatalities decreased. But because it happened before an MLDA was established by the Uniform Drinking Age Act, the decrease cannot be attributed to the drinking age of 21. Reduce the thrill of violating the law Remember the ‘forbidden fruit syndrome’? If people aged 18 years old are allowed to consume alcohol legally, they would not consider breaking the law just to get their way, or even try to prove a point. This may cause a problem with younger people aged below 18, but that is another story. This can also lower the high rate of non-compliance with MLDA 21, where teenagers tend to get creative, procuring fake IDs and deliberately disrespecting the law. List of Cons of Lowering the Drinking Age Health

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Before the National Minimum Drinking Age Act was passed it was legal for people of the age of eighteen to purchase and consume alcohol. The United States has the highest legal drinking age, 21, in the world. In most countries in Europe it is

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The United States has been fighting the war on alcohol since the 1920’s, and today it still remains as a highly debatable topic. Many Americans believe that keeping the drinking age at 21 is acceptable, while others believe that 18 is the year that you should be trusted to make your own life changing decisions. And did you know that there are only seven countries in the world (196 countries in the world total) who have their drinking age as high as 21, and the US is one of those seven? Once you're 18, you are not allowed to buy guns, drink alcohol, go to 21+ bars or clubs, rent a car, or even rent certain hotel rooms.

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But while it has succeeded in that, it is also believed that tougher rules, such as DUI rules and seatbelt safety rules have also played a part in this decrease. However, this higher drinking age hasn’t reduced drinking, its only “driven it underground,” Gabrielle Glaser states in her NY Times article. It has been driven underground to the riskiest settings, high school parties and frat parties that are unsupervised. This age raise segregates the drinking away from adults that can model moderation in drinking. If an 18-year-old high school senior is shown by his/her parent(s) how to drink responsibly and in moderation, I believe that it would greatly help in reducing the chance of making bad decisions by overdoing it, such as driving while drinking.

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Shots Fired The ratification of the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in which the sale, manufacture and transportation of intoxicating liquids was made illegal was a period in American history known as Prohibition. Prohibition was not the first and certainly isn’t going to be the last time alcohol consumption and the government collides. Today, many Americans are posing the question- should the minimum legal drinking age be lowered to eighteen or should it stay at the age of twenty-one? In 1984, the national minimum drinking age in the United States became twenty-one years old.

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462 Words | 2 Pages

To illustrate, about 50 % of drivers who were arrested or killed while driving intoxicated were drinking at legal sites. Allowing more people to drink at bars will result in despair. Every day in the USA 28 people died due to driving under the influence. With the idea of allowing 18 y/o to drink, this number will only increase. Unlike an assault, drinking and driving leaves serious damages to several people at once, not just one individual.

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1086 Words | 5 Pages

While the legal drinking age is 21, that does not stop underage drinking in the United States. On July 17, 1984, President Reagan signed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act. This was a law that required states to raise the drinking age to 21 or face a 10 percent cut to their federal highway funding. All of the states fulfilled the requirement and accepted the higher drinking age(Tietjen). One of the biggest that contributes to underage drinking is mainly because it is “off limits.”

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786 Words | 4 Pages

Due to the unsafe behaviour the Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA 21) causes teens to perform it should be changed to MLDA 18. MLDA 18 would help the economy immensely, there is no evidence to prove that a legal drinking age of 21 helps lower rates of suicide, homicide, or vandalism, and there is the fact that MLDA 21 causes teens to have to sneak alcohol and when they do that they perform unsafe activities because there is no supervision. People under 21 are forced to sneak alcohol, therefor they are putting themselves and others in danger because of their rebellious actions. Just because the MLDA says that it is illegal for anyone under 21 years old to drink, it does not mean people are going to listen. There could be many counter arguments about how lowering MLDA will cause the same problems for 15-18 year olds.

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According to published article on CNN website, proponents in favor of raising the minimal drinking age to 25 assert that it helps significantly to reduce traffic accidents as well as other alcohol linked accidents caused by younger people. The author reveals that the fact that alcohol is easily at the disposal of young people, it is opened further doors to other illegal drugs in the hands of teenagers whose brains are not yet fully developed (Griggs, 2015). Others argue

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733 Words | 3 Pages

“If the legal age were lowered in the US it would have to come with much more education in this area, not just the shock-value of Every 15 Minutes” said Ulrike Skillman, math teacher at Saugus. Skillman suggests the lowering of the drinking age will have to come with more alcohol education and that is the exact purpose of a “drinking license.” Which would allow 18 year olds to consume alcohol, with strict regulations, then take classes to officially receive a “drinking license” at 21 years old. The license would replicate a driver’s license, but be geared toward consuming alcohol.

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18 And Alcohol Across the world, there are several different ages that allow you privileges that are labeled as taboo in others; to drive, smoke, and drink of all others. The consumption of alcoholic beverages is a highly controversial topic, which isn’t allowed until the peak age of 21 in the United States-why though? It should not be so restricting as to make you wait until that age 21; instead it should be lowered BACK to 18. In making the legal drinking age 21, it brings up more dangerous situations for those underage since it is illegal; even though 18 is the legal age of an adult.

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751 Words | 4 Pages

Eventually all 50 states set their minimum drinking age at 21 rather than losing millions in funding, and it was established (State). The drinking age in America was 21. Today this topic is highly debated. Should the legal drinking age be lowered? Adulthood and rights of United States citizens is a highly controversial argument in the debate of lowering the legal drinking age.

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855 Words | 4 Pages

There are already some ideas what to do in case of lowering the minimum legal drinking age. One of the ideas is the implementation of alcohol education course that those between 18 and 20 have to complete and get a license. However, there is no evidence that such thing would work appropriately. In any way, numerous programs led by the specialists might help people to decrease the risks of drinking alcohol independently of the fact whether the minimum age is 21 or

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1467 Words | 6 Pages

At age 18 you can get spirits and liquor. France also made a law that stated that kids 16 can not by any alcoholic past 11pm to reduce the number of kids drunk driving. It’s imperative that the legal drinking age not to be lowered to 19 because it impacts one 's health, lower students success, and would risk many lives. The first reason it’s critical that we don 't lower the legal drinking age is because drinking alcohol impacts a person 's health. According to a Bulletin On

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827 Words | 4 Pages

When a child turns 18, they open to many more responsibilities than any other teenage birthday. When a child is 18, they are not considered a kid anymore, they are adults. One of the many perks of being 18 is kids can vote and they can enlist in the army. In 1984, President Reagan had signed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act, and this required all states to set the drinking age to 21. If an 18 year old can enlist in the army, and put their life at risk they should be able to drink alcohol at 18.

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1300 Words | 6 Pages

“ [The drinking age] is unfavorable because it forces youth to consume alcohol in unsupervised places that are risky and consumption may be abused.” The idea is, if the drinking age is lowered, youth will be able to drink in open, public places that can be supervised by others. By being public, it would decrease the risky behavior seen with alcohol in private, unsupervised settings. Pomata also asserts, “The age restriction inspires undesirable activities just as the National Prohibition Act did.” Some undesirable activities that are associated with underage drinking include the making and distributing of fake ID’s.

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