Drinking Laws | Teen Ink

Drinking Laws MAG

By Anonymous

     A strong belief of mine is that the drinking age should be increased. I don’t believe that at 21 most people are either mature enough or responsible enough to handle drinking. Alcohol is one of the most commonly abused drugs. The solution is simple, and I don’t see why it should not be done.

It’s common for minors to have friends who are the legal drinking age. I see people come into the store where I work who are clearly buying alcohol for minors. Teens will wait outside while the 21-year-old buys the alcohol. This frustrates me no end.

It has been proved that the brain doesn’t stop growing until the age of about 23. Yes, 23 is definitely not a large gap, but it is very significant. Most people at 23 have graduated from college and are ready to start their lives. On the other hand, many 21-year-olds are still in college, enjoying parties and the alcohol that comes with them. College is a time when many experience peer pressure to party and have fun with friends, which is where the danger emerges. If we could increase the drinking age by even a few years, we could save thousands of lives.

Automobile accidents are often a result of alcohol. The news is always reporting an accident because of a drunk driver who missed a stop sign or couldn’t stay in his lane. And it’s not always the drunk driver who gets hurt or killed. Since alcohol depresses the body, it makes drinkers more relaxed and loose. Consequently, they usually walk away from these accidents unscathed. One bad mistake, one bad judgment can cause many families endless trauma. The guilt the driver eventually feels often lasts the rest of his life. No one should have to live with that, or the knowledge that a loved one was taken away because someone decided to drink and drive.

In my life, I’ve witnessed a lot of things that I wish I hadn’t and I’ve seen many things I wish I could forget. My oldest sister used to hang out with people who would get drugs from the street and have others buy alcohol so they could party. Looking back, I can see where she made her biggest mistake since what she did when she was younger screwed up the rest of her life. Her personality has changed a lot, and I don’t think it will ever be normal again, even with help.

I hate hearing about how someone drank at a party and drove home slowly and carefully, and everything turned out okay. They were lucky, but do you honestly want to take that chance? I don’t know anyone who would willingly gamble with their life just to enjoy a night of drinking. The risk is just too high.

I’m not saying we should ban alcohol, but I believe that it should be more closely monitored and controlled. There are lots of other ways to have fun with your friends that don’t involve drinking. Alcohol is a drug. It always was and it always will be. I believe we should take that into account and make some changes to the laws.



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This article has 77 comments.


on Feb. 8 2010 at 8:53 pm
NaCheezIt SILVER, Missouri City, Texas
8 articles 1 photo 14 comments
While your point is valid, I think that if the drinking age was raised, it would only cause more underage drinking. There would be an even wider window of ages that would try to get alcohol from over-agers.

Anita PLATINUM said...
on Feb. 8 2010 at 4:23 pm
Anita PLATINUM, Santa Cruz, California
20 articles 0 photos 36 comments
yes! you're absolutely correct!

Anita PLATINUM said...
on Feb. 8 2010 at 4:20 pm
Anita PLATINUM, Santa Cruz, California
20 articles 0 photos 36 comments
I disagree. Yes, in a perfect world, nobody would drink until their brain has been fully developed. But have you ever heard the phrase "The forbidden fruit is always the sweetest"? If they increase the drinking age, teens are going to be even more inclined to drink because it's not allowed. I know it's stupid, but sorry, it's true.

irawr BRONZE said...
on Dec. 4 2009 at 12:23 pm
irawr BRONZE, Solon, Maine
1 article 1 photo 48 comments

Favorite Quote:
STUD MUFFIN xD

I totally agree =)

Jaquie BRONZE said...
on Dec. 4 2009 at 6:28 am
Jaquie BRONZE, West Palm Beach, Florida
3 articles 0 photos 407 comments

Favorite Quote:
This is certainly one of my favorites: "I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes." -2 Samuel 6:22

I agree! This article is really great! Congrats on getting published!

on Nov. 28 2009 at 3:28 am
whiteraven1989 BRONZE, Batavia, New York
1 article 9 photos 7 comments
ok i admit i have a drinking problem but i dont drink for fun or popularity or anything like that i drink to forget no its not a perminant fix but it works for the time being only problem is that time being is usualy jsut that night so i usualy have to repeat every night. yeah im under age i dont buy the alcohol i dont have some one ells buy it for me i make it myself and its only for myself no one ells. but im not out driving around killing people or fighting or destroying things i sit at home listin to some music and drowned my hateful, hurtful and sorrowful memories that i wish would jsut stay off my mind long enough for me to get a nights worth of sleep in peace... im not saying im any better than the other people cuz im not i jsut go about my abuse in a slightly different way than most of the people that are underage that drink...

on Nov. 7 2009 at 9:58 am
EricBlair BRONZE, London, Other
2 articles 0 photos 31 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I understand HOW, I do not understand WHY" -George Orwell, 1984

My stance on alcohol is pretty much neutral, but I'm going to have to break that stance to point out flaws in your argument.

This article suggests that age and maturity and alcohol consumption go hand in hand. They do not. 18 year olds are no more likely to go nuts with alcohol than those in their 40's.

Second, don't illusion yourself into thinking that the people likely to abuse alcohol at an early age are those likely to listen to the age laws in the first place.

I have drank since 16 and remember every night I have done so since, regretting nothing because my friends and I are a (if rare) mature bunch who know our limits!

I believe if you are responsible enough to vote, you are responsible enough to drink.

on Oct. 27 2009 at 6:23 pm
dragonfan SILVER, Arcidia, Indiana
9 articles 1 photo 213 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Death truly makes an artist"

i agree if it was lowed teens would stop drinking but i agree with Burrugh'sLunch too because the probably would go to tobacco, marijuana so its a lose lose situation =( And i don't believe alcohol is a drug but it is addictive (your writing was vary good tho.)

loganmetcalf said...
on Oct. 21 2009 at 8:05 pm
You're so right! Adult citizens of this country--citizens regarded by their government as fit to vote, sign contracts, consent to sex , use tobacco, pay taxes and serve in the military--simply do not have the right to the make adult decisions. No, they need a few years to wise up before they earn their basic human rights (otherwise their actions might not align with your personal value-judgements.)

on Oct. 16 2009 at 4:07 pm
You are absolutely correct! However, when alcohol is not a big deal to eighteen year-olds, will they not look for something else, maybe dabble with some marajuana? That is what we do not want, alcohol is the lesser of two evils.

on Oct. 15 2009 at 12:14 pm
Dokidoki-rin GOLD, Clarence, New York
14 articles 6 photos 25 comments

Favorite Quote:
Whattaya gonna do, ya know?

I disagree. I think the reason drinking is so popular among teens is either stress, peer pressure, or they think it's cool. If you increase it, it won't make a difference. If teens want to drink, they'll drink whether it's illegal or not. Lowering the age will make it seem less of a big deal to 18 year olds, and if drinking isn't a big deal- some teens might lose interest.

But I do agree that it's abused way too much. :(

mommadonn said...
on Sep. 29 2009 at 11:01 am
Oh my: do you research ALCOHOL is a drug and the scariest part of it.... it is easily obtained and extremely addictive Facts from a teen alcoholic!!

on Sep. 26 2009 at 10:43 pm
patrick13 BRONZE, Cave Creek, Arizona
2 articles 0 photos 8 comments
Ya alcohol is in fact a drug, but this drug can be good for you such as red whine and some medicens use it. It can be obused like any other drug like cough syrup which is a drug, but it can be good or bad for you.

on Sep. 26 2009 at 10:40 pm
patrick13 BRONZE, Cave Creek, Arizona
2 articles 0 photos 8 comments
In France there is no drinking age. Even though some obuse it, there drinking obuse ratings arent even close to America. People drink because they think its cool, they feel bad. If we are teens are allowed to do it maybe theyll decide its not cool.

Kat11 said...
on Sep. 7 2009 at 7:56 pm
Kat11, Somewhere, Washington
0 articles 0 photos 12 comments
a slight correction (from a sober teenage alcoholic): alcohol is a drug. it's relatively addictive - not as much as heroin, closer to meth. i'm not disagreeing or agreeing about your opinions on drinking laws - just want you to be able to make informed decisions.

Nunya D said...
on Apr. 16 2009 at 4:06 pm
that would only make people drink more. the more u tell some1 they cant do somthin, the more their goin 2 do it.

Amyyy said...
on Feb. 14 2009 at 2:39 am
Alcohol is not a drug. There is a huge different between the two. But what is really dumb, is that the age allowed for drinking is 21, but at 18, you can smoke and go to war and die for your country! That just doesn't make sense. Either move it all up to 21 or bring drinking down to 18. I mean seriously- it's much more simple and makes more sense! (you did do a good job over-all with your writing. Keep it up!)