Persuasive Essay: Lowering The Drinking Age

Lowering the Drinking Age to 18 In America, a common argument among people is whether or not the drinking age should be lowered from 21, the current drinking age, to 18. When a person turns 18, they are considered an adult. Many opportunities open up to them which is a reason why a person should be able to drink at the age of 18. Lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18 would lower the amount of underage drinking that takes place, it would lower the urge of someone wanting to have their first drink at 21, and being an adult should make allow a person to be able to consume alcohol. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, “by age 15, about 33 percent of teens have had at least 1 drink, and by age 18, about 60 percent of teens have had at least one drink” (NIAAAA, 2017). As shown by these

When a person turns 18 they can vote, serve in war, own a firearm and live on their own. If a person can do all of these things, they should be able to enjoy a drink. A person should have the right to make their own decisions about alcohol consumption. Another thing a person can do when they turn 18 is buy cigarettes. According to the World Health Organization, “almost six million people die from tobacco use and 2.5 million from harmful use of alcohol each year worldwide” (Partnership, 2011). As seen from this statistic, fewer people are dying from alcohol than tobacco. If a person can buy cigarettes/tobacco and possibly have a higher chance of dying from it, they should be able to buy alcohol at the same age. A person can also get married at the age of 18. If a couple does get married, they can’t even drink at their own wedding due to the drinking age being 21. The drinking age should be lowered to 18 because this is when a person is considered an adult, and consuming alcohol should be an adults