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Why The Drinking Age Should Stay At 21

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If young adults at the age of 18 are old enough to vote and enlist in the army, then why can they not purchase and consume alcohol? Over the years, the set drinking age has been a controversial topic among society. Some people believe the MLDA (Minimum Legal Drinking Age) should stay at the age of 21 because it is safer for their kids. However, lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18 would change the standards of alcohol as it encourages those of legal adulthood to make responsible decisions as adults, learn to control binge drinking and promote less automobile accidents. To further explain, 18 is the age of majority therefore young adults are mature enough to make their own decisions. As defined by law, age of majority is when minors are no longer considered children and assume legal control over their actions and decisions. When a teenager reaches the age of majority (typically 18), “they can serve on juries, get married, sign binding contracts, vote, and join the military” (Congressional Digest). These …show more content…

However, “90% of drunk driving deaths in the United States were found in the over 21 age group” (Gruenewald). For this reason, drunk driving is not directly correlated with the drinking age. In addition, the percent of drunk driving deaths in the United States has reduced at a slower rate than European countries where they have their legal drinking age at eighteen. This suggest that if lowering the drinking age was a success in Europe, it may also be effective here in the United States to diminish the amount of drunk driving deaths. This is because people that become injured due to alcohol or alcohol poisoning are afraid to report their injuries to the hospital or authorities out of fear of illegal consequences for underage drinking. Therefore, lowering the legal drinking age encourages teenagers to assist others from the dangers of drinking and

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In the real world today, you are expected to sign up for the military, (3)and possibly put your life on the line, before you can even think about drinking alcohol. I don’t get why you can put your life on the line for your country, start a family, go to college, be tried as an adult(1), but you can’t drink without an adult until age 18. Aren’t you an adult at age 18? Why can you make STUPENDOUS decisions like driving, buying a car, going to college, or finding a career, but the government won’t let you drink alcohol? I believe that you should be able to drink alcohol at age 18.

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It is always risky going into the military because anything could truly happen, but if someone is legally an adult and willing to die for other citizens lives, then that person should be able to have the option to drink an alcoholic beverage if they please. In the article “Should the Drinking Age Be….” it was said that, “Young Adults cannot help the fact that alcohol is an enjoyable activity. Eighteen to twenty year old adults should not be denied that enjoyment when other pleasurable activities are legal..” Not only are men and women allowed to risk their own lives for the United States, but also are allowed to vote and still cannot be considered a “mature” adult.

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However, others disagree with this because of the impacts it could have on young adult’s lives such as brain development and safety. Young adults everywhere ae confused along with anyone who has been paying attention to the laws affecting young adult’s epically. The laws can be confusing for law makers let alone young adults. According to the New York Times article,” How old is enough?”

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Some benefits about lowering the drinking age is 18 is the age of adulthood in the U.S and adults should have their right to makes

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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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Fox News reports that 157 college-age individuals (ages 18 to 23) drank themselves to death from 1999 through 2005.” ( Niagin) By lowering the drinking age the number of alcohol related hospital visits and deaths would be significantly

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One of the main issues America is having with the teenager of this time is alcohol abuse. Yes, many people are like they are legal adults, so let them make their own decisions. But if America is already having a problem with this then why make it legal, why make it easier for a teenager to go down to the store and buy so much alcohol that they die of alcohol poisoning. About 1,825 students between the ages 18-24 die from alcohol poisoning each year, and 696,000 students between the ages of 18-24 are physically assaulted each year in alcohol related incidents. Now this is where people will flip it and say yes, but those are college students they're going to drink and have fun it's a part of college, And many kids view it as an integral part of their higher education.

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Lowering the drinking age could also cause problems like violent behavior, and intoxication. Also drinking could cause more problems in schools and workplaces. The drinking age should not be lowered from 21, it would not solve the problems and with anything it would make it worse. A lower drinking age would increase deaths from drinking.

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Minimum Legal Drinking Age Have you ever tried alcohol when you were under Minimum Legal Drinking Age? 77% of American population opposes a federal law that lowers the drinking age in all states to age 18. However, there are people who truly believe that MLDA should be lowered to 18.

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It has instead pushed underage binge drinking into private and less controlled environments, leading to more health and life-endangering behaviors by teens. If the legal drinking age was lowered, those teens would be able to drink in a more controlled and much more safe environment where they can be monitored and supervised. Then they will be less likely to harm themselves or others. The second argument that is used is that there are fewer drunk driving accidents in countries with lower drinking ages. In quite a few countries around the world, the legal drinking age is already 18.

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In 1984, Congress passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act which raised the drinking age from eighteen to twenty-one. Since then, the total number of fatally injured drivers who were under the influence of alcohol has dropped by fifty-seven percent among people between the ages of sixteen and twenty. Despite this, many still believe that the national drinking age should be lowered to eighteen. However, not only does a drinking age of twenty-one save lives, but underage drinking is also linked to both sexual assault and drug use. In addition, scientists say that the human brain is not fully developed until the age of twenty-five and that underage drinkers are much more likely to develop an alcohol-related problem later in life.

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Eighteen is considered the age of adulthood in the United States, and adults should have the right to make their own decisions. Allowing teenagers to drink alcohol in regulated

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and adults should have the right to make their own decisions about alcohol consumption. I feel that this is a good argument but, this is what I say, while eighteen year olds have the right to vote, in many others respects they have not reached adulthood. Biologically, their brains are still developing, few support themselves economically, and most importantly many lack the emotional maturity and judgement to use alcohol safely (Drinking Age). Even though they are old enough to fight for our country is doesn’t mean they are mature enough to handle alcohol correctly. Especially when he or she is put in stressful environments.

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In recent conversation, the United States alcoholism has become one of its modest problems. People believe that the drinking age is set appropriately at 21 years of age. Here and now, the behavior of teens who denote the drinking age have argued that while it may be true that it should be changed to 18, believing that it will reduce the attraction of underage drinkers. The drinking age should not be altered with for three important reasons. First of all, it causes harmful medical complications.

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To put it quite simply, alcohol can have a plethora of negative effects on the body. Motor skills can be seriously impaired under the influence of alcohol. Which is why drinking and driving is illegal, as a driver’s physical and mental focus needs to be on driving for the safety of him or her self and others. This is also a reason to not drink, because people are far more likely to hurt themselves when they are impaired physically. According to the CDC fact sheet regarding the legal drinking age, states that increased the legal drinking age to 21 saw a 16% median decline in total motor vehicle crashes.

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