Doing this may affect the development of the frontal lobes of the brain in young adults, which will lead to . Debaters. In contrast, when states increased the legal drinking age to 21, alcohol-related crashes among people [less than] 21 years of age decreased an average of 16%. Though there is typically little support for lowering the driving age, proponents of the idea have suggested that allowing teenagers to drive earlier would give them more experience and confidence behind the wheel. Alcohol has been part of our culture for thousands of years, it is also a harmful substance. 4. After age 25, the drunk driving rates decrease. Normally, you have to be 18 years old to be 'legal.'. It Would Increase Drinking Rate Among US Teenagers If you can serve in a war, you should be able to have a drink. I think the drinking age should not be lowered because humans' brains are not fully developed until the age of 21 and 25, and if they lowered it the age to 18 your brain still gives you bad choices and you're not yet responsible and mature. Even if the drinking age was lowered, there would still be a division in the marketplace because most twenty-somethings do not want to drink or socialise with sixteen year olds. People acquire their legal rights once they reach the age of 18, apart from drinking. Body. Many people believe that minimum drinking age should not be changed because teens cannot handle alcohol responsibility. The drinking age shouldn't be lowered because of three very real risks: drunk driving, alcohol poisoning, and violent and/or destructive behavior. They typically drink in an environment that promotes heavy drinking. The Drinking Age Should Be Lowered, Fast. Dr. Engs is interviewed by David J. Hanson. On 7/26/15 at 10:07 AM EDT. Here are the primary benefits of lowering the drinking age: 1. The drinking age has been a debate between the ages 18 to the age of 21 for a . These changes were made when other activities, such as voting, were lowered. The variable MLDA (an acronym derived from Minimum Legal Drinking Age) is the proportion of 18 to 20 year-olds that can legally drink beer in state s in time t, and the coefficient on this variable is our best estimate of the impact on mortality rates of lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18. The National Minimum Legal Drinking Age Act of 1984 should never have become law. Many of us out there are just pushed around because we are 'too young.'. If the dangers of alcohol use and abuse are widely publicized, fewer people of all ages will shun it. Drinking by those below the age of 21 is strongly associated with alcohol-impaired driving. Additionally, it will encourage teens to drink less vigorously, according to a research conducted by USA Today. It has only been forty years since the drinking age was lowered and the results were evident then, and they should still be clear to us now. Unlike many other western countries the USA has always taken a hard line on alcohol consumption with prohibition being repealed only in 1933. 5. According to a survey, 86% of Americans believe that the rule should be left unchanged and the drinking age should never be lowered to 18 from 21.On the other hand, teenagers present the argument that if they are allowed to join armed forces, purchase a gun, marry a person, and parent . Herein, why should the drinking age not be lowered? I don't think I need to elaborate on this one. 6. They are afraid to call home or get a ride because they are afraid to admit they are drunk, so underage drinkers tend to put matters into their own hands. Hanson- In the U.S. the law creates a reason for underage drinkers to hide their intoxication, leading them to get behind the wheel of a vehicle. The drinking age shouldn't be lowered because of three very real risks: drunk driving, alcohol poisoning, and violent and/or destructive behavior. The parents know when the child is mature enough to start drinking and take on the responsibility, and as parents . Drinking affects the frontal lobe of the brain and lowering the drinking age could put the 18-20 age demographic at risk for chronic mental health problems. Above: Every 12 minutes, another person dies in a car accident. Between 1970 and 1975, twenty-nine states lowered the minimum legal drinking age to eighteen, nineteen, or twenty. People will drink more responsibly. Why is the drinking age 21 and not 18? Above: Every 12 minutes, another person dies in a car accident. From 1920 to 1933, Prohibition gave rise to organized crime and illegal activity. The subject of lowering the drinking age to eighteen is very controversial. However, the minimum legal drinking age should be lowered says expert Dr. Ruth Engs. DeJong: Raising the drinking age to 21 was a choice that was dictated by the research evidence that was coming out of the experiments in the 1970s and early '80s, when a lot of states switched from having a drinking age of 21 to a lower age, sometimes as low as 18. So what's the solution? 3 The regressions are weighted by the age-specific . Why should the drinking age be lowered? The human body continue to develop through the rest of the teenage years, especially from a mental standpoint. At the age of 18, people gain all of their legal adult rights… except the right to drink. 4. The drinking age shouldn't be lowered because of three very real risks: drunk driving, alcohol poisoning, and violent and/or destructive behavior. 4 When in college most students under the age of 21 can get hold of drink through their seniors. When President Ronald "Just Say No" Reagan signed the act, he issued a blanket requirement for all states to raise their drinking age, or risk losing highway funding from the government. 1. When we think of alcohol we think of beer, wine, and liquor but there are an endless amount of choices and mixed drinks for people to choose from when they decide to drink an alcoholic beverage. After age 25, the drunk driving rates decrease. Lowering MLDA 21 would encourage more students to do the same and this would complicate the whole situation. Even though, 18-year-olds are considered adults, lowering the legal drinking age to 18 will increase the chances of drunk driving incidents because there would be an increase in the amount of people drinking on the roads. 4. Why The Drinking Age SHOULD Be Lowered "Underage persons generally drink without parental guidance. The drinking age in the United States (21), adopted in 1984, is one of the highest in the world. For the reasons that it is hazardous, causes health problems, and abused almost all of the time, the drinking age should remain at 21. The age restriction inspires undesirable activities just as the National Prohibition Act did. Most of the rest of the world has settled on 18 for liquor and 16 for beer and wine. I think many 16 year olds are mature enough and smart enough to handle important life decisions. It Would Encourage Illicit Drugs Use. A lower drinking age would mean people would be able to casually order alcohol at meals and have experience with it instead of starting with binge-drinking. The drinking age takes economic opportunities away from young people. Above: Every 12 minutes, another person dies in a car accident. Despite the controversy, the drinking age should decrease for many logical reasons. Researchers took a look at what was going on in those states compared to . Finally, lowering the drinking age to 18 would stop infantilizing college students, but it would probably kill more of them in traffic accidents. Lowering or not lowering the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) has been a years-long debate in America. and supports lowering the drinking age. Why Should the Driving Age Be Lowered? There are medical concerns associated with the idea of lowering MLDA 21. Alcohol is readily available, and if the drinking age is lowered to 18, illegal selling of alcohol to the youth will be reduced. In between September 1976 and January 1983, the minimum legal drinking age for every state was set at the age of twenty-one. Top 10 Reasons The Drinking Age Should Be Lowered To 18 Federal Law in the USA requires that all States mandate a minimum legal drinking age of 21. Now that the drinking age is 21, there are still underage drinkers. If you can serve in a war, you should be able to have a drink. This law basically told states that they had to enact a minimum drinking age of 21 or lose up to 10 percent of their federal highway funding. Very much agreed, the drinking age should be lowered to 18 in every state and territory of the United States. The 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey 15 found that among high school students, during the past 30 days 5% drove after drinking alcohol. It could reduce or even eliminate unsafe drinking activities. The drinking age affects the jobs that younger people can get. The most risky age for drinking is between the age of 18 and 20. 5. The drinking age takes away the freedoms of law-abiding citizens because of the fear that we might make bad decisions with alcohol. The current law is unenforceable and has caused increased personal, social, academic and physical problems related to heavy and irresponsible drinking among college age youth. An increase in alcohol purchases from bars, clubs, and restaurants. One of the most dangerous times for drinking in the United States is between the age of 18 - 20. Jenna Bush's two arrests in less than a month, for consuming alcohol and trying to purchase alcohol with a fake identification card, placed the drinking age debate in the national media, with the old argument that if an 18-year-old is old enough to vote, sign contracts, join the armed forces, and get married, he or she should be old enough to drink a beer. 6. Why the Drinking Age Should be Reduced to 16. Posted on February 24, 2016 For decades, ever since the days of Prohibition, in fact, many politicians, academics, and parents alike have engaged in the drinking age debate - the question being whether or not the legal drinking age of 21 should be lowered to 18? Why should the legal drinking age not be lowered to 18? When the drinking age in the United States was 18, there were underage drinkers. And lowering the drinking age isn't going to stop underage drinking, he says. Return It to 18, and Enforce It. With allowing more people to legally drink, there would be an increase in revenue. A 2007 Gallup poll found that 77% of Americans opposed lowering the drinking age in all states. Between 1970-1976, 30 states lowered their Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA) from 21 to 18, 19, or 20. I don't think I need to elaborate on this one. We shouldn't be 'too young' to be legal. The enactment of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 prompted states to raise their legal age for purchase or public possession of alcohol to 21 or risk losing millions in federal highway funds. In short, we ended up with a national minimum age of 21 because of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984. The drinking age shouldn't be lowered because of three very real risks: drunk driving, alcohol poisoning . 4. For the safety of young adults and those who exist around them, the minimum drinking age in the United States should be lowered to 18. 5. The drinking age should be lowered to 18 because you can vote at eighteen, buy tobacco, it'll reduce the thrill of breaking the law, evidence supports that early introduction of drinking is the safest way to reduce juvenile alcohol abuse, and college people that are not 21 drink also. Experts say lowering the drinking age remains a tough sell to politicians worried about re-election. 4. Even with an age limit of 18, chains such as All Bar One have age limits of 21. Asked what the advantage is to lowering the age to 18, Beckner . Jeffrey A. Tucker. The drinking age shouldn't be lowered because of three very real risks: drunk driving, alcohol poisoning, and violent and/or destructive behavior. 3 Pros of Lowering the Drinking Age to 18. Abstract: This essay describes the reasons why the drinking age should be lowered based upon research. It will make our youth drink responsibly. Statistics show that higher legal drink age plays a role in lowering rates of traffic accidents. The Legal Age Should Be Lowered to 16. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the current drinking age limit lowered the number of traffic accidents for teens (between 18 and 20 years of age) by 13%. Author: DK. The quote "History repeats itself" should be implied in this situation. The drinking age should be lowered to 18 because you can vote at eighteen, buy tobacco, it'll reduce the thrill of breaking the law, evidence supports that early introduction of drinking is the safest way to reduce juvenile alcohol abuse, and college people that are not 21 drink also. Now that the drinking age is 21, there are still underage drinkers. A Broken Society. MLDA 21 should not be lowered to mirror European drinking age limits because the rate of drinking among US teenagers is lower than most European countries. 20% of American youth aged 16-to-17 and 7.4% aged 14-to-15 report drinking alcohol in the past month compared to an average 38% of European youth aged 15-to-16 years. They are not allowed to drink at events where others might be able to drink. The United States imposes graduated driver licensing laws to transition teens to driving . In these situations responsible drinking could be taught through role modeling and educational programs. Through letting even an overseen drinking capability for people in this age, it can lessen the risky drinking . She's Professor Emeritus of Applied Health Sciences at Indiana University in Bloomington. Why drinking age should not be lowered? The age of eighteen is the legal age of adulthood in the United states and adults should have the right to make their own decisions about alcohol consumption. Drunk driving is a blight on our civilization. . It Would be Medically Irresponsible. 9. The national minimum drinking age was established in 1984, when Congress passed a law penalizing states that allowed . Lessens Unsafe Drinking Deeds. People will drink more responsibly. Economic benefits of lowering the drinking age to 18 -. Drunk driving is a blight on our civilization. We should do with drinking what has proven successful with driving. Above: Every 12 minutes, another person dies in a . Why the drinking age should be lowered? 17% rode with a driver who had been drinking alcohol. Additionally, lowering the drinking age to 18 will allow younger crowds of children to expose themselves to alcohol. The drinking age has become a more controversial issue lately, but because there are many reasons why the drinking age should not be lowered, but imagine if the drinking age was lowered to eighteen; fatalities, would increase and more death's cases would occur and also create health issues concerns. Here comes another answer to why should drinking age should not be lowered. Drunk driving is a blight on our civilization. Despite its maturity elements and large government programs,the drinking age (MLDA 21) should be lowered to eighteen because it boosts the economy, reduces binge drinking among . In Australia the age required is 18, some countries allow drinking at the age of 16 for beer, not for spirits. Youths are allowed to consume the number one killer drug, tobacco, why should they be restricted . Dr. Elizabeth M. Whelan My colleagues at the Harvard School of Public Health, where I studied preventive medicine, deserve praise for their study on teenage drinking. Why should the drinking age not be lowered to 18? The current law is unenforceable and has caused increased personal, social, academic and physical problems related to heavy and irresponsible drinking among college age youth. There would be more alcohol purchases from stores and licensed businesses. Countries that compare in severity are only a few, including Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Cameroon, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan. But society considers it the right of anyone over 21 to drink, even if they've actually made (and continue to make) bad decisions with alcohol. 60 Minutes: Some Say Age Should Be Lowered To 18, But MADD And Others Strongly Disagree. 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. In countries across the world, underage drinking is an ever present danger to society. That is, we should issue drinking learner permits to qualified adults age 18 through 20." Many argue that . 6. Drinking isn't the only right that comes at 21 in the US. A review of 49 studies of changes in the legal drinking age revealed that, in the 1970s and 1980s, when many states lowered the drinking age, alcohol-related traffic crashes increased 10%. Due to this, almost all the countries around the world have placed an age restriction on it. " In an article written by Nancy Barnett . Why the drinking age should be lowered to 18 essay? For most Americans under the age of 21, alcohol is the drug of choice, but that doesn't mean the drinking age should be changed. If the drinking age were to be lowered to 18, this will allow themselves less time to get 'drunk' and therefore, more capable of putting themselves in tragic situations that will damage them as an adult later on whether physically, mentally, their criminal . Binge drinking is dangerous for our health, but it is even more so for the youth of today; severe liver damage and impaired brain function are common . Between 1970-1976, 30 states lowered their Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA) from 21 to 18, 19, or 20. When the drinking age in the United States was 18, there were underage drinkers. Below are a few reasons as to why the drinking age should not be lowered to any number less than the age of 21. Updated date: Jul 31, 2013. The legal drinking age shouldn't be lowered. Lower the Legal Drinking Age Interview with Dr. Ruth Engs The minimum drinking age continues to stir controvers. The drinking age should be lowered to 16, the parents should get to choose how young or old their child is going to be when they start drinking as long it is a reasonable age and they are responsible for anything that could happen. Contrary to this belief, many people will argue that lowering the drinking age would just fuel the drinking and driving issue and encourage the younger adults to consume more alcohol irresponsibly. Why drinking age should not be lowered? The consequences of lowering the drinking age would outweigh the benefits. The drinking age should not be lowered While there were a number of points to refute in Robert McCartney's Nov. 3 Metro column, " Drinking-age laws, 'Beach Week' faux pas and cultural . The enactment of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 prompted states to raise their legal age for purchase or public possession of alcohol to 21 or risk losing millions in federal highway funds. Why is the drinking age 21 in the first place? 5. 1. Thesis: The legal drinking age should be lowered to the age of 18 years. First of all, lowering the drinking age would be to improve the economy. 5. That's the age at which young people become adults. Gabrielle Glaser, author, "Her Best-Kept Secret: Why Women Drink" Raising the drinking age to 21 hasn't reduced drinking -- it's merely driven it . If the minimum drinking age is lowered to 18 in the United States (U.S.), the result will be greater availability of alcohol not only to 18-20 year olds but also to those younger than 18. More DUI's, more alcoholism, and more risky behavior are a few of the negative effects . Above: Every 12 minutes, another person dies in a car accident. Because alcohol and illegal drug abuse always come hand in hand. Government would get billions of dollars in taxes which could be spent on public welfare -. Lowering the drinking age to 18 would allow 18-to-20-year-olds to consume alcohol safely in regulated environments, with supervision. If a person is old enough to have the responsibility of driving a car, they should be allowed to consume alcohol. 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