Currently in the United States, the legal drinking age is twenty-one. Originally, the drinking age was different depending on what state a person lived in, but that all changed with the Alcohol Beverage Control Act of 1934- States that one must be twenty-one years of age in order to consume, purchase or possess alcohol. Though the drinking age occasionally shifted after this act was passed, today the drinking age remains twenty-one. While there are many who agree with this age-limit, there are also many who believe it should be lowered to at least eighteen.
One argument being made towards lowering the drinking age to eighteen is that people are legally considered adults, therefore they should be allowed to make their own decisions. The general …show more content…
Most American teenagers see alcohol as something to be desired because they are not allowed to indulge in it themselves. Add to that an impressionable age group and the fear of being mocked by peers for not conforming to the “normal” behavior of everyone else and the outcome is a bunch of teenagers who actively drink without the knowledge or consent of their parents. Now say one of these teenagers was to have a party while their parents were away. At this party there are tons of alcoholic beverages for consumption and people are not being shy in accepting the offer. After a little while, someone starts vomiting and their breathing slows down, eventually they pass-out. Everyone is in a panic over what to do and they don’t dare try calling the cops because of fear they’ll get in trouble. This same idea can be applied to college sororities and fraternities, during rush week or at parties. Many college students have died over the fact that people didn’t know how to properly handle the situation of alcohol poisoning. Or people were just too scared to call for help due to fear of being busted for supplying alcohol to underage …show more content…
If the U.S. were to lower the drinking age to eighteen, or even fifteen, teenagers would have a less urgent need to try alcohol. In addition, being more educated on the topic, they will be less likely to over-indulge or develop an addiction. Overtime, after these practices become normal, society will stop putting an overall emphasis on drinking and will stop caring about it as a whole. When this happens alcohol consumption will slowly decrease and, if an emergency was ever to arise (such as alcohol poisoning) people will be less likely to panic and be more relaxed with the idea of trying to get
One argument being made towards lowering the drinking age to eighteen is that people are legally considered adults, therefore they should be allowed to make their own decisions. The general …show more content…
Most American teenagers see alcohol as something to be desired because they are not allowed to indulge in it themselves. Add to that an impressionable age group and the fear of being mocked by peers for not conforming to the “normal” behavior of everyone else and the outcome is a bunch of teenagers who actively drink without the knowledge or consent of their parents. Now say one of these teenagers was to have a party while their parents were away. At this party there are tons of alcoholic beverages for consumption and people are not being shy in accepting the offer. After a little while, someone starts vomiting and their breathing slows down, eventually they pass-out. Everyone is in a panic over what to do and they don’t dare try calling the cops because of fear they’ll get in trouble. This same idea can be applied to college sororities and fraternities, during rush week or at parties. Many college students have died over the fact that people didn’t know how to properly handle the situation of alcohol poisoning. Or people were just too scared to call for help due to fear of being busted for supplying alcohol to underage …show more content…
If the U.S. were to lower the drinking age to eighteen, or even fifteen, teenagers would have a less urgent need to try alcohol. In addition, being more educated on the topic, they will be less likely to over-indulge or develop an addiction. Overtime, after these practices become normal, society will stop putting an overall emphasis on drinking and will stop caring about it as a whole. When this happens alcohol consumption will slowly decrease and, if an emergency was ever to arise (such as alcohol poisoning) people will be less likely to panic and be more relaxed with the idea of trying to get