2. In countries where the drinking age is lower, there are fewer accidents under the influence of drunk driving. In many countries around the world, the minimum legal age for alcohol consumption is already 18. In these countries, they found a greater reduction in accidents under the influence of alcohol than in the United States, where the legal age is 21. [6] Johnson, Brent. “The legislature wants to lower the drinking age to 18.” New Jersey On-Line LLC. Retrieved from www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/02/lawmaker_wants_to_lower_nj_drinking_age_to_18.html March 17, 2016. A small number of noisy people propose lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18, based on the belief that abusive and high-risk drinking by adolescents in our society would be significantly reduced simply by adopting the lower drinking age and providing alcohol education. [1]: Retrieved from www.drinkingage.procon.com 2016 [2]: Retrieved from www.narconon.org 2016 [3]: Recovered from www.iihs.org 2016 [4]: Recovered from www.cdc.gov 2016 [5]: Recovered from www.cbsnews.gov 2016 [6]: Recovered from www.cnn.com 2016 [3] “College Drinking”.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Accessed by www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/special-populations-co-occurring-disorders/college-drinking March 15, 2016. What do you support? Lower or increase the age of alcohol consumption and why? A peer-reviewed study in the Journal of Studies of Alcohol and Drugs found that the younger a person starts drinking alcohol, the more likely they are to use other illicit drugs. [38] A reduction in MLDA 21 would increase the number of adolescents who drink, and therefore the number of adolescents who use other drugs. [37] [39] The number of alcohol-related deaths began to rise alarmingly, and a high percentage of young drivers were affected. Congress again pressured states to raise the drinking age because of this astonishing increase in road deaths, and the minimum age of 21 was introduced nationwide on July 1, 1988. First of all, while most South Africans don`t drink those who do, they drink too much – so excessive alcohol consumption is a big challenge. [4] Ramos, Stephanie. “Study: Lowering the drinking age may stop binge drinking in college.” ABC News.
Retrieved from wtnh.com/2015/09/28/study-lowering-drinking-age-may-stop-binge-drinking-in-college/ March 16, 2016. So, should the legal drinking age be raised to 25 or lowered to 18? Given the scientific evidence on the physical and neurological development of people aged 18 to 25, there is a need for a more informed conversation about legislation and possible changes to alcohol laws. Adolescents, adolescents and young adults need to be educated about drugs and alcohol, as well as the effects of substance use. A U.S. District Court ruled in December. 22, 1978 that MLDA 21 is “reasonably related to a state objective of reducing motor vehicle accidents” and that MLDA 21 resists constitutional challenge on three important legal issues: (1) alcohol consumption is not a constitutionally guaranteed “fundamental right,” (2) age is not inherently a criterion for “suspect” discrimination (as opposed to race or ethnic origin, for example), and (3) alcohol consumption age to avoid road accidents has a “rational basis” in the available scientific evidence. [29] 20% of U.S. teens aged 16-17 and 7.4% aged 14-15 report drinking alcohol in the past month, compared to an average of 38% of European teens aged 15-16. [49] [52] U.S. teens ages 16-17 also have lower rates of binge drinking (12.6%) than 15- to 16-year-olds from Europe (35%). [49] [52] Brown University professor Dwight Heath explains that he believes the drinking age should be lowered to pre-adolescent and compares the European/cultural model whereby parents serve small amounts of wine to children with meals.
He explains that it removes the appeal of drinking alcohol that if alcohol is banned until the age of 21, it has something to desire and is a “rite of passage”. Despite the age of 21 in the United States, several states have exceptions that allow alcohol consumption for those under 21. A majority of states allow private consumption of alcohol. A dozen states even allow alcohol consumption for educational purposes! All this makes people think – would lowering the drinking age be good for society? Most South Africans do not drink alcohol, but per capita consumption is extremely high by international standards. In other words, those who drink drink in excess. Excessive alcohol consumption is typical and excessive alcohol consumption among adolescents is also high. A variety of scientific and policy-funded research has been conducted to answer the question: “What age is best for youth safety?” Whichever side of the debate about the drinking age that you agree with, it must be recognized that young adults drink alcohol, regardless of the legal drinking age. According to the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health[3], about 35% of 15-year-olds report drinking at least one alcoholic beverage in their lifetime, and about four in five students drink alcohol regularly. The important link between alcohol consumption and motor vehicle crashes involving adolescents is also underscored by the fact that following the uniform change in the legal drinking age in the United States to 21, the number of road deaths among people under 21 has decreased significantly.25 Since 1998, each state has passed laws setting a lower blood alcohol level for drivers under the age of 21. called “zero tolerance laws”.
These laws are important because young people who drive after consuming any amount of alcohol pose a risk to themselves and others. It is also estimated that these laws have reduced the number of alcohol-related fatal crashes among inexperienced drivers from 9% to 24%. But the long-term gains would be cultural. We could start promoting a more European culture of alcohol consumption that encourages responsibility and civilised sobriety. People behave more like adults if you treat them like adults. Prohibition has fostered a terrible childishness with terrible consequences for all. This group argues that the number of road deaths decreases when the minimum drinking age is raised. Studies report that a person`s brain is not fully developed until the age of 25 and may show negative effects from alcohol consumption until the age of 25, especially between the ages of 18 and 25. No, lowering the drinking age would not create a utopia, and it would lead to a number of other problems. The difference is that these problems can be addressed in the same way that society can address other problems: family, education, cultural change, responsibility and institutional control.
Society cannot even begin to address youth alcohol use problems as long as it exists in dark and hidden corners. The national drinking age has had terrible consequences. As with prohibition, it`s time to admit it and move on, into the light. Here are the main benefits of lowering the drinking age: People who do not think that the drinking age should be increased and should possibly be lowered feel it for a number of reasons. Some believe it is a form of ageism, which actually encourages underage drinking and can put lives at risk because underage drinkers are concerned about reporting emergencies. MLDA 21 encourages young adults to acquire false identification documents and use them to obtain alcohol. At a time of national security concerns, including terrorism, illegal immigration and other threats, it would be better to have fewer false identity documents in circulation and more respect for the law. [17] [10] “A lower drinking age leads to more early school leavers.” Newsmax Media, Inc.
Retrieved from www.newsmax.com/Health/Health-News/drinking-age-high-school-dropouts-rates/2015/09/28/id/693725/ March 17, 2016.