Lowering the drinking age Underage drinking has become an epidemic in today’s society among the young generation. Statistics shown more than half of adolescence between the ages of twelve and twenty have at least consumed or encountered alcohol at least twice. Alcohol is the drug of choice to some adolescents. As a result of the adolescent consuming alcohol binge drinking can occur. Frequent adolescents binge drinkers are more likely to engaged in dangerous behaviors such as, partaking other drugs such as, marijuana and cocaine, having multiplies sex partners and earning d’s and f’s for academic grades.
Many young people are experiencing the consequences of drinking too much, at too early an age. As a result, underage drinking is a leading public health problem in this country. Each year, approximately 5,000 young people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking; this includes about 1,900 deaths from motor vehicle crashes, 1,600 as a result of homicides, 300 from suicide, as well as hundreds from other injuries such as falls, burns, and drowning. (1) 2 – Influence of Environment on Alcohol Consumption by Minors The consumption of alcohol by minors occurs in an environment saturated by advertising of alcoholic beverages on television, in billboards, at sporting events and
Drunk Driving in Teens There are many teens that die every day. But did you know that many of these deaths are caused by motor vehicles? 1/3 of all deaths among the age group from 15 to 20 are caused by motor vehicles and 35% if these accidents are alcohol related. DUIs are the most common arrests in the United States. The number of alcohol related crashes are about the same number as homicides.
The alarming statistics that relate to youth violence are alarming and over whelming. Upon review of a study about youth violence, The Center for Disease Control (CDC) states that in 2007, 5764 young people aged 10-24 were murdered, that’s an average of 16 each day (CDC2010). With that said murder is the second leading cause of death for that age group. Other less severe crimes, but still inexcusable are also on the rise. Assaults committed by young people ages 10-24 were responsible for more than 656,000 injuries treated in an emergency room (CDC2010).
Should I drink tonight? All my friends drink I might as well join.” Every high school student goes through an experience relating to this event. Underage drinking is a problem in society today, just how big is the problem, the consequences of partaking in underage drinking, why are kids doing it and what can the society as a whole do to reduce the issue. Everyone knows underage drinking is a problem in the US, but just how big is the problem? “Alcohol is so popular that it is the most common used and abused drug among youth in the United States, more than
Dakota J. Clark Janet Weston English 12 04-18-15 Teen Drinking: Should the Drinking Age Be Lowered? There has been much debate on whether or not the legal drinking age should be lowered. It has been argued that due to the age of adulthood being 18, that the right to drink should be lowered to match that age of “maturity”, but what is not commonly known is that the brain is not fully matured until age 25, making this decision medically irresponsible. Another point is that having the legal drinking age at age 21 reduces alcohol consumption overall. And what some fail to understand is that the legal drinking age of 21 is supported by a majority of the public, and for very good reasons such as helping prevent underage binge drinking.
It is important at a young age they get the education and role models that will guide them to make the right decisions in their future. Children also need to be taught to say “no” to risky situations. It is not only influences that guide teenagers to drink and drive or to ride with a drunk driver but also gender and behavior. The more risky behavior a teenager partakes in, the more likely they are to drink and drive. Teenage drinking and driving fatalities have been going down, but it is still one of the leading causes of deaths in adolescents.
Their solution is wrong, as laws will still be broken and people 20 years, 364 days and younger will continue to consume alcohol. The answer to the problem of underage drinking is not to add more restrictions. Rather, it is simple: get rid of the "underage" part. A study printed in the Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education has found that the lower drinking age has not really posed a problem for underage drinkers (96). This study also found that only 1.5% of their sample (6 students) agreed that the availability of alcohol was presenting a problem for them and their drinking habits (College Health Survey 96).
Adolescents in the survey also revealed that heavy drinkers were 7.5 times more likely than non-drinkers to report that they had been arrested and charged with breaking the law. Heavy and binge-drinking adolescents were five times more likely than non-drinkers to say that they had driven under the influence of alcohol in the past year, and were four times more likely to report that they had gotten behind the wheel under the influence of drugs. The study defined heavy drinkers as those who consumed five or more drinks per occasion on five or more days in the previous 30 days; binge drinkers consumed five or more drinks on at least one occasion, but no more than four occasions during the previous 30 days; light drinkers consumed at least one, but fewer than five drinks on any occasion during the previous 30 days; and non-drinkers did not drink alcohol in the previous 30
Although the most common effects of stress are insomnia, stomachaches, headaches, anxiety, and irritability, stress can also be a major factor in depression and eating disorders. Michael Simon, an East Bay psychotherapist, estimates that 60 percent of high school students have their eating habits disrupted in some way by stress and that 20 to 30 percent of teenagers have their mental health affected negatively by stress. Most teenagers worry about issues that are much more serious than cliché high school problems such as homework and popularity. According to Bay Area psychologists and teenagers interviewed by the Daily Planet, high school students often worry about being successful, both in the immediate future and later i n life. Barrows said teenagers often fear that they won’t make it in a competitive society.