Response To Rochester's Proposal

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Earl Rochester argues that Americans should be licensed to drink alcohol. He claims that eight to twelve percent of Americans will “become alcoholics or problem drinkers.” Rochester’s proposal is a written test in which applicants study information about alcohol and the laws that surround drinking before obtaining a license which they must show in bars or stores before purchasing alcohol of any kind. I disagree with Rochester’s proposal; this country already has a legal drinking age, an ID check before purchasing, and laws surrounding the consumption of alcohol – an extra test will not prevent “problem drinkers or alcoholics” from consuming. Here in America the legal drinking age is already enforced. Most high school students take a Health class in which they learn the effects of many substances, including alcohol, on the body. Most likely they take a test at the end of this unit and are considered to be aware of the dangers of these substances. After high school, at age twenty-one, they are legally allowed to consume alcohol in public. Underage drinking can result in an arrest, selling alcohol to a minor can revoke an establishment’s license, and driving under the influence of alcohol can result in an arrest and the revocation of your driving license.…show more content…
If Rochester really wanted to prevent alcoholics from drinking he would advocate for a genetics test coupled with a personality survey which would tell a person their likelihood of becoming an alcoholic. Once such information was available to a person, he or she could then make informed decisions concerning their drinking habits. Or, he might advocate for restrictions on how alcohol use is portrayed in films and television shows that influence people into believing that alcohol is “fun.” As far as extra laws on alcohol go, I believe America has

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