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Lowering The Drinking Age: an Analysis of The Pros and Cons

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Published: Sep 5, 2023

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Introduction, arguments for lowering the drinking age, arguments against lowering the drinking age, the debate surrounding the drinking age.

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Why the Legal Drinking Age should be Lowered?

This essay will explore the debate surrounding the proposal to lower the legal drinking age to 18. It will discuss the current legal drinking age’s implications on youth behavior and social norms, comparing it with drinking age laws in other countries. The piece will analyze arguments for and against lowering the age, considering factors such as alcohol-related accidents, maturity levels, and cultural attitudes towards drinking. It will also examine the potential impact on public health, education systems, and law enforcement, drawing on research and case studies to provide a comprehensive view of this contentious issue. PapersOwl offers a variety of free essay examples on the topic of Binge Drinking.

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One of the biggest arguments in the country today is the legal age of consuming alcohol. All across the world, there are different drinking ages which differ from country to country. Each country with their own reasoning's behind the age restrict. In the United States we know, the legal drinking age is 21. In England and Australia, the drinking age is 18. Spain and Austria, have the drinking age at 16. I believe the legal drinking age for the United States should be lowered to 18. Need a custom essay on the same topic? Give us your paper requirements, choose a writer and we’ll deliver the highest-quality essay! Order now

Some of the reasons I believe this is because it would improve the economy, it would decrease the unsafe drinking activities, it would reduce the numbers of arrests, and I believe that adults should be able to make their own decisions.

First of all, lowering the drinking age would be to improve the economy. With allowing more people to legally drink, there would be an increase in revenue. There would be more alcohol purchases from stores and licensed businesses. An increase in alcohol purchases from bars, clubs, and restaurants. More people would be inclined to do more activities that are not directly associated with drinking. For example, festivals, concerts, and sporting events. There would also be an increase in the manufacturing of alcohol. New jobs would be created for the faming, brewing and distribution of alcohol. In all aspects of the economy there would be an increase in revenue.

Second of all, lowering the age limit it would decrease the unsafe activities that follow underage drinking. With young adults not being allowed to drink in public, this leads to very unsafe and unsupervised drinking activities. Instead of being in a situation that would offer protection for new drinkers and have people who know the signs of bad drinking habits like, binge drinking, and other unsafe practices. They are forced to be in situations with no supervision and the possibility of harming themselves or others.

Third of all, lower the age restriction would also lower the number of young adults breaking the law and getting arrested. With making lowering the age, it would make drinking less of a taboo activity and eliminate the reckless use of it during college and young adult years. As seen is the history of the United States, when prohibition was taking place, it was repealed because it was enforceable and received a lot of backlash from the people. Now as we can see the United States are making the same mistake. Binge drinking and heavy drinking are at alarming high rates compared to ages above 21. If the limit was lowered young adults would be better educated and be able to learn the safe and healthy ay to drink with friends.

Lastly, the age of adulthood in the United States is 18 years old. At that age, it is legal to fight and possibly die for the country. Smoke cigarettes and be fully responsible for your own actions. You can marry and serve in juries. Vote for elections and receive many responsibilities of being an adult. With all of these responsibilities that are gained, there is no logical reason on to why legal adults should be banned from consuming alcohol. Some argue that the brain doesn't fully develop until age of drinking at 21. As I do agree with that statement, as there is scientific evidence, I still believe that if we are allowed to make life or death decisions for themselves, shouldn't we choses to but again, as adults that is our choice to make.

Now that I explained the few reasons on why the United States should lower the drinking age to 18, hopefully it is clear on why this would be a good choice for the country. The reasons I believe that it should be lowered is because it would improve the economy, it would decrease the unsafe drinking activities, it would reduce the number of arrests, and I believe that adults should be able to make their own decisions.

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argumentative essay on drinking age

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Why the drinking age should be lowered

  • Drinking Patterns and Problems of a National Sample of College Students
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Alcohol Research and Health History

Why the drinking age should be lowered: an opinion based upon research.

Engs, Ruth C. (1997, 2014). “Why the drinking age should be lowered: An opinion based upon research. Indiana University: Bloomington, IN. Adapted from: IUScholarWorks Repository:  http://hdl.handle.net/2022/17594

The legal drinking age should be lowered to about 18 or 19 and young adults allowed to drink in controlled environments such as restaurants, taverns, pubs and official school and university functions. In these situations responsible drinking could be taught through role modeling and educational programs. Mature and sensible drinking behavior would be expected. This opinion is based upon research that I have been involved in for over thirty years concerning college age youth and the history of drinking in the United States and other cultures.

Although the legal purchase age is 21 years of age, a majority of college students under this age consume alcohol but in an irresponsible manner. This is because drinking by these youth is seen as an enticing "forbidden fruit," a "badge of rebellion against authority" and a symbol of "adulthood." As a nation we have tried prohibition legislation twice in the past for controlling irresponsible drinking problems. This was during National Prohibition in the 1920s and state prohibition during the 1850s. These laws were finally repealed because they were unenforceable and because the backlash towards them caused other social problems. Today we are repeating history and making the same mistakes that occurred in the past. Prohibition did not work then and prohibition for young people under the age of 21 is not working now.

The flaunting of the current laws is readily seen among university students. Those under the age of 21 are more likely to be heavy -- sometimes called "binge" -- drinkers (consuming over 5 drinks at least once a week). For example, 22% of all students under 21 compared to 18% over 21 years of age are heavy drinkers. Among drinkers only, 32% of under-age compared to 24% of legal age are heavy drinkers.

Research from the early 1980s until the present has shown a continuous decrease, and then leveling off, in drinking and driving related variables which has parallel the nation's, and also university students, decrease in per capita consumption. However, these declines started in 1980 before the national 1987 law which mandated states to have 21 year old alcohol purchase laws.

The decrease in drinking and driving problems are the result of many factors and not just the rise in purchase age or the decreased per capita consumption. These include: education concerning drunk driving, designated driver programs, increased seat belt and air bag usage, safer automobiles, lower speed limits, free taxi services from drinking establishments, etc.

While there has been a decrease in per capita consumption and motor vehicle crashes, unfortunately, during this same time period there was an INCREASE in other problems related to heavy and irresponsible drinking among college age youth. Most of these reported behaviors showed little change until AFTER the 21 year old law in 1987. For example from 1982 until 1987 about 46% of students reported "vomiting after drinking." This jumped to over 50% after the law change. Significant increase were also found for other variables: "cutting class after drinking" jumped from 9% to almost 12%; "missing class because of hangover" went from 26% to 28%; "getting lower grade because of drinking" rose from 5% to 7%; and "been in a fight after drinking" increased from 12% to 17%. All of these behaviors are indices of irresponsible drinking. This increase in abusive drinking behavior is due to "underground drinking" outside of adult supervision in student rooms, houses, and apartments where same age individuals congregate. The irresponsible behavior is exhibited because of lack of knowledge of responsible drinking behaviors, reactance motivation (rebellion against the law), or student sub-culture norms.

Beginning in the first decade of the 21st century, distilled spirits [hard liquor] began to be the beverage of choice rather than beer among collegians. Previously beer had been the beverage of choice among students. A 2013 study of nursing students, for example, revealed that they consumed an average of 4.3 shots of liquor compared to 2.6 glasses of beer on a weekly basis.

This change in beverage choice along with irresponsible drinking patterns among young collegians has led to increased incidences of alcohol toxicity - in some cases leading to death from alcohol poisoning. However, the percent of students who consume alcohol or are heavy or binge drinkers has been relatively stable for the past 30 years.

Based upon the fact that our current prohibition laws are not working, the need for alternative approaches from the experience of other, and more ancient cultures, who do not have these problems need to be tried. Groups such as Italians, Greeks, Chinese and Jews, who have few drinking related problems, tend to share some common characteristics. Alcohol is neither seen as a poison or a magic potent, there is little or no social pressure to drink, irresponsible behavior is never tolerated, young people learn at home from their parents and from other adults how to handle alcohol in a responsible manner, there is societal consensus on what constitutes responsible drinking. Because the 21 year old drinking age law is not working, and is counterproductive, it behooves us as a nation to change our current prohibition law and to teach responsible drinking techniques for those who chose to consume alcoholic beverages.

Research articles that support this opinion are found in the Indiana University Repository at: https://scholarworks.iu.edu/dspace/handle/2022/17133/browse?type=title

and https://scholarworks.iu.edu/dspace/handle/2022/17130/browse?type=title

Some material here also used in: Engs, Ruth C. "Should the drinking age be lowered to 18 or 19." In Karen Scrivo, "Drinking on Campus," CQ Researcher 8 (March 20,1998):257.

Alcohol Research and Health History resources

(c) Copyright, 1975-2024. Ruth C. Engs, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405

Debate on the Legal Drinking Age Essay

Introduction, regulatory authorities should raise the legal drinking age, alternative perspective on legal drinking age, works cited.

Legal drinking age is the age at which the law allows a person to buy or consume alcoholic drinks. The minimum age that a person is allowed to consume alcohol ranges between 17 an 21 years across the word. However, it is almost unanimous that the average drinking age should be 18 years. While it is apparent that young people should stay away from alcohol until they reach 18 years, reality tells us otherwise.

The reason is that minimum drinking laws apply in public places only. According to Plant and Plant, the authorities rarely regulate alcohol consumption at home (891). The legal drinking age has elicited unprecedented arguments across the world. While some people argue that the legal drinking age should be lowered, others highlight the apparent negative effects on the health of young people.

As such, there have been no conclusive decisions across the world on the matter. This paper explores the concept of legal drinking age in light of these arguments. Particularly, the paper will review various articles that support the argument that the legal age ought to increase. Also, the paper will provide counter-arguments as a way of highlighting alternative views and perspectives.

Hanson asserts that the problem of alcohol has increased in an unprecedented way for the last decade (28). According to him, about 78 percent of Americans have consumed alcohol more than twice in their lifetime (87). While these numbers are staggering, the levels of alcoholism have increased rapidly within the same period. Hence, it is critical to highlight the effects of low legal drinking age on young people.

At the outset, lower drinking age predisposes young people to early alcohol consumption. This does not only increase their risk of adverse effects but also renders them unable to participate in their activities fully (Lunsford 24). By lowering the legal drinking age, the authorities will have given the young people leeway to many other drugs.

The rationale is that young people experience peer influence implying that some student s will be able to influence the rest to consume alcohol (Plant and Plant 888). According to Miron, peers are the most important agents of socialization and help an individual to acquire beliefs, attitudes, and values (7).

In other words, teenagers will consume alcohol at a young age since their peers are doing it. This entrenches the belief that alcohol is appropriate in the minds of the young people increasing the likelihood of repeated behavior (Fujioka and Pinkleton 577).

It is important to underscore the number of revenues that go to curing and treating preventable diseases such as alcoholism. According to Miron, the government directs around $28 billion to facilitate the treatment of preventable illnesses and diseases (19). Alcohol intake leads to long-term effects and diseases such as liver cirrhosis, addiction, and gout.

By lowering the legal drinking age, the government will not only increase its spending towards such preventable illnesses but also grapple with sustaining such programs. On the other hand, the government will stand to save huge amounts of revenues that it currently budgets for preventable diseases. Also, the number of resources will be directed towards other sectors and programs that can stimulate the economy (Plant and Plant 890).

For instance, the US government can save hugely on preventable illnesses and increase its funding towards fighting unemployment. As such, it is important for the law to allow an increment of the years that an individual is legally allowed to consume alcohol.

Empirical studies have shown that alcohol consumption is more dangerous for young people than for grownups. Miron establishes that people who indulge in alcohol at a low age are likely to develop alcohol-related disorders at their adulthood (29).

This is unlike people who begin to consume alcohol at an advanced age. Also, it is important to underscore the significance of individual characteristics vis a vis their likelihood of developing alcoholism and alcohol-related disorders (Rosen and Behrens 70).

For instance, Hanson postulates that a child with a psychiatric background of attention deficit disorder as well as hyperactivity is more vulnerable to alcohol-related problems at adulthood (45). Also, Hanson argues that alcoholism is hereditary and there are biological genes that parents may pass to their children.

This implies that they are vulnerable to dangerous drinking habits. By lowering the legal drinking age, the vulnerable young people will be at risk of drinking at an early age leading to high chances of early alcoholism (Plant and Plant 895). By increasing the legal drinking age; therefore, the vulnerable young people will be protected from the adverse effects of alcohol.

It is apparent that low legal drinking age will also lead to loss of productivity among the future generations (Plant and Plant 890). After passing through the education system, it is expected that the young will join the workforce. In other words, they join the labor market and sell their learned skills in exchange for wages through employment.

To the contrary, Plant and Plant say that people who began drinking at an early age are not likely to produce optimally (892). This is in consideration of the fact that some young people will begin experiencing the effects of alcohol including addiction, poor health and may be unable to join the workforce. This is not only a major concern for our aging population but also for the government, that expects increased production (Hanson 67).

Miron articulates that early drinking is a major concern for the economy since it tends to deprive the economy some of the most youthful, innovative and creative laborers (44). To this end, the regulatory authorities should be unmoved in a resolute decision to increase the age at which an individual can consume, buy and sell alcohol.

This ensures that the productive young people will join the labor markets and ultimately, assist in expanding the economy. As such, the legal drinking age ought to be reviewed upwardly.

By increasing the legal drinking age, authorities will be in a position to counter the negative effects that pop culture and ads have on young people (Fujioka and Pinkerton 573). Currently, media is a major agent of providing information to a majority of the world’s population. While this unarguable, Miron articulates that media is an instrument through which the young people acquire knowledge about alcohol (49).

He says that the media inculcates positive attitudes and beliefs among young people regarding alcohol consumption (9). Also, popular culture has had its fair share of entrenching positive beliefs about alcohol. Low legal drinking age allows young people to attend various concerts held by pop artists (Plant and Plant 891).

The concerts do not only predispose young people to alcohol but also other hard drugs. By increasing the legal drinking age, the pub owners will neither allow young people to enter their premises nor allow the pop artists to perform for the underage population (Hanson 45).

Plant and Plant posit that a high legal drinking age allows people to make informed choices and decisions about alcohol (889). Most young people are not aware of the dangers of alcohol consumption (Miron 8). Besides, most young people are unable to make their own decisions without influences from their peers (Fujioka and Pinkleton 582). Therefore, they are unable to understand the effects of alcohol on their future lives.

For instance, various studies have revealed that there is a positive correlation between making the right decisions and age. Plant and Plant elucidate that over 59% of high school students consume alcohol as a means of socializing and identifying with their peers (889). Hanson says that peer pressure is most influential amongst young people when compared to other age categories of the population (79).

This is contrary to a prevalent notion that people (whether young or old) can make independent choices and decisions. As such, the authorities will ensure that young people will not suffer from undue influences when making decisions about alcohol consumption if they increase the legal drinking age. For instance, at the age of twenty-one years, people can make more rational decisions than at the age of 17 years.

Besides, the age at which the young people ought to consume alcohol should rely on empirical evidence that highlight the correlation between age and decision-making (Fujioka and Pinkleton 582). Fujioka and Pinkleton assert that young people can make major decisions at the age of twenty years (582).

This is due to their cognitive makeup that is dependent on experience and prior knowledge. It is therefore important to increase the age at which young people can purchase and consume alcohol freely.

While proponents argue that legal drinking age ought to be increased, opponents hold opposite opinion regarding the debate. At the outset, empirical studies do not provide conclusive decisions about the relationship between age and alcoholism. Miron points out that such deficiency in research may lead to the assumption that alcohol consumption is healthy even for young people (34).

Besides, the available scientific research does not reveal the exact age when the human body can digest alcohol without experiencing negative effects. These gaps in the field of research have been unable to explain the reason behind high legal drinking age except for moral reasons. To that end, opponents argue that alcohol consumption is a matter that relates more to individual moral standpoints as opposed to age.

In particular, Hanson says that low drinking age in Cyprus (currently standing at 17) does not lead to more consumption of alcohol than in countries like Uganda whose legal drinking age is 21 (67). According to Rosen and Behrens, it defeats logic to presuppose that reduction of alcohol intake will come about due to the highly regulated system (73).

As elucidated by Plant and Plant, opponents argue that the alcohol industry contributes significantly to the government’s revenues (891). Increasing the legal drinking age will, therefore, drive some alcohol businesses out of the market (Plant and Plant 892). This discriminative approach will not only lead to layoffs but also unemployment.

Fujioka and Pinkleton assert that young people even at the age of 16 can make decisions about alcohol consumption (574). In other words, he argues that countless messages that inform young people on the dangers of excessive consumption of alcohol are enough to caution young people. By increasing the legal drinking age, the government will create an environment that is unfavorable for the alcohol business.

This might also scare investors who are willing to invest in the sector. As such, alcohol consumption is about the moral grounds that people hold rather than an issue of age (Miron 56). It is, therefore, irrational to increase the legally acceptable drinking age owing to moral subjectivity.

While it is true that alcohol has negative effects on the health and life of a person, it is misleading to suggest that alcohol consumption ought to be regulated for specific and (probably) higher age category. The reason is that the authorities can regulate alcohol consumption without necessarily increasing the legal drinking age. For instance, Fujioka and Pinkelton pinpoint that alcohol should be highly taxed by the authorities (574).

This is an alternative approach towards ensuring that the sale of alcohol is only possible for people who can afford it. According to Miron, high-priced alcohol is a major strategy that can lead to the reduction of alcohol consumption without affecting the economy (54). Therefore, the authorities ought to explore various ways of regulating alcohol consumption among young people without affecting the economy.

Miron supports his arguments with an illustration of Cyprus where the legal drinking age is 17 years (54). He points out that alcohol is very expensive in Cyprus to the extent that even the 20 years old people are unable to afford (Miron 56). This does not only serve to entrench the notion that alcohol is regulations is more effective when using high taxations than when increasing the legal drinking age.

Fujioka and Pinkleton articulate that all persons can make their own decisions about alcohol consumption (576). This implies that young people can make independent decisions without depending on their peers for opinions. In other words, Hanson points out that decision making among people is dependent on experience, self-awareness, confidence and other non-cognitive attributes like age and peer pressure (23).

To him, a young person can distinguish various options and as such, drinks only because he or she has made the decision. Since they too have individual rights, young people ought to enjoy such freedoms in equal measure as the adults. As such, alcohol consumption is an individual decision and a choice that ought to be left to young people.

Besides, research has also shown that increasing the legal drinking age has failed to control people who consume alcohol at homes. The reason is that despite the efforts to curtail the rampant drinking habits by young people, they are exposed to instances of drinking on numerous occasions (Miron 87).

As such, it is not about the ability of the authorities to increase the drinking age but about the level of discipline instilled in a person. To that end, addressing the problem of alcohol by increasing the legal; drinking is an act of ‘addressing the symptom’ without addressing the cause in an amicable way.

In essence, the legal drinking age is the age at which an individual is allowed to consume, buy or sell alcohol (Lunsford 24). It ranges between 17 and 21 years across the world. While some people argue in favor of high drinking age in the country, others argue for reduced age of alcohol consumption. On the one hand, the proponents say that a low drinking age leads to high rates of alcohol-related disorders in adulthood.

It also leads to loss of productivity, revenues for the government and it supports pop culture. On the other hand, opponents make a different argument that no study has so far established the relationship between early drinking and decision-making processes (Miron 45). Besides, they argue that an increase in legal drinking age will reduce the market for the alcohol industry leading to diminished earnings.

It is important to articulate that the opponents also claim that there are other ways through which the authorities can regulate alcohol consumption among the young people.

Particularly, Plant and Plant say that the government could increase the tax rates charged on alcoholic drinks to make them expensive for both old and young members of the society (893). Finally, yet importantly, they make an argument that young people can make informed decisions on whether or not to consume alcohol without making inquiries from their parents and adults (Plant and Plant, 892).

Fujioka, Austin, and Bernard Pinkleton. “The Relationship of Perceived Beer Ad and PSA Quality to High School Students’ Alcohol-Related Beliefs and Behaviors.” Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 45.1 (2001): 575-584. Print.

Hanson, David. “Alcohol Education What We Must Do.” Journal of Health Sciences 5.8 (2009): 28-97. Print.

Lunsford, Andrea. The St. Martin’s Handbook for Eastern Kentucky University, New York: McGraw Hill Publishers, 2009. Print.

Miron, Jeffery. “Rethinking Minimum Legal Drinking Age.” Harvard Business Review 2.3 (March 2009): 13-140. Print.

Plant, Martin and Moira Plant.“Young People and Alcohol.” Journal of Research in Nursing 6.6 (2001): 887-897. Print.

Rosen, Leonard, and Laurence Behrens. Writing and Reading across the Curriculum. New Jersey: Pearson Publishers, 2011. Print.

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