E.+Pursuasive+Research+Essay

The Drinking Age Should Be Lowered

Even though the U.S has the highest drinking age, the U.S has a higher rate of dangerous intoxication than countries that have a lower drinking age, or no drinking age at all (Ojeda).Although the topic has been discussed over the past decade, the drinking age still remains at 21. While many Americans say lowering the drinking will solve problems, few believe it will cause more problems. The drinking should be lowered to age 18 because one is a legal adult at 18, drinking problems will still occur no matter what the legal age is, and their will be less alcohol-related deaths.

18 year olds should be able to purchase alcohol. At the age of 18, one is allowed to fight and possibly die for our country. Is one is able to die for our freedom, he/she should be able to have a beer if he/she wants. In an argument about why the legal drinking age should be lowered, an author from Choose Responsibility, pointed out that, “Most importantly, at age 18 you become legally responsible for you actions” (Ojeda). Once someone turns 18, he/she is responsible for his/her own actions, therefore, should be able to take on the responsibility to be served alcohol if wanted.

No matter what the legal age of drinking is, alcohol problems will still occur. The law stating the legal age to consume an alcoholic beverage is broken everyday. After a survey, reporter Allison McCarty came to the conclusion that, “If young people want alcohol, it is very easy for them to obtain it” (McCarty). Their will always be a way for an underage drinker to get alcohol whether they get someone to purchase it for them, steal it from the store, find it at the house, or go to friend’s house who already has it. Thus, the law is ineffective. If the drinking age is lowered people wont need to find a way to get alcohol, they can just purchase it legally.

Lowering the age to be served alcohol will also lower the number of alcohol-related deaths. Teens see drinking as a way to be a “rebel” and to be “cool” so they pressure others into drinking. If the legal age were lowered to 18, it would not be illegal for them to drink alcohol, therefore they will not think it is “cool” to drink. Thus, they would not do it as much and they will not pressure others to do something that is legal. If less people drink, their wont be as many drunk accidents involving death. In an article on why it makes sense to lower the drinking age, Mary Slowey stated that, “Once teens were allowed to dink in the open, there would be more eyes watching for trouble, and safer places to be intoxicated” (Slowey). Teens drink in unsafe places such as the woods with fires that someone could fall into or start a bigger fire with and cliffs that someone could fall off of or a crowded basement full of drunk teens who could get mad easily if they were bumped into and could start a fight. They drink in unsafe places to hide or to get away from older citizens and police.

Other reporters argue that, “Yet overwhelming evidence suggests that by lowering the drinking age, alcohol abuse among teenagers and preteens would start earlier than it does now” (Kiesbye). If proper alcohol education classes were taught, it could help prevent alcohol abuse among teens. The drinking age should be lowered because one is a legal adult at 18, even if the drinking should be lowered teens will find a way to consume it, and their would be less alcohol-related deaths. The topic should be emphasized to our government by people who feel strongly about lowering the legal age to consume alcohol. If the U.S lowers the drinking age to 18 like the other countries, it will solve more problems than if it remains at 21