Why Lower the Legal Drinking Age - 801 Words

States that lower the drinking age below 21 lose 10% of their annual federal highway appropriations (Haevens). This is the main reason the legal drinking age has not been lower below 21 years of age.a large number of the general population desires a lower drinking age. In the 25 years since the legal drinking age was set at 21, seven states have tried to lower it. (Wechsier ).It is unfair for the federal government to withhold money from states if they exercise their rights to set the legal drinking age to what they think is right. Twenty-six states do allow underage drinking of wine at religious ceremonies ( Drinking Age 1). The legal age to drink alcohol should be lowered to 18 to allow for parental guidance, to help prevent binge drinking, and to help reduce the amount of drinking and driving. Lowering the drinking age will allow for parental guidance for the young people starting drinking alcohol. If younger people were allowed to drink with their parents they would not engage in risky behaviors such as asking strangers for alcohol. The drinking age in three western European countries is lower than 21 and in those countries the young people learn to control themselves(Wechsier ).The Amethyst Initiative, signed by also 140 College presidents argues that age 21 is not solving the problem and that perhaps youths will drink more responsibly if they have more parental supervision (Haeven 73). At present 29 states still allow those under 21 to drink with the stipulationsShow MoreRelatedMinimum Legal Drinking Age ( Tietjen )1700 Words   |  7 PagesMinimum Legal Drinking Age On July 17 of 1984 President Ronald Reagan signed to make the National Minimum Drinking Age Act a law. This law required all states to have a minimum drinking age of 21, if a state did not comply with this law they could face up to a 10% cut in funding for their federal highways (Tietjen). Since this act became a law there has been two distinct sides arguing whether they agree with the minimum drinking age, or whether they disagree. One side believes having a minimum drinkingRead MoreWhy Lowering The Drinking Age Is A Good Idea?. Lowering1627 Words   |  7 PagesWhy Lowering the Drinking Age is a Good Idea? Lowering the drinking age to 18 in the United States has been a source of controversy in recent years. It has been a controversial topic because many people disagree, while many agree with the topic. For example, the people who disagree and are against lowering the drinking age to 18 believe we should not lower the drinking age because 18 year old individuals are not responsible enough to drink alcohol. While, the people who agree we should lower theRead MoreControversy over the Drinking Age958 Words   |  4 Pageswhat age should be considered the proper age to drink alcohol has been intensely debated. Since the 1980s, the nationwide legal drinking age has been 21 and older for the United States. However, this age limit imposed on the consumption of alcohol was controversial then, and it continues to be so today. In 2008, John McCardell, leader of Choose Responsibility and former president of Middlebury College, joined a campaign known as the Amethyst Initiative, which proposed lowering the drinking age toRead MoreUnderage Drinking Is Part Of The Culture Of College1734 Words   |  7 Pagesthat I did discover is that underage drinking is part of the culture in college, also the friends that I had in high school who are 21 now I have discovered they drink some of the least amount now. Which has begun to make me wonder why people who are 21 drink less than people who are underage. I believe that when people are 21 they now do not have to worry about the next time they can get alcohol. Congress should lower the drinking age from 21 to 18 because at age 18 when they are in college, forRead 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 wonde r 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 theyRead MoreLegal Drinking Age : Should It Be Altered?1408 Words   |  6 Pages Legal Drinking Age: Should It Be Altered? The legal drinking age has been an ongoing controversy for decades, consisting of people who are for lowering, raising, or keeping the age with multiple reasons behind each side. It is commonly known that consuming alcohol can have life-threatening effects on the human body, but these effects can be much harsher at a younger age. Reducing the age for eighteen year olds may result in senseless acts from the drug. Statistics prove that maintainingRead MorePersuasive Essay On Underage Drinking1291 Words   |  6 PagesUnderage drinking is one of the largest problems that we have in the United States. This is a problem because alcohol is an item that nobody under twenty-one years of age is allowed to purchase or consume. People who are underage are punished by law when they consume or attempt to purchase alcohol illegally. This makes people under twenty-one want alcohol even more. In other countries where the drinking age is lower, there are less problems because it gives par ents the push to teach their childrenRead MoreThe Legal Drinking Age Should Be Lowered955 Words   |  4 PagesIn the United States of America, the National Government requires the states to enforce a legal drinking age of twenty-one. Where as the world average drinking age is eighteen, and in some Countries it is even lower where it is possible to get a beer at sixteen years of age. Taking that into consideration, there is a great deal of controversy in the United States on what the legal age should be to purchase and consume an alcoholic beverage. The largest issue being that you are considered to be anRead MoreLowering Legal Drinking Age Essay1417 Words   |  6 PagesLowering the Drinking Age Half the United States population starts drinking at the age of 14.When you are 18 you have privileges like joining the army. (Mitch Adams Lowering the drinking age page 1) You can go to war and die for your country but you still can not enjoy an ice cold beer. (Mitch Adams Lowering the drinking age page 1) How is being 21 different from being 18? How does three more years of not drinking make you mature enough to drink? The longer you drink the more you start toRead MoreShould The Legal Alcohol Age Be Changed?1560 Words   |  7 Pages To fight for our country at the age of 18 and seeing things that only you could imagine in the battlefield. Coming home from deployment and just wanting a simple beer for your hard work but not being able to buy any because you are not 21 years of age. How is that fair to the men in the military forces? Fighting for our country’s freedom but not being able to have a few beers with your closest friends and family members. The topic of th e legal alcohol age being changed has been a great topic