Lowering the Drinking Age | Teen Ink

Lowering the Drinking Age

February 20, 2012
By Jescobar99 BRONZE, Coppell, Texas
Jescobar99 BRONZE, Coppell, Texas
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

Favorite Quote:
"A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on."
John F. Kennedy


Every year many teens die. There are different reasons why they die but there is one in peculiar that we must and will crack down on. Underage drinking has been a problem for quite some time now and it’s getting worse. It’s coming into talk now that we should lower the drinking age and to many people that is wrong and vile.


Throughout the years many have died and been injured because of teens that are underage drinking. After teens or adults they think they can drive or do things that they are not able to. They kill and injure innocent people many times. “The drinking age was lowered in 2000 from 20 to 18. This study proved that 15-19 year-old males traffic crashes increased by 12%, and 14% raised among 15-17 year-old males which were underage drinkers. For women 18-19 year-old increased by 51% and 24% were 15-17 years-old. At least 400 were serious injuries and 12 deaths each year among 15-19 year-old (Algoe).” This study proves that lowering the drinking age is a bad idea and those drinkers, including underage drinkers. Thought that they could drive under the influence and they are not responsible enough to drink. Some were even underage drivers getting into car recks ruining their life. By lowering the drinking age we’ve given the idea that it is okay to drink at a young age when it shouldn’t be. Teen’s even adults can’t even handle drinking with their maturity level these days. This is not the only reason why we should not lower the drinking age.


Another reason why we should not lower the drinking age is that, teens will not stop drinking now if they thinks it okay, they will not stop. Most young drinkers will become alcoholics. Many organizations will be built for this cause/reason and have been for quite some time. “Mothers against Drunk Driving (MADD) were founded in 1980. The goal was to reduce drunk driving and how many people drink. With their help numbers have gone down, by their efforts (Hanson).”


One other main reason is the safety and health of others and yourself. Drinking at a young age or any age will kill you, ruin your liver, and destroy your brain. At a young age your brain is still developing and drinking just will cause effects that can be long term. Every time you drink your liver takes in 90% of the alcohol and if you continue to drink it will slowly kill your liver cause Syros’s. "One argument against lowering the drink age is that alcohol impairs the development of the brain (Algoe)."

From everything that has happened with underage drinking. We can conclude that something obviously needs to be done. Something that can be is strengthening and increasing the police force at night. They also can get people from the inside and locate parties and talk to mothers to inform them and give them sign they can look a for in their teens to notice if they are drinking or not. A person once said," why is alcohol need to have a good time, it's just killing you (unknown)." this quote is means as it is read. You don't need to drink to have a good time. So next time you drink underage or of age. Ask yourself what might happen, is it worth it?


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