Drinking Age During The United States Of America

An article written by Sophie Defaix, a staff member of Millersville University, writes an article in The Snapper the University's paper called “The drinking age in America: what’s there to fuss about.” Defaix argues that the drinking age in the United States should be lowered to eighteen, and if so the amount of underage binge drinking incidents would decrease. Defaix writes this paper with the intended audience most likely being staff and students of the university or even parents of students that attend the university. Defaix uses examples and draws on her past to relate to her readers and give them other perspectives, but she has nothing that backs her strengths her argument limiting its effect.

In the United Sates, statistics show that the consumption of alcohol by minors has decreased in the last twenty years, but the consumption of alcohol by adults ages twenty-one through twenty-four have increased (Wechsler and Nelson 987). Waiting until you are twenty-one to legally drink is causing adults to binge drink without thinking of the consequences.

Americans have the right to vote when they reach 18 years old, which is one of statutory civil rights; people who is over 14 years old can drive legally in many states, for many young people, they are looking forward to this moment, because it means they can have a car of their own and have real freedom, no longer dependent on their parents or other adults to take them to the places they want. But for young people who want to drink, the minimum legal drinking age is 21 years old, mainly refers to the liquor and drinking in public places. Compared with the legal driving age it has a delay of 5-7 years, compared to the legal voting age is also three years late. This legislation makes many young people feel dissatisfied, also caused much controversy.

For the past 30 years, the United States has maintained a National Minimum Drinking Age Act, with long term public debate about the violation of civil liberties of this policy, especially in youth rights. As a matter of fact, at eighteen years old, young people can take on many adult responsibilities, but they do not have the right to consume alcohol. Indeed, they have the rights to vote, smoke cigarettes, serve on juries, get married, sue others, be sued, be imprisoned, sign contracts, be prosecuted as adults, and join the military which includes risking one's life. Even though they now considered legal adults with all of these privileges, they are denied the right to purchase and drink alcohol. Prohibiting persons under the age of 21 to enjoy

In the United States of America, there is a minimum drinking age of 21. The legal drinking age legally specifies the youngest age in which a person is allowed to consume and purchase alcoholic beverages. From country to country, there are varying ages of legal drinking ages. There is much debate in the United States on whether the legal drinking age should be lowered to eighteen from twenty one, or should remain the same. People in favor of lowering the drinking age propose that since eighteen is characterized as being an adult (legally and socially), one of the rights that should come along with that is drinking alcohol. Also, that if we were to lower the drinking age, less young adults would be

At the age of 18, American Citizens gain the immense responsibility of becoming an adult. When you turn 18 you gain a sense of adulthood and many things that were illegal for you before are now legal. Object lessons are the right to sign a contract, vote in elections, attend on a jury, make a will, get married without parental permission and the list goes on. For what reason is it that you aren 't old enough to purchase and consume alcohol. "The passage of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 prompted states to enhance their legal age for purchase or public ownership of alcohol to 21 or risk losing millions in federal highway funds (alcohol policy. Noah. NIH. Gov)."

Society proposes at the age of eighteen an individual is mature and responsible to make decisions without the consent of a parent or guardian. In the United States an eighteen-year-old is considered a legal adult. By law you are able to fight for your country, vote, and buy cigarettes. Some impose, giving a newly young adult the privilege to consume alcohol would enhance their responsibility as an adult. Mary Cary from

The Minimum Legal Drinking Age(MLDA) in the United States needs to be lowered from 21 to 18. The MLDA being so high simply facilitates unsupervised binge-drinking among minors. Lowering the MLDA will allow those aged 18-21 to drink in a safer environment leading to a reduction in underage alcohol-related accidents.

When a person reaches the age of eighteen they are seen as a legal adult: “adults should have the right to make their own decisions about alcohol consumption”(Drinking Age). Legal adulthood comes with all different types of rights and responsibilities with drinking not included. Eighteen year olds are given the right to vote, to smoke, to have consensual sex, and to get married without parental consent. this give citizens the ability to make decisions for the future of the country, the ability to do something that could cause future health problems, the ability to do something that could result in a baby which is additional responsibility, and the ability to separate from a family to start a new one. The responsibilities of being a legal adult are having total responsibility for one's actions and being trusted to not break the law because of being able to be charged as an adult now. An eighteen year old is also possibly in charge of someone's life depending on the type of case they could serve as a jury member on if selected. An eighteen year old boy is required to sign up for a system that if selected he would have to possibly die fighting for the country(What You Can). If eighteen year olds are old enough to fight for their country and old enough to make decisions that affect the health of themselves and the life of another person then why are they not trusted to make their own decisions regarding alcohol?

In the article Save Us from Youth, by Bradley R. Gitz, Gitz points out that many things in the Amethyst Initiative discussing the legal drinking age is inconsistent for an adult between the ages 18 and 21. At the age of 18 you are given many rights and is considered an adult, you are given the rights to buy cigarettes, the rights to vote, the rights to enlist in the army. an be tried as an adult in court. Buying or consuming alcohol is not one of the rights given. “Ultimately, the most important issue at stake with respect to the drinking age is not whether 18-year-olds are responsible enough to consume alcohol, or even the consequences of such consumption in legal vs. illegal circumstances, but whether those who are old enough to be sued in a court of law, carry a gun into combat on behalf of fellow citizens and participate in our democratic process by

First off, the reason the drinking age is 21 is because the United States MAAD program wants to make sure a teen’s brain develops to maturity in order for them to be able to drink alcohol. The argument that congress had in the 70’s was, “If young Americans could be entrusted to vote, serve on a jury and fight in Vietnam, why couldn 't they order a beer?”(Griggs) If Americans are allowed to vote, fight in the wars and serve on jury all at the age of 18 what is the difference in them being able to go out and buy some alcohol. This side of an the argument is using ethos to help convince people that

Many Americans do not feel like adults until their 21st birthday. At age 18 an American has the ability to vote, be drafted or enlist into the military, own a weapon, request a loan, get married, buy cigarettes and many more liberties and consequences that come when a teenager becomes an adult. Nonetheless, in the United States and adult does not have the ability to legally drink until the age of 21. I find the regulation of alcohol necessary and as a protection for the citizens because, as the article “Effects of Alcohol Use” states, the abuse of alcohol contributes to liver damage, leads into driving under the influence, domestic violence and in the long term it can cause cancer and death of brain cells. However, I believe that the alcohol regulation is bias and should be at the same level of liberty as voting, joining the military, owning a weapon, buying cigarettes, requesting a loan and getting married.

The drinking age in America has been changed several times since the start of the United States. At the time there were no restrictions on alcohol. One of the next key changes was during the prohibition in the 1930s. This was a time where alcohol was outlawed for everyone in the United States. This did not work because many people drank undercover and the law was difficult to enforce. The most recent, to the legal drinking age, was during the Vietnam war period. At the time, the age limit was set at twenty-one but was reduced so soldiers could drink legally (Daniloff). After the war, the age limit was increased again, since the government thought it was the right idea. This was the last major change to the drinking age so far.

When you become an adult you can vote, join the military, jury duty, sign contracts, marry, apply for loans, make decisions regarding medical treatments, and be prosecuted as an adult (“Should the Drinking Age Be Lowered From 21 to a Younger Age?”). Adults have the right to make their own decisions, and there are many arguments on why 18-year-olds should be able to consume alcohol legally. In other countries like Europe with an MLDA of 18, there are fewer drunk driving traffic accidents and fatalities than an MLDA of 21 in America (“Should the Drinking Age Be Lowered From 21 to a Younger Age?”). Many argue that the government and the police should worry more about every legal person’s alcohol consumption instead of just underaged

It was a typical Saturday night working as a waiter. The dinner rush had just ended and I was catching up on some side work. As I am refilling the salad dressings, the hostess informs me that she had just sat a table in my section. After arriving at the table and introducing myself, I proceed to ask for their drink orders. The first words articulated out the woman’s mouth are spoken with a deep, thick, Irish accent. I could not help but acknowledge it and after chatting for a few minutes, I come to learn that they had just arrived from the airport and are vacationing in Florida for two weeks. After taking both parents drink orders, I ask their son what he would like to drink. Like the true Irish man he is, he asks me for a Guinness. He looked a little young to be drinking so I asked him for some id. He hands me the id and it reads that he is only nineteen years old. I had to explain to them that the legal drinking age in the United States was twenty one years old and I could see the look of confusion in their face. The father tried quarreling with me that the law was stupid and since they are allowed to drink their country, they should be allowed to drink here. Little did they know that this issue is very personal to me. One of my good friends in high school was riding his bike one night and was hit and killed by an underage drunk driver. The look of confusion was wiped from their face forthwith after telling them my story. The topic of changing the minimum legal drinking