Although some may believe that the drinking age should be lowered to eighteen, lowering the drinking age would be irresponsible and only add to societal issues. There has to be a higher age of initiation to the right to drink due to the dangers posed by drinking. Also, lowering the drinking age in the United States would be medically irresponsible-greatly interfering with the development of young adults’ bodies and minds. Lastly, lowering the drinking age would encourage and further provide the means for underage drinking. As is clear, the drinking age needs to stay at twenty-one for the sake of our society, and for the sake of citizens everywhere.
Some of our most valuable rights-the right to purchase a handgun, adopt a child, and the right …show more content…
Studies have shown that by the eighth grade, nearly 50 percent of students have had at least one drink, not to mention that 50 percent of high school seniors have consumed alcohol in the last thirty days. These shockingly high numbers, would sky rocket if the drinking age was lowered, due to easier access to alcohol. Mothers Against Drunk Driving, an organization founded in 1980, said, “According to a 2008 Nationwide Insurance survey, 72 percent of adults think lowering the drinking age will make alcohol more accessible to those under the age of 21, and nearly half believe it would increase binge drinking among teens.” These adults couldn’t be more correct. According to Support 21, a national organization in support of the minimum legal drinking age, alcohol is the number one youth drug problem in America and more teens die from an alcohol-related incident or disease than from the use of any other illicit drug. With an increase in underage drinkers would also come an increase of social unbalance. U.S. News reports, “Adolescent drinkers not only do worse academically but are also at greater risk for social problems like depression, violence, and suicidal thoughts.” The lower the drinking age, the more access teens and even pre-teens will have to alcohol. As is shown clearly here, lowering the drinking age would not only cause problems for those able to drink legally, but it would also cause major dilemmas in middle schools and high schools across our
Some of our most valuable rights-the right to purchase a handgun, adopt a child, and the right …show more content…
Studies have shown that by the eighth grade, nearly 50 percent of students have had at least one drink, not to mention that 50 percent of high school seniors have consumed alcohol in the last thirty days. These shockingly high numbers, would sky rocket if the drinking age was lowered, due to easier access to alcohol. Mothers Against Drunk Driving, an organization founded in 1980, said, “According to a 2008 Nationwide Insurance survey, 72 percent of adults think lowering the drinking age will make alcohol more accessible to those under the age of 21, and nearly half believe it would increase binge drinking among teens.” These adults couldn’t be more correct. According to Support 21, a national organization in support of the minimum legal drinking age, alcohol is the number one youth drug problem in America and more teens die from an alcohol-related incident or disease than from the use of any other illicit drug. With an increase in underage drinkers would also come an increase of social unbalance. U.S. News reports, “Adolescent drinkers not only do worse academically but are also at greater risk for social problems like depression, violence, and suicidal thoughts.” The lower the drinking age, the more access teens and even pre-teens will have to alcohol. As is shown clearly here, lowering the drinking age would not only cause problems for those able to drink legally, but it would also cause major dilemmas in middle schools and high schools across our