Drinking at 18 Essay - 1243 Words

Drinking at 18 If you look around at college parties it seems as if everyone is drinking. Actually you are probably right, but over half of those people drinking are also under the legal drinking age. Drinking is one of the main forms of entertainment for the typical college student. The only problem with drinking being the main form of entertainment is that half of the students in college or 20 years or younger. This seems to be a problem all over the country and a debate has started to see whether or not lowering the drinking age would be a reasonable solution to keep students from over drinking. Many leaders at different universities such as Bill Jordan, a member of the Board of Trustees at†¦show more content†¦There are many other reasons as to why lowering the legal drinking age is being considered other then that students between the age of 18 and 20 on college campuses want the privilege to drink. More serious cases such as that of Mr. Cureton, an 18-year-old freshman at the University of North Carolina whom was arrested for driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.14. Mr. Cureton was almost double the legal limit, 0.08 percent, serving as a major hazard to other drivers on the road at the same time (Wald). If students are afraid of calling home for a ride they may try to drive themselves, resulting in more damage then they may realize at the time. But if the drinking age was lowered then they student would not get into legal trouble for calling a parent or another adult for a ride home. Fraternities seem to be having the most problems with the legal drinking age being at 21 as the Theta Chi chapter at the University of Georgia demonstrated last year. Henry Delauney, 19, of Lafayette, La., went into intensive care to be treated for excessive alcohol consumption. Also a pledges from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Louisiana State University died after nights of binge drinking. Scott Kruegen, 18, of Orchard Park, N.Y., died three days after he was discovered in his basement room at the phi Gamma Delta house at MIT. Benjamin Smith, 20, of Covington, La.,Show MoreRelatedDrinking At 18 Legal Or Not949 Words   |  4 PagesDrinking at 18 legal or not Changing the drinking age from 21 to 18 has been a controversial argument for many years now, Even though every states legal drinking age is 21 there is some states that make certain exceptions in some situations. There is many pros and cons to changing this such as a good thing is some 18 year olds may not binge drink as they do when they turn 21. If 18-20 year olds are allowed to drink in supervised locations such as bars and restaurants it would be a much safer environmentRead MoreLegalizing the Drinking Age to 181624 Words   |  7 PagesLegalizing the Drinking Age to 18 When people turn to the age of eighteen, they are finally considered an adult. They can join the army, have the right to vote, buy cigarettes or tobacco products, get a tattoo and even die for our country, but they aren’t allowed to buy alcohol? A person can be responsible enough to live on his or her own, make money, pay bills, and yet they are not old enough to purchase or consume any type of alcohol. Underage drinking has been a major controversial issue forRead Moreshould the drinking age be lowered to 18?948 Words   |  4 Pages(Underage). The drinking age should be lowered to age 18 because teens are considered adults at this age, less people in jail for hosting underage drinking, and teens can be taught responsible drinking. Although there is a negative side to lowering the drinking age because it can cause more motor-vehicle accidents, greater chance for alcohol problems, and the health risk it can cause. There is also warning signs to look for in a teen that is dri nking underage the age of 21. Teens that are 18 are lookedRead More18 vs. 21: Drinking Age1389 Words   |  6 PagesWhy do people only want to change the drinking age from 21 to 18, when there are other activities that have limit of age such as marriage at 18, driving at 16 and 35 to be a president? Alcohol plays a major role in today society, which becomes a controversial issue among teens. Alcohol is a mind-altering chemical that is potentially more dangerous than any other drug and can be very destructive. For past few years, many people are trying to lower the drinking age without knowing the negative effectsRead MoreThe Legal Drinking Age Should Be 18957 Words   |  4 Pages On the topic of the appropriate legal drinking ago, I stand firm on the belief that the legal drinking age should be 18. In every other aspect in America, an 18 year old person is considered an adult, legally and morally. So why aren’t these adults allowed to legally drink? 18 year old adults are permitted live on their o wn, vote, gamble, purchase cigarettes, and fight in a war. There is not denying the fact that teenagers are exposed to drinking prior to their 18th birthday, and many drinkRead MoreEssay on Lower the Drinking Age To 18453 Words   |  2 Pages The age of drinking has been an issue in our country for a long time and there are many regards on why the age is set at 21. The federal government should not impose a drinking age of 21. The drinking age should be lowered to the age of 18 for the following reasons; one, most people between the age of 18-20 are drinking alcohol already, and two, you should have the right to purchase alcohol when you reach the age of 18, because that is the age when you are considered and adultRead MoreThe Effects of Lowering the Drinking Age to 181126 Words   |  5 PagesLowering The Drinking Age Alcohol is considered to be a large problem in society today. Especially with young adults between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one. Which presents the question of whether or not the drinking age should be lowered. Lowering the legal drinking age to eighteen would have positive and negative influences on society. Positive through raising more government taxes and keep high school age and young college students out of trouble with the law for drinking. Negatively;Read MoreLowering The Drinking Age To 18 Essay1788 Words   |  8 PagesWhether Or Not Should Drinking Age Be Lowered From 21 to 18 Years This discussion has been going on for long on many forums without a decisive conclusion or agreement. This is mainly because both the arguments for lowering the age to 18 years and not lowering have some substantial facts to support them. The people who are against lowering the drinking age come up with a number of arguments which are explained below. Several states like Michigan, Massachusetts, and Maine in the United States ofRead MoreThe Legal Drinking Age: 18 or 21?1770 Words   |  8 Pages When someone turns 18 they acquire certain rights. They can vote for legislation, enroll in the military and buy a house. Before 1984, they were also allowed to buy alcohol.   This all changed when President Reagan signed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984. This act stated that the drinking age would change to 21 and it has remained that way since. There has been controversy on the effectiveness of the law because most people drink before they turn 21. Which side is right? Was ReaganRead MoreThe Drinking Age Should Remain 18 in Australia1563 Words   |  7 PagesThe Drinking Age Should Remain 18 Years Old in Australia The Drinking Age Should Remain 18 Years Old in Australia These days there are a number of social issues in the community, such as drug abuse, teenage pregnancy and alcohol abuse. Alcohol abuse is rampant in today’s society, Australian Drug Foundation states that, â€Å"Alcohol is the most widely used psychoactive, or mood-changing, recreational drug in Australia.†(Healey, 2002, p. 11). Underage drinking and binge drinking are some of the problems