Pros And Cons Of Keeping The Drinking Age

A huge debate in the United States is what the minimum drinking age should be. Some believe that it should be eighteen and others believe that it should stay at twenty-one. Some argue that one is legal at eighteen, so people should be able to drink also. A major counter argument that people argue is that other than the United States, Iceland, Japan, South Korea, and Thailand the drinking age is eighteen (Griggs). People argue that these countries need to catch up with the rest of the world. Studies show that the drinking age should stay at the age of twenty-one. Alcohol interferes with brain growth in teenagers’. The side effects of drinking alcohol at a younger age could be huge. Alcohol slows down the functioning in teenagers brains (“Minimum”). …show more content…
A national survey showed that by the time children are in eighth grade, 27% have used alcohol; and, by the time teenagers are in twelfth grade, 66% of them had used alcohol (Gonchar). In another national survey, 54% of high schoolers say that they have access to alcohol at any time (Jacinto). This is a major problem in today’s society. Teens are choosing to break the law, and not worried about the consequences or what others think. Teenagers still find ways to access alcohol, even though it’s illegal for them to drink. The responsibilities one has when you are drinking are huge. People are not only just affecting themselves when drinking, but also they are affecting other people also (“Minimum”). Teenagers need to be educated on these side effects. Therefore the drinking age should be changed to eighteen in order to help educate teenagers the side effects of drinking, warning more effectively will help those who drink and drive, and also keeping with the most