Lowering Drinking Age

While many teens think they can have just a few alcoholic beverages with no consequences, it is a proven fact that teens should not be drinking underage. 18 year olds and younger are not able to handle the responsibility of drinking alcohol and the risk factors that are associated with it. As a result, many teens can end up in life-threatening situations that could alter their lives forever. The drinking age should not be lowered to 18 because brain growth of teens that age are underdeveloped, there is increased death that comes with drinking and driving, and the earlier a teen starts drinking, the more at risk they are to become an alcoholic.

Brain growth is very essential throughout a teens life. It gives the ability to excel, learn and focus properly on schoolwork and in an everyday life. But, when brain growth is altered from binge drinking or drinking period, can …show more content…
It is found in young students, and most commonly in adults. “Alcohol is the most widely used substance of abuse among America’s youth, and drinking by young people poses enormous health and safety risks”(History speaks for itself). Binge drinking goes right along with being an alcoholic. The more a teen binge drinks while they are young gets them to tolerate alcohol making it harder for one to become drunk. This makes a teens body crave more and more alcohol for that good buzz which leads to alcoholism. “In 2015, 7.7 million young people ages 12-20 reported that they drank alcohol beyond “just a few sips” in the past month”(History speaks for itself). Many young people do not realize that drinking so much when they are young goes well into their adult life making them be dependent on alcohol. Becoming an alcoholic at the age of 16 or 17 could affect your high school performance. If one is drinking every night after a school day, they could do poorly in school or even become a highschool