Alcohol is a factor in everyday life. Although it is popular in American culture, it tends to be abused by many people. At some point in time, teens will start to become interested about drinking alcoholic beverages. The legal drinking age is a highly talked about subject. The drinking age should not be lowered. To begin with, drinking can be detrimental to a person's health. “An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethyl alcohol, also called ethanol, a chemical that slows the activity of the nervous system” (Claus). The human brain sends signals to the spinal cord, which creates the actions the human body makes. Consuming harmful chemicals can disrupt the nervous system’s process, especially if used by people under 21. The consumption of an alcoholic beverage below the age of 21 also slows down the development of the brain. Two parts of the brain is damaged when drinking alcohol under the age of 21. “The hippocampus, which is responsible for memory and learning, can be damaged or destroyed by the long term use of alcohol” (National Health and Medical Research Council). This indicates that adolescents must refrain from …show more content…
The influence of alcohol may cause people, especially teens, to want to experiment with other drug substances. Particularly in adolescents, alcohol use can cause them to spark interest in the use of drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy, and many more. “In 1985, a report published in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence found alcohol to be a stepping stone to use of heavier drugs” (Gonzales). This results in teens engaging in illegal activities, which may have horrible long lasting effects. “Alcohol consumption in the media may also influence personal drinking habits” (Frey and Schonbeck). Many teens believe that, what they see on television is how real life should be like. Influence plays a key part in a teens