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Pros And Cons Of Lowering The Drinking Age

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After the end of the prohibition 1933, many states believed that since the legal voting age was 21, they should make the legal drinking age 21 as well. In 1984, congress passed the Minimum Drinking Act that required states to raise their ages for purchase and possession of alcohol to 21. This came as a shock to most states in America as in 1983 a majority of states only required their citizens to be 18 to purchase beer and be 21 to purchase wine and liquor. On most college campuses across the country in the late 80’s, students still drank openly on campus. The police never really enforced the law until the mid 90’s (Jones). The drinking age should be lowered to 18. Turning 18 comes with the rights and tasks of becoming an adult like to smoke …show more content…

They say that these young adults are not fully developed and are not responsible. This is contradicted by the government because they give these adults every other right and allow them to fight,and sometimes die, for their country. How is it right to let them vote and contribute to our national election if they are not “responsible enough”. If they are allowed to fight and support our country, these adults should be able to receive the very rights and freedoms they are fighting for.(Smith).Not allowing them to drink, but allowing them to risk their lives is not ethical and needs to be …show more content…

This is an old law that needs a dramatic change. Back in the 70’s and 80’s alcohol was normal for teens and young adults and hardly ever was there a problem. College campuses were in their prime and were having fun. Nowadays alcohol is considered a “forbidden fruit”. This change will happen within the next fifteen to twenty years. Works cited Ferto, David P. "Impaired Driving: Get the Facts." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 26 Jan. 2017. Web. 15 May 2017. Jones,Jeffery M. “Americans still oppose lowering the drinking age” Gallup Poll Breifing, 24 July 2014, p.2 Main,Carla T. “Underage drinking and the drinking age.” Policy review, no.155, 01 Jan. 2009. Smith, Ian D. “Effect on lowering the drinking age in three australian states.” British Journal of Addiction, vol. 82, no.2, Feb 1987, pp.181-188 "Drinking Age ProCon.org." Should the drinking age be lowered from 21 to a younger age? N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May

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In this article there are two sides to the debate of whether or not the states should be able to set their own drinking age. The pro side, represented by John McCardell says that if eighteen year olds are capable of being drafted for a war, they should be able to legally drink as well. The con side James C. Fell says that a lower drinking ages hel a higher risk of suicide and homicide, and thus keeping the drinking age at twenty one would be preventing nearly twelve hundred suicides and homicides combined. Things cannot always be easy, and this debate that the article focuses on is no exception. Throughout the history of America there have always been disputes of just how much power the federal government should be able to wield, and how much they should be able to limit the state's power.

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Some people may actually wait until they are 21 to start drinking. If it gets changed to 19 college students can start drinking two years early. An article on Madison.com said “Binge drinking, which produces a blood-alcohol concentration to more than 0.08 percent, is popular among American college students, even though few of them are old enough legally to imbibe. Underage drinkers constitute an estimated 11 percent to 20 percent of the market for alcohol. Many students’ social-media accounts are filled with keg-stand selfies and Instagram photos of friends chugging bottles of cheap vodka.”

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Teenagers are responsible enough for the drinking age to be lowered from 21 to 18 due to their legal freedom, knowledge of the lies protecting MLDA 21, and their rebellious nature.

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The Drinking Age Should Be Lowered Alcohol! Should the legal drinking age be lowered? The answer to the question is yes, it should. The drinking age limit should be lowered because, in the eyes of the law, a person is seen as an adult at the age of eighteen, in other countries the lower drinking age is successful, and in college, the drinking among students increased after the limit was raised to twenty-one.

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Should the Drinking Age be lower than 21? Every year the idea of the drinking age is too high or needs to be lowered is pondered by so many people but don’t they know all the facts? But personally I think it needs to be lowered. One reason is they are allowed to do some many other things but not allowed to have a beer. Second is it makes kids drink in secret and sneak around to be able to party which cause binge drinking.

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Mentioned earlier, several young adults are entering college at this point in their lives. John McCardell Jr, former president of Middlebury College, founded Choose Responsibly, a non-profit organization that promotes awareness of the dangers of excessive drinking and reckless alcohol consumption by young adults. His main goal is to lower the minimum drinking age by spreading awareness to the public (McCardell). He understands that the pressure to drink in college is very prevalent, and when we restrict eighteen to twenty year olds from drinking, it then creates the risk of an unsafe environment. This group is not allowed to drink in bars, restaurants, and other licensed locations, but this doesn’t stop them from drinking.

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Should Drinking age be lowered to 18? A pie chart made by ProCon.org shows which countries abide by what laws concerning the drinking age if any. On the borderline of 50%, countries go by the legal drinking age of 18. The other majority of 40% go by no law regarding drinking age at all.

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Should the drinking age be lowered to 18 years old? For many years the drinking age has been argued to be changed to 18 years old. Ever since prohibition and the age change to 21 years old in 1984, people have been arguing to move it down again to 18 years old. Changing the drinking age back down to 18 years of age will take years because previous efforts, prove that 18 year olds will not be able to handle the alcohol.

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Should the legal age for alcohol consumption be lowered? In the United States, The legal drinking age is 21, but in my research, I have found that it is actually allowed, under certain circumstances and situations, to people of even lower age. Though all 50 US states have set their minimum drinking age to 21, exceptions do exist on a state-by-state basis for consumption at home, under adult supervision, for medical necessity, and other reasons. In fact, all but 5 states, Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, New Hampshire, and West Virginia, under age drinking is permitted. Parents are allowed to furnish alcohol to minors if they are under proper supervision.

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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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Over the years, there have been debates about lowering the drinking age in the United States to eighteen. People argue that if a person can fight in the military or vote in elections, then he or she should be allowed the right to drink alcohol. Others feel that it is not wise to lower the legal drinking age because the results would be dangerous. Although there are arguments for lowering the drinking age, there is also an abundance of research that proves lowering the drinking age would be destructive. The legal drinking age should not be lowered to eighteen because it will give high school and even middle school students greater access to alcohol, interfere with brain development, adult rights begin at twenty-one, and increase traffic accidents among the youth.

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To begin with, if at the age of eighteen people are considered adults why shouldn’t you be able to drink and make your own decisions? I believe that as an adult a person can determine when it’s a good time to drink alcoholic beverages. As stated in the article Drinking Age from the ProCon.org website it is stated, “Turning eighteen entails receiving the rights and responsibilities

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Lately, all I here about are kids and young adults getting in trouble because of underage drinking. Even people from my school are caught and facing the consequences. There has been a lot of debate over the years on whether the drinking age should be lowered, raised, or remain the same. It is my belief that the reason kids get themselves into trouble is because they are rebelling against the current drinking age. I feel that if the drinking age was eighteen and we were able to consume alcohol it wouldn’t be as appealing.

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Many people may argue in favor of reducing the national drinking age to 18 because 18 seems to be the golden age in the United States when adolescents are allowed to do just about anything—except

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The drinking age should be lowered, because brains are not fully developed yet, colleges should be able to regulate drinking, and this can solve problems with kids underage drinking. Despite the controversy, the drinking age should decrease for many logical reasons. The drinking age has been a debate between the ages 18 to the age of 21 for a while now. Over the years, studies have showed favors toward the age of 21.

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