Pros And Cons Of Lowering The Drinking Age

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To Change or Not A long debated issue in the United States is the age at which one can drink. As many youth feel, the drinking age should be lowered. On the contrary, the drinking age should stay right where it is or even be raised. Alcohol is a drug that is potentially addictive. Alcohol intoxicates the brain, leaving you feeling disoriented and slowing your reflexes. Consuming alcohol harms your brain and can lead to mental retardation. At the age of 21 scientists believe your brain to be fully developed, and therefore is seen as a “safe” age to be able to drink. Why should we choose to lower the drinking age and harm our children’s undeveloped brains? The debate over lowering the drinking age has once again been presented to the nation. Supporters of lowering the drinking age have varied reasons for their support. The old argument that if an 18 year old can vote, sign contracts, join the armed forces, and get married, he or she should be old enough to drink, has once again reared its head (Lower). Deputy…show more content…
The American Medical Association concluded that alcohol use during adolescence and young adulthood causes damage to memory and learning capabilities. In a study in the 2006 Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine found teens who drink before age 14 had a lifetime risk of alcohol dependence of 47% compared to that of those who began drinking at age 21(Roan). A higher drinking age has resulted in lower rates of alcohol consumption and traffic crashes (Roan), and significant reductions in the amount of damage due to drinking (Keen). Still, roughly 100,000 people die every year due to the effects of alcohol (Keen). Why should we lower the drinking age even more and raise that number? 77% of Americans are oppose lowering the drinking age according to a 2007 Gallup Poll (Keen). Why are we trying to harm our nation’s youth and repeat a mistake we made back in the
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