The Drinking Age Law Should Reduce to 18 - Free Essay Example

In America, nearly 50% of adolescents report having had at least one drink by the time they reach 8th grade (Green et al,117). Even in the school campus, many of students hold parties every night. Especially not on weekdays, if you walk you besides the houses in the late night, you can see students walk in droves. Then, dont question where they go. They must on the way to parties. Although the US government set the drinking age law, there are many adolescents drinking and it is more and more common from 1992. The legal drinking age should be lowered to 18 because it would make the majority of adolescents happy, reduce conflicts, and treat adolescents fairly. Most people would like to approve the drinking age law because of the advantages of peoples health and traffic problems. However, in fact, the drinking age law hasnt been effective anymore since 1992. According to Smith who is a professor of criminal justice at the University of Southern Mississippi said that adolescents drink alcohol from everywhere. More and more students drink from 1992. Besides, he also started from a general thought from most of the people that the 18 adolescents can vote, go army, do business, but cant drink, its unreasonable (Smith). To give a spectator perspective to your surroundings, you must know some adolescents who go to parties every week. Not only that, a 2009 study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institute of Health, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services concluded that 72 percent of graduating high-school seniors had already consumed alcohol(Minton). All the data showing that the majority of adolescents started an early dr inking, if the legal drinking age could have lowered to 18. They would be happed and be prevented to jail. Secondly, to change the drinking age law will reduce conflicts. There are some riots happened on the campus. Some of the melees, such as those at Ohio University, the University of Colorado, and Pennsylvania State University, have involved significant injuries and many arrests (Smith 2). In addition, students usually have conflicts with polices. By concluding the article from Smith, he gave the thought of the relationships among students, polices and administrators: Students usually dispute with polices because of illegal drinking. For students, they want to try something stimulant and to have freedom. For polices, they just perform their duties. Neither side is wrong, but the drinking age law. If the US government change the drinking law. This will largely eliminate the misunderstanding and deterioration of their relationship(Smith). Thirdly, public thought of the drinking age law. According to the article from Minton, he gave one particular example: Bob Lynn who was from Alaska state supported to change the legal drinking age law: The 18 adults can go army, to protect their country, but not to have the responsibility to buy a beer to cheer up. Lynn has suggested that would allow anyone 18 years and older with a military ID to drink alcohol in Alaska. However, this bill has denied immediately by the government (Minton). In addition, an individual legally enjoys almost all other rights of adulthood upon turning 18†including the rights to vote, get married, and sign contracts. It is time to reduce the drinking age for all Americans(Minton). There are also most people in the US think that the drink age law is a discrimination to the adults between 18 and 21. The current drinking age law has brewed a campaign of hidden drinking and ignoring of the law. An adult can go to war, get married, vote, and sign contracts, but how come he cant be responsible to get a beer. On the other hand, most people would like to keep the drinking age to 21 to prevent alcohol-related traffic fatalities. Indeed, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, since 1975, the law saved 26333 lives (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). Also, such fatalities decreased by about 33 percent from 1988 to 1998†but the trend is not restricted to the United States(Minton). For example, in Germany, where the drinking age is 16, alcohol-related fatalities decreased by 57 percent between 1975 and 1990(Minton). The reasons for the decrease of alcohol-related deaths are not only because of adolescents drinking alcohol but legal rationality, citizens cooperation, education, advances in car safety technologies such as airbags and brake system. Moreover, according to the National Institute of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse. Of the 5,000 lives lost to alcohol each year by those under 21, more than 60 percent are lost off the roadways(McCardell). There are many adults who are under 21 but still drank and died. The principal problem th ese traffic fatalities is not drunken driving. The principal problem is clandestine binge drinking. Another group of people who agree the law should keep into 21 might say that to let adolescents drink alcohol is harming their bodies. Green said that Early initiation to drinking is associated with many adverse long-term outcomes, including increased risks of developing alcohol abuse problems and alcohol dependence in late adulthood (Green, 118). However, for those health problems are only for the adolescents who are in alcohol abuse or excessive drinking, most adolescents dont drink too much and they care about their health. Moreover, In conclusion, more and more students start to drink. They are awakening and thinking they have enough right to have alcohol. Therefore, the federal government should be lowered the drinking age law to 18. Work Cited Bonnie J. Richard and OConnell Mary Ellen. REDUCING UNDERAGE DRINKING. National Academy of Sciences, 2004. College presidents call for a debate on lowering the drinking age to 18. Alcoholism Drug Abuse Weekly, 8 Sept. 2008, p. 1+. Health Reference Center Academic, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A192815868/HRCA?u=sunybuff_mainsid=HRCAxid=5a24fd22. Accessed 7 Nov. 2018. Green, Rivka, et al. Underage drinking: does the minimum age drinking law offer enough protection? international Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Heath. May 2015. file:///Users/yangnan/Downloads/Underage_drinking_does_the_min.PDF. Accessed 21 October. 2018. Lower the legal drinking age to 18, says outgoing Hiram College President Tom Chema: Michael K. McIntyres Tipoff (Poll). Legal Monitor Worldwide 28 June 2014. Business Insights: Essentials. https://bi.galegroup.com.gate.lib.buffalo.edu/essentials/article/GALE%7CA373029360?u=sunybuff_main. Accessed 7 Nov. 2018. McCardell, John M. The Drinking Age Should Be Lowered. Teen Drug Abuse, edited by David E. Nelson, Greenhaven Press, 2011. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010436248/OVIC?u=sunybuff_mainsid=OVICxid=a02e0e2b. Accessed 19 Nov. 2018. Originally published as Commentary: Drinking Age of 21 Doesnt Work, CNN.com, 16 Sept. 2009. Minton, Michelle. The Minimum Legal Drinking Age Should Be Lowered. Teens at Risk, edited by Stephen P. Thompson, Greenhaven Press, 2013. Opposing Viewpoints. OpposingViewpoints in Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010167406/OVIC?u=sunybuff_mainsid=OVICxid=f5f8fc27. Accessed 19 Nov. 2018. Originally published as Lower the Drinking Age for Everyone, www.nationalreview.com, 20 Apr. 2011. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, An Examination of the Criticisms of the Minimum Legal Drinking Age 21 Laws in the United States from a Traffic-Safety Perspective. 2008. Accessed 23 October. 2018.Smith, Michael Clay. The Drinking Age Should Be Lowered to 18. Teens and Alcohol, edited by James D. Torr, Greenhaven Press, 2002. Current Controversies. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010215230/OVIC?u=sunybuff_mainsid=OVICxid=1b463a56. Accessed 31 Oct. 2018. Originally published as Treat Students as Adults: Set the Drinking Age at 18, Not 21, Chronicle of Higher Education, 12 Mar. 1999.