Argumentative Essay: Lowering The Drinking Age

Across the country, college students participate in an illegal activity known as underage drinking. The drinking age in America is an ongoing debate of whether it should be kept at 21, or reduced to 18. While some believe lowering the drinking age would make drinking for young kids safer, others presume the opposite. According to Alexis Aguirre, a journalist at the Texas State University Star, “The legal drinking age should be lowered to 18. Once 18, a person is legally considered an adult and should be able to drink.” A person becomes legally emancipated at the age of 18. Emancipation is when one is considered an adult in the eyes of the law. Some “perks” of being an adult include: the right to get married, buy a house, or be charged as an adult in a court of law. Proponents of lowering the drinking age may say if one can buy a house, why can he not buy a alcoholic beverage? According to the same article, “If I want to vote democrat, I can. If I want to ink up my body, I can. If I want to fill my lungs with smoke, I can do that too. Going wine tasting with some friends, however, is somehow too far.” Aguirre also

“ [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. If the drinking age is decreased, then there would be no need for such