Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Lowering the drinking legal age














These days the percentage of teenage drinkers is extremely expanding as time goes by. As a result, a lot of problems that are arose by teenage drinkers are showing. That is why; youths tend to drink alcohol heavily. To solve these problems countries have different legal drinking age. In some places in Europe, for example, drinking is permitted at age 16 in German and at age 20 in Iceland. On the other hand, in some parts of Africa, there is no drinking age in Togo and Morocco. However, lowering the MLDA (Minimum Legal drinking Age) has been introduced in the mass media. Proponents of lowering the MLDA insist that lowering the MLDA inculcates responsibility in underage. Opponents of lowering the MLDA argue that teens don’t reach yet at age where they can handle alcohol and drinking is dramatically harmful for their growing.
I personally agree with opponents because I think heavy drinking makes teens more vulnerable to drug abuse, casual sex or violence than adult. They should grow more to develop personal responsibility.


Commonly many states have drinking legal age at 21 but some states formulate an opinion to set the age from 21 to 18.
Some people argue against that because they believe
the fact 18 is not ready to drink yet.
It doesn’t mean they are not adults. They are just where they can be more mature and are early to drink. Drinking alcohol is extremely dangerous to any person. I agree on it because if adolescents drink alcohol it directly calls the health risk and impacts on society. For example, youths have immature stomach that is unable to accept alcohol smoothly then it might attack to their growth and they might be high easily. Society and people might be disturbed by them.
A few people think that underage should drink under their adult supervision. Hence, MLDA should not be lower anymore they think. In fact,
many parents tend to teach drinking their sons. However, policies recommend parents should not allow their sons to drink under their supervision. Parents think they can curb their children drinking but I think parents may lose self-control as well as children are drank. It exacerbates the situation.
There is one more reason people do not advocate a lower drinking age. If the drinking age is lowered to 18, in high school there would be many students who are legal to drink. Then they would delay their studies. Even if high school students are legal to drink alcohol, high school would not allow drink in school as well as university. However, high school students who are not thoughtful would sneak alcohol to school.








However, proponents of lowering the MLDA argue that MLDA should be lowered to 18 or 19 and permit those of legal age to consume in socially controlled environment such as restaurants or university functions. Moreover, under the direct supervision of their parents in their home any age people should be permitted to consume alcohol. The majority of people who are underage have drunk alcohol a lot and they have shown irresponsible manner so far. If the MLDA increase more than now they would tend to drink more and their irresponsible manner would be seen more.
Apart from this, another proposal is here to explain why the MLDA show be lowered. Some college and university presidents convince that MLDA at 21 is not working at all. Many students tend to drink on campus and they teach drinking to students who are just legal to drink with no responsible manner. College and university presidents tried to disturb consumption of drinking by freshmen who are just permitted to drink but they are already taught to drink before enroll university or college. Presidents believe that the culture of dangerous and clandestine being drinking has developed since students were high school students. That is why; many people never strongly agree that students drink. Hence, presidents assert the MLDA have to be lowered and then adult should teach drinking underage.
Furthermore, this is opposite idea with lowering drinking age. Actually many people think if adolescents drink in young age they might make more car accidents due to irresponsible behavior. In fact, the United States increased the drinking age to 21 but the rate of traffic fatalities in the 1980s is decreased less than that of Europe countries whose legal age lower than 21. This article provides that MLDA at 21 is not necessary an effective way to reduce traffic fatalities.







In fact, many pros and cons of lowering drinking age are more than I introduce above on websites. I can understand adolescent drinking actually but I really hope they learn how to control themselves first when they drink. In other words, they need to take their responsibilities. If they control themselves and take responsibilities when they drink, no one touch them. First they must realize why a lot of people want the drinking legal age should be changed. When they know no one won’t touch them. All people must know how drunk driving is dangerous even adults.
















References

Pro and cons of underage drinking from
http://drinkingage.procon.org/#pro_con

underage driking & alcohol abuse from
http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/UnderageDrinking.html

underage drinking research from
http://www.centurycouncil.org/learn-the-facts/underage-drinking-research

society of underage drinking from
http://vps.policyimpact.com/dailydigestpdfs/IIAA/MillerStudy.pdf

debate : lowering of drinking age from
http://debatepedia.idebate.org/en/index.php/Debate:Drinking_age,_lowering_of

group against lowering drinking age from
http://www.wsmv.com/health/17257837/detail.html

The Drinking Age Should Be Lowered from
http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/youthissues/1053520190.html

Teens Who Drink with Adult Supervision Have More Drinking Problems, Study Finds from
http://www.drugfree.org/join-together/alcohol/teens-who-drink-with-adult-supervision-have-more-drinking-problems-study-finds

Minimum Legal Drinking Ages around the World from
http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/LegalDrinkingAge.html