Jun 1, 2013 1 sharon ross research paper rough draft the united states has a minimum drinking age of 21. The minimum legal drinking age of 21 has proven to save lives and reduce negative effects in people who consume alcohol legally. In addition to all of the positive effects of having this law set in place, there are plenty of ways parents can prevent their adolescent from consuming alcohol.

The evidence of the minimum drinking age of 21 saving young people 039 s lives is overwhelmingly true. Congress refused to give funding for highways to any state that did not comply with raising the minimum drinking age to 21 back in 1984. Seaman, frequently asked questions since the minimum legal drinking age was raised from 18 to 21 in 1984 there has been a twenty percent decrease in fatal accidents amongst younger people. The strategy of congress refusing highway dollars to those states was enough to make them all adhere to setting a higher minimum drinking age.

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On july 17, 1984 president ronald reagan under pressure from groups such as madd mothers against drunk driving and other lobbyists, signed the national minimum drinking age act. The states that have the strictest laws against using fake identification to purchase alcohol show a direct correlation to reduced alcohol related fatalities among people 21 and under. An estimate by the national highway traffic safety administration shows that increasing the minimum legal drinking age to 21 has saved the lives of about 27,0 young adults age 18 20. Approximately 5,0 people under the age of 21 die each year because of alcohol related accidents of those 5,0 kids 1,700 of them are college students.

1,600 of those killed annually are from alcohol related homicides, and 300 suicides. About 190,0 people under the age of 21 visited the emergency room for alcohol related incidents in 2008 alone. The negative effects of consuming alcohol before the age of 21 are proven and well documented.

Binge drinking is a major problem with younger people in general but more specifically on college campuses. It is not necessarily that one who starts drinking before the age of 21 will drink more often later in life, but they will drink to excess after having the first drink. The chances of one becoming a binge drinker later in life are higher for those to start drinking before their 21st birthday. Those who did not attend college but did start to consume alcohol before the age of 21 have a higher chance of becoming a binge drinker later in life than those who attended college. But it 039 s also important not to completely forget about young people who aren 039 t on college campuses. In our study, they had the greatest risk of suffering the long term consequences linked to lower drinking ages. Andrew plunk phd statistically the younger a person starts drinking the more susceptible they are to alcoholism later in life shows it can be a dangerous decision to not wait until you are 21.

The human brain is not fully developed until a person is in their early to mid twenties, therefore drinking sooner than this can be detrimental to the brain. The cerebellum controls motor skills, balance and other complex motions of the body, and when a young person drinks before this part of the brain is developed these negative effects can be permanent. Research indicates that the human brain continues to develop into a person 039 s early twenties and that exposure of the developing brain to alcohol may have long lasting effects on intellectual capabilities. David j hanson phd people who drink before they are 21 years old are also more likely to take part in risky behavior such as having unprotected sex, having multiple sexual partners, driving a motor vehicle under the influence, and taking other risks they normally would not when sober. This results in a large number of unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases among young people.

The chance of sexual assault taking place when using alcohol increases greatly, whether it is just the victim, the offender or both under the influence of alcohol. Women have a harder time completing complex tasks when they drink at an early age, where as men have a difficult time paying attention. More negative effects of drinking before 21 years old is the higher chance of being violent or being involved in violent activities, and suicidal thoughts. 1 out of 3 suicides by young people aged 18 24 can be associated with alcohol abuse.

Alcohol is a depressant and when consumed before the brain is fully developed magnifies these effects. When compared to other countries, the united states has a fairly high minimum drinking age, and it shows that it works in a positive way. New zealand lowered the minimum drinking age from 20 to 18 and found out that lowering the age has its consequences. They saw in increase in disorderly conduct charges and injuries amongst young people under the influence of alcohol. European countries have a far worse problem when it comes to binge drinking or drinking to intoxication.

Raising The Legal Drinking Age to 21 Essay Text

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