Lowering+the+Drinking+Age



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The age of 21 was the drinking age which was thought to be a way to reduce highway fatalities. But it hasn't stopped minors from drinking. There's an ongoing argument that lowering the drinking age will make the kids safer. You can't stop under age drinking, but they are trying to contain it. The advantage of lowering the age to 18 would elimate some of the excessive on campuses and at parties. The disadvantages would be kids drinking at an early age which might care over a longer life span, dui driving and over consumption.

[|Information on lowering the drinking age] This is a link to a video and article by MSNBC about lowering the drinking age. There is alot of controversy on the topic as well as pros and cons. They talk about a "drinking license" on this video and that might be a good idea.Giving 18 year olds the chance to prove they can drink and be responsible but then there is also the probem of fake drinking license just like underage kids use fake ID's to get alcohol. This is a very opionated topic for many and there doesn't seem to be any right or wrong answer.

**Pros** 1. Turning 18 entails receiving the rights and responsibilities of adulthood to vote, serve on juries, get married, sign contracts, join the military - which includes taking on the responsibilities of life and death - and be prosecuted as adults. Adults from the age of 18 should therefore also be trusted to make decisions about alcohol consumption. 2. When adolescents are not taught to drink in moderation, they end up binge drinking. 3. Traffic fatalities in the 1980s decreased less than that of European countries whose legal drinking ages are lower than 21. 4. Lowering the drinking age will make alcohol less of a taboo, take away the thrill that many young people get from breaking the law. 5. Prohibiting teens from drinking in bars, restaurants, and public locations has the effect of forcing them to drink in unsupervised places such as fraternity houses or house parties. Lowering the drinking age will allow teens to drink alcohol in regulated environments with supervision. 1. States that previously lowered the drinking age to 18, such as Massachussets, Michigan, and Maine, experienced an increase in alcohol-related crashes among the 18 to 20 age group. 2. Raising the drinking age back to 21 has decreased the percentage of fatal traffic accidents for those between 18 to 20 by 13 percent and has saved approximately 21,887 lives from 1975-2002. 3. Because teens are simultaneously undergoing physical changes, peer pressure, and new situations and urges, allowing them to consume alcohol can make them more vulnerable to drug and substance abuse, unplanned and unprotected sex, depression, violence and other social ills. 4. The percentage of underage drinkers has decreased since 1984. 5. When teens drink alcohol, they are more likely to binge drink than people above the age of 21, thus demonstrating that teens are more prone to alcohol abuse than older demographics and should not be allowed to consume alcohol.
 * Cons**

Reference: Source: [|www.procon.org]