The Laws of the Appropriate Age to Drink

830 Words4 Pages
Position Paper Period: 7 There has been a constant dispute of what the appropriate drinking age should be. The drinking age in all states has been 21 since 1984 when President Ronald Reagan established this law in order to avoid any accidents and permanent damage Adults should have the right to make their own decisions about alcohol consumption. Turning 18 entails receiving the rights and responsibilities of adulthood to vote, smoke cigarettes, serve on juries, get married, sign contracts, be prosecuted as adults, and join the military - which includes risking one's life. So why wouldn’t they be allow to drink alcohol at their own leisure. I think the drinking age should be lowered to 18 considering the fact that 18 is the age of adulthood in the United States. The people that are opposed of lower the drinking age are the people who think that by the age of 21 you would have the more responsible approach as of what to do when consuming alcohol. 21 helps prevent underage binge drinking by making it harder for people under 21 to obtain alcohol. 21 would be medically irresponsible because the brain's frontal lobes, essential for functions such as emotional regulation, planning, and organization, continue to develop through adolescence and young adulthood. 21 would give high schoolers, even middle schoolers easier access to alcohol. Newly legal drinkers often purchase alcohol for their underage peers, creating a "trickle-down" effect. Surveys suggest that these 18-20 years olds can obtain access to alcohol through their friends 21 and older. So judging by this survey this shows there is always some kind of access to alcohol. Age will not control the ability to binge drink if you are 18 or 21 you can still pursue the same action so why should it be so different in age if the actions are the same. Although age is just a number is
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