Newly-legal drinkers often purchase alcohol for their underage peers, creating a "trickle-down" effect. [34] Surveys show that the most common source of alcohol among 18- to 20-year olds is their 21- to 24-year-old peers. [35] MLDA 21 helps prevent underage binge drinking by making it harder for people under 21 to obtain alcohol. Binge drinking peaks among 21- to 25-year-olds at 45.9%, while the binge drinking rates of those aged 12-13, 14-15, 16-17, and 18-20 are 1.5%, 7.8%, 19.4%, and 35.7% respectively. [23][36] MLDA 21 exerts valuable social pressure on potential underage drinkers.
In 2009, there were 10,389 fatalities in the United States alone due to drinking and driving. Lowering the drinking age could be beneficial for the United States in saving more lives. Teens tend to drink due to peer pressure. Peer pressure can then lead to drinking and driving. Since teens generally like to be sneaky if they have been doing illegal things, they try to hide being intoxicated.
DRINKING AGE LIMIT On December 5, 1933, the repeal of alcohol prohibition by the 21st Amendment allowed each state to set its own drinking age limit laws. At that time most of the states’ minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) was 21. Later during the Vietnam War era, the passage of the 26th Amendment lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 in July 1, 1971. Following this, thirty states lowered their MLDA to 20, 19, and 18. During the 1970’s reports showed that teenage car accidents increased in states where the MLDA had been lowered from 21 years old.
The drinking age isn't meant to be a big deal, but the first couple years of lowering the drinking age could cause many students to be reckless. There are many responsibilities that come along with drinking at a low age, most importantly drinking and driving. Lowering the age will reduce all such problems, but at first will seem extremely hectic. Lowering the current drinking age of 21-and-over will allow young Americans, most of who are perfectly capable of drinking responsibly; to no longer drink in private or in short amounts of time, thus alleviating potentially dangerous conditions. Drinking privately is extremely unsafe and when kids are in a situation they can't handle, they can then ask for help.
But the organization continues to struggle to prevent deaths, eliminate drunk driving, and deal with juvenile drinking. The organization provides the one of the biggest victim support services in the United States. Support is offered to a victim once every eight minutes. A twenty-seven percent decrease in deaths due to drunk driving was noted since 2006. A reduction in juvenile drinking was also noted.
Those under the age of 21 are more likely to be heavy -- sometimes called "binge" -- drinkers (consuming over 5 drinks at least once a week). For example, 22% of all students under 21 compared to 18% over 21 years of age are heavy drinkers. Among drinkers only, 32% of under age compared to 24% of legal age are heavy drinkers. Research from the early 1980s until the present has shown a continuous decrease in drinking and driving related variables which has parallel the nation's, and also university students, decrease in per capita consumption. However, these declines started in 1980 before the national 1987 law which mandated states to have 21 year old alcohol purchase laws.
Facts and Effects of alcohol on your health, The Different types of drinkers; Binge Drinking - Binge drinking means 8 units for men, 6 for women and 5 for a young person in one session. Binge drinking increases risk of accidents, violent attacks, sexual assault and unsafe sex. If you are planning to drink above the recommended guidelines, follow the tips for sensible drinking, so that you reduce the risks you are taking. Heavy Drinker - Drinking over the sensible limit. 1/5 of the adult population fall into this category.
On average, your body can metabolize about one drink per hour. (13.5% alcohol). If you have more than one drink, this is when the alcohol starts to take over into the blood stream, which is known as the Blood Alcohol Content. One drink may not effect a person harshly, but teenagers usually drink in the form of binge drinking. (Office Of Juvenile Justice)This usually consists of a person drinking about 5 drinks at least in 2 hours.
10-08-12 The Alcohol Drinking Age Should the alcoholic drinking age stay at age 21? In the United States “The federal legislation passed in 1984 required all states to set the legal age for the purchase and public consumption of alcohol at 21 years” (Drinking). Many people believed that it is safer to keep it at age 21, because for safety of the teenagers and the community. However, the regulation for alcohol drinking age should be changed to age18; because 18 years old consider like adult. In matter of fact, many teenagers in the United States weather or without their family consent they consume a lot of alcohol.
The majority of the people voting for the age limit to drop to 18 are the people who are under 18 or who are 18. They feel that 18 year-olds are prepared to make responsible decisions about drinking (Amethyst Initiative). The Amethyst Initiative believes that lowering the drinking age will only make situations worse for society. But the fact is, these people are not thinking about the consequences and are only looking at the pleasure. “More than 1,700 college students in the U.S. are killed each year—about 4.65 a day—as a result of alcohol-related injuries” (The Marin Institute).