Why the Drinking Age Should Stay 21 Essay examples

On July 1, 1971 the 26th amendment was passed which lowered the minimum age to vote from twenty one to eighteen years old. Shortly after the amendment was passed twenty nine states across America started lowering the drinking age from 21 to either 18,19, or 20 years old. This new freedom for young adults only lasted for a brief time by 1984 the Uniform Drinking Age Act was passed. The Uniform Drinking Age Act forced states to change the drinking age back to twenty one years old; by reducing the federal transportation funding, for each state that did not have a minimum drinking age of21. This act has caused controversy for years, there even is group of 136 college presidents called Amethyst Initiative that support a lower minimum legal†¦show more content†¦These statistics’ prove Engs theory that because Alcohol consumption is illegal for young adults tend to consume alcohol and abuse alcohol more often. If their theory was true the binge drinking rate for 21 to 2 5 years olds would not be 45.5% in 2010. Another statistic that proves Engs â€Å"forbidden fruit theory† wrong is the statistic noted by the University of Michigans Monitoring the Future study, they found that a proportion of those 19- to 22-year-olds that binged drank two weeks prior to their surveyed in 1984 was 40.7% and their current study in 2006 found that only 38.1% binged drank 2 weeks prior to the recent survey, Which; proves that the 1984 act has decreased binge drinking by 2% in America. This drop in binge drinking rates may only be a small drop in binge drinking rates. Which, convey that Americans do have a high percentage of binge drinkers. This problem brings up another argument that supporters of lowering the drinking age bring up. Supporters of lowering the MLDA compared America to other countries that have a minimum drinking age of 18. Supporters of lowering the MLDA say that in countries where the drinking age 18 young people drink smarter. John McCardell points out some interesting statistic he states† in southern European countries ratios of all drinking occasions to intoxication occasions were quite low roughly one in ten while in the United States, almost half of allShow MoreRelatedShould The Legal Drinking Age Be Lowered Again?878 Words   |  4 PagesShould the legal drinking age remain at age 21? For almost 40 years most states voluntarily set their minimum drinking age law at 21, some states were 18 in accordance to the military age requirement (18) and the voting age. In those states, drunk driving and alcohol related deaths were increasing significantly. But it didn’t just happen in those states, it also happened in the bordering states called â€Å"blood borders.† As a result to these problems, President Ronald Reagan in 1984 signed into lawRead MoreThe Case of the Drinking Age Essay544 Words   |  3 PagesCase of the Drinking Age Do you think young ones should drink alcohol? Mostly the percentage the people drinking in America. Can we stop young people from drinking? Yes, because it’s illegal for young age to drink. This topic isn’t everyone agreed of. The enactment of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 prompted states to raise their legal age. Purchase or public possession of alcohol to 21 or risk losing millions in federal highway funds (GPO Access). We should stay the high age to drinkRead MoreThe Smoking Age Should Be Legal Drinking Age1517 Words   |  7 Pagesrequiring you to be over the age of 21 to consume alcoholic beverages. This law has proved itself by saving many lives and overall just having a positive outcome in the community. People say that no matter what the age limit is kids will still drink? I completely disagree, believe it or not there’s endless ways in which it can be prevented while the drinking age remains 21. Parents make a big difference and can pr event this from happening and I have to agree 100% that the drinking age has saved hundreds ofRead MoreShould The Drinking Age Be Lowered?995 Words   |  4 Pages Should the legal drinking age be lowered to age 18? Recently people have been debating whether If the drinking age should be lowered to 18. Some people think 18 is a better age but others think it’s outrageous to lower the drinking age to 18. After much reading and observing, I myself think the drinking age should be kept at 21 years old,because young adults who drink while they re underage make poor decisions and majority of the young adults are in college lacking in classes. The legal drinkingRead MoreThe Legal Drinking Age Should Stay At 211300 Words   |  6 PagesI believe that the legal drinking age should stay at 21 for many reasons. Underage drinking should not be allowed in any country because it is dangerous, causes health complications and it can be overused, and most of the time misused. As a young adult it will take less time for them to become â€Å"drunk† and more likely to put them in negative situations which will harm them later as an adult. If the government were to lower the drinking age to under 21, unprotected sex, sexual assault, and other tragediesRead MoreWhy The Drinking Age Should Be Changed1652 Words   |  7 PagesThe feasibility of why the drinking age should be changed from 21 to 18 can be shown in a variety of reasons, which would show that the drinking age should be changed. If this law was changed it would benefit several people for it would create less stress for certain people and it simply makes sense to change it. Although there will be a few people that may not agree with it, although the reasons that will be shared can help change those people’s minds. By changing this law it will help this countryRead MoreThe Minimum Drinking Age Act1700 Words   |  7 PagesMinimum Drinking Age Act made all 50 states raise the legal drinking age to 21(Dejong). The debate is on whether the age should be lowered or not. Statistically, having the age at 21 has been very helpful in keeping the nation safe. If there is not an issue with age now, would it make sense to lower the age and create unnecessary problems? In this case, the negative effects outweigh the positive. Simply because there is no good in lowering the age. The legal drinking age has been set at 21 for 30Read MoreThe Legal Drinking Age Should Not Be Lowered988 Words   |  4 PagesThe Legal Drinking Age Should Not Be Lowered There are copious amounts of people who believe that the legal drinking age should be lowered to eighteen. Others think the drinking age needs to remain the same. A few of those also conclude the legal age of adulthood should be raised to 21. The belief is if the adolescent brain has not matured enough to support alcohol use by age 21, it cannot make the responsible decisions required at 18 years of age. Voters should make the decision toRead MoreDrinking Age Drinking847 Words   |  4 Pagesthe drinking age should be lowered to eighteen like most of the world or if it should stay at twenty-one. Underage drinking has been a major questionable issue for years, yet why is it not under control? Teenagers are continuing to buy alcohol with fake identification cards, getting into bars and drinking illegally. As a recent teen, I have proof that these things are going on not only in college but in high school as well. There are a lot of factors that come together to why the dr inking age shouldRead MoreThe Drinking Age Should Be Lowered1542 Words   |  7 Pagesplaced on drinking alcohol and some are controversial. With the majority of the world having a drinking age of 18 years old many often wonder why does the United States have their own at 21 years of age. This has been a topic of much discussion and drama ever since the law was put in place by the US government. There are many people who agree with the law the US have placed on alcohol but there are even more people who have a problem with it. Not only do these people have a problem with the age but they