Should The Legal Drinking Age Be Lowered Again - 878 Words

Should the legal drinking age remain at age 21? For almost 40 years most states voluntarily set their minimum drinking age law at 21, some states were 18 in accordance to the military age requirement (18) and the voting age. In those states, drunk driving and alcohol related deaths were increasing significantly. But it didn’t just happen in those states, it also happened in the bordering states called â€Å"blood borders.† As a result to these problems, President Ronald Reagan in 1984 signed into law the Uniform Drinking Age Act. This act made it mandatory for all states to adopt 21 as the legal drinking age. By 1988 all states had set 21 as the minimum drinking age. Since the states set this age it was estimated that it has saved about 900 lives per year (MADD). Many believe that the drinking age should be lowered again to 18 because we are considered adults at 18 and we can vote and go into the military. But that’s not why the age requirement is 21. Its 21 because your brain isn’t fully developed until age 21 and drinking can have harmful effects on a developing brain (â€Å"Dangers of Teen Drinking† FTC). As of January of 2006 approximately 5,000 young people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking. To break it down a little more, this included about 1,900 deaths from motor vehicle crashes, 1,600 from homicides, 300 from suicides, and others from injuries such as falls, burns, and drownings (National I nstitute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism). The legal drinkingShow MoreRelatedFor Years, The Debate About Deciding A Minimum Legal Drinking1638 Words   |  7 Pagesyears, the debate about deciding a minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) has plagued the United States. The arguments can include that intoxicated driving accidents will increase if the MLDA was lowered or that the current MLDA is not decreasing drinking among young adults at all. The torn arguments between ages eighteen and twenty-one have not proven one age to be the right answer to the problem of deciding a drinking age, but if the MLDA was lowered to age eighteen, it would be the most beneficial choiceRead More The Drinking Age Should NOT Be Lowered Essay1006 Words   |  5 Pagesminimum legal drinking age. Choose Responsibility, a group founded by John McCardell, proposes that upon completion of a 40 hour course to educate young people about alcohol, 18, 19, and 20 year old people should be licensed to drink. The Amet hyst Initiative, part of Choose Responsibility, is a petition to Congress to rethink the minimum legal drinking age. Several college leaders have signed this petition in the belief that lowering the minimum legal drinking age will reduce binge drinking on collegeRead MoreDrinking Age Drinking847 Words   |  4 Pagesthe drinking age should be lowered to eighteen like most of the world or if it should stay at twenty-one. Underage drinking has been a major questionable issue for years, yet why is it not under control? Teenagers are continuing to buy alcohol with fake identification cards, getting into bars and drinking illegally. As a recent teen, I have proof that these things are going on not only in college but in high school as well. There are a lot of factors that come together to why the drinking age shouldRead MoreThe Generations Of People Who Were Born After 1984 Have1284 Words   |  6 Pages1984 have only known the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) to be 21 years old. But, it was not so long ago when the minimum legal drinking age was 18. In 1984 Congress passed the MLDA Act as a result of the rise in drunk driving accidents involving teens and alcohol related deaths. This Act ultimately made the states raise their MLDA to 21 from 18 for fear of losing federal highway funds. There have been many debates about it and whether or not it should be lowered again. Many organizations, like StudentsRead MoreMinimum Legal Drinking Age Should Remain at the Age of 21 Essay1310 Words   |  6 PagesWithout a doubt, the United States has been facing serious national problems with underage drinking. Depending on personal ideologies, some people might not agree that the current minimum drinking age of twenty-one is based on scientific facts rather then ideology of prohibitionism. For example, since 1975 over seventeen thousand lives have been saved since the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) was changed to age twenty-one (Balkin 167). This shows that even over a short amount of time, a higher MLDARead MoreThe Legal Drinking Age Should Not Be Lowered973 Words   |  4 Pages The Legal Age for Drinking Alcohol Should Not Be Lowered To 18 In the United States. Every state has the right to set its own legal drinking age. However, according to George Will in an article he wrote in the Washington Post about the legal drinking age, â€Å"drinking age paradox† â€Å"lowering the drinking age will cost the state ten percent of its federal highway funds and cause a significant uproar from contractors and construction unions.† It is therefore in the best interest of every citizenRead More The Drinking Age Should Not Be Lowered Essay1711 Words   |  7 Pagespile of empty beer cans filled the kitchen sink, and the deafening music rattled the window panes. A group of girls managed to stumble past us. They waved goodbye to the host, who was handing drinks to me and my sister. It was not my first time drinking. In fact, everyone there was quite experienced – after all, it’s college. Half of the guests were completely drunk, and I had no problem with it. That is, until later that night when my siste r locked herself in a room with a guy she had met onlyRead MoreThe Legal Drinking Age ( Mlda )1428 Words   |  6 Pagesabout a party. You would think that it’s another college party that could get out of hand fast, but he decides to go. People will party, and drink, whether it’s legal or not, so wouldn’t we want to make them as safe as possible for them? Since 1984 the legal drinking age has been 21, but that hasn’t stopped many of the younger adults, ages 18-20, from partying with their friends, and consuming alcoholic beverages. It has lasted over the years as a popular way to rebel against parents, or other authorityRead MoreThe Drinking Age Should Not Be Lowered1639 Words   |  7 PagesMost people would concur that alcohol should not be given to teenagers. Despite the fact that we concede to this essential truth, underage drinking is still a noteworthy issue in our nation. Since adolescents need development and information with regards to liquor , they put themselves, as well as others in incredible danger when they decide to consume. Regardless of the risk, there are individuals out there who believe that the drinking age should be lowered. However, their argument is weak, andRead MoreShould The Drinking Age Be Lowered?994 Words   |  4 PagesShould the Drinking Age Be Lowered? Approximately 2 out of every 3 high school students have drank to the point of getting intoxicated (binge drink), in more than one occasion (Centers for Disease and Control Prevention [CDC], n.d.). Binge drinking has become increasingly common for youth under the minimum legal drinking age, making it increasingly dangerous because of the lack of supervision that young adults have that can consequently, lead to death because of fear of the law (Bonnie O’Connell