Should Alcohol be Regulated?
Alcohol-related crimes cause the death of more than 2.5 million people every year -- more than AIDS, malaria, or tuberculosis (Wanjek Christopher). Contrary to popular belief, alcoholics (people addicted to drinking) aren’t the problem. The real problem are the excessive/“binge” drinkers. Excessive drinkers are people who drink a large amount of alcohol at a single time, getting far more drunk than most alcoholics do, and as a result dramatically increase the probability of crime (Parker-Pope, Tara). Alcohol is already regulated, but it should be more regulated to greatly reduce the amount of crimes committed by excessive drinkers.
Currently in the United States, everyone must be twenty-one to drink alcohol, but there are some areas that allow underage drinking. Only five states don’t allow any exceptions for drinking under the age of twenty-one. Those states are Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, New Hampshire, and West Virginia. Forty-five states allow underage drinking by making their own laws like the following: allowing minors to drink when their family or relatives are present, or when people are on private …show more content…
“The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) believed that a majority of criminal offenders were under the influence of alcohol alone when they committed their crimes.” (Alcohol Crime). There are laws against drinking and driving, but people choose to do it anyway. DUI’s are a huge issue. “Every day almost 30 people in the United States die in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver, which equals to one death every fifty-one minutes. More than fifty-nine billion dollars are spent each year because of alcohol-related crashes (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Above obesity, inactivity and even tobacco, alcohol is the number one top health risk factor for middle-income people, who establish half of the world’s population (Wanjek,
Alcohol-related crimes cause the death of more than 2.5 million people every year -- more than AIDS, malaria, or tuberculosis (Wanjek Christopher). Contrary to popular belief, alcoholics (people addicted to drinking) aren’t the problem. The real problem are the excessive/“binge” drinkers. Excessive drinkers are people who drink a large amount of alcohol at a single time, getting far more drunk than most alcoholics do, and as a result dramatically increase the probability of crime (Parker-Pope, Tara). Alcohol is already regulated, but it should be more regulated to greatly reduce the amount of crimes committed by excessive drinkers.
Currently in the United States, everyone must be twenty-one to drink alcohol, but there are some areas that allow underage drinking. Only five states don’t allow any exceptions for drinking under the age of twenty-one. Those states are Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, New Hampshire, and West Virginia. Forty-five states allow underage drinking by making their own laws like the following: allowing minors to drink when their family or relatives are present, or when people are on private …show more content…
“The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) believed that a majority of criminal offenders were under the influence of alcohol alone when they committed their crimes.” (Alcohol Crime). There are laws against drinking and driving, but people choose to do it anyway. DUI’s are a huge issue. “Every day almost 30 people in the United States die in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver, which equals to one death every fifty-one minutes. More than fifty-nine billion dollars are spent each year because of alcohol-related crashes (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Above obesity, inactivity and even tobacco, alcohol is the number one top health risk factor for middle-income people, who establish half of the world’s population (Wanjek,