The drinking age shouldn't be lowered because of three very real risks: drunk driving, alcohol poisoning, and violent and/or destructive behavior . Above: Every 12 minutes, another person dies in a car accident. Drunk driving is a blight on our civilization. ... After age 25, the drunk driving rates decrease.
What are the cons of lowering the drinking age?
Now, I will discuss the cons of lowering the drinking age. The most concerning consequence of consuming alcohol below the age of 21 is interference with the brain's frontal lobe development . The results could include dangerous risk-taking behavior, reduced decision making ability, depression, suicide, and violence.
Why should the drinking age stay at 21 statistics?
More than 25,000 lives have been saved in the U.S. thanks to the 21 Minimum Legal Drinking Age. This law continues to prevent tragedies — decreasing crashes by an estimated 16 percent and keeping young people safer from many risks.
Should the drinking age be raised or lowered?
“Research shows that it saves lives,” agreed MADD National President Jan Withers. “In fact, it is one of the most researched public health laws on the books. When the law was raised to 21 , alcohol-related deaths for young people decreased; when the drinking age was lowered, deaths increased.”
What are the cons of lowering the drinking age to 18?
Evidence also suggests that a lower drinking age leads to higher levels of binge drinking later in life among men. Any move toward increasing alcohol availability to young adults must consider its adverse effects, including traffic fatalities, unplanned pregnancy and crime.
What's the youngest drinking age?
Although the majority of the countries around the world have set the MLDA at 18 years, 16 years is considered the youngest drinking age. At least eight countries and regions have set their MLDA at 16 years.
Why is the drinking age so high in the US?
The drinking age was raised back to 21 over federal highway funding . In 1984, the National Minimum Drinking Age Act passed, which stated federal highway funds would be withheld from U.S. states that failed to set the minimum legal drinking age back at 21.
Can you drink under 21 with a parent?
Only a parent or guardian (or a person authorised by the parent or guardian) may supply alcohol to a minor at an unlicensed premises (including a family home), however the supply must be consistent with the responsible supervision of the minor.
Is there a connection between 21 being the legal drinking age and brain development?
During the teenage and early adult years, the brain is still developing , making it more vulnerable to alcohol than the adult brain. Moreover, research indicates that the earlier a person starts drinking, the more likely that person will develop serious problems with alcohol or drug addiction later in life.
What Mlda 21?
A Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA) of 21 saves lives and protects health. Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA) laws specify the legal age when an individual can purchase alcoholic beverages. The MLDA in the United States is 21 years.
What was the drinking age in 1970?
Why did Congress pass the national drinking age act? After Prohibition, nearly all states adopted a minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) of 21. Between 1970 and 1975, however, 29 states lowered the MLDA to 18, 19, or 20 , largely in response to the change in the voting age.
What is the drinking age in Korea?
Still, the legal drinking age is 20 (or more specifically Jan 1 of the year the person turns 20, since everyone is considered a year older when the year turns). The legal drinking age for U.S. military stationed in South Korea is 21.
How many countries have a drinking age of 21?
Of the 190 countries, 61% have a drinking age of 18 or 19 years old. The United States and 11 other countries have an MLDA of 21 years old, the highest MLDA of all the countries where it is legal to drink (although some areas of India have drinking ages as high as 25 and 30 years old).
What states can you drink at 18?
Plus, in North Carolina, you can pour beer and wine at eighteen, but not liquor until you are 21. As you can see, it quickly gets confusing when it comes to the minimum legal age and liquor. There are only five states with no exceptions to the federal law: Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, New Hampshire, and West Virginia .
Where is 18 the drinking age?
In North America the legal drinking age and legal purchase age varies from 18 to 21 years: In Mexico , the drinking age is 18 in all states. In the United States, the minimum legal age to purchase alcoholic beverages is 21 years of age; the two exceptions are Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands where the age is 18.
What is the drinking age in Mexico?
The minimum legal drinking age in Mexico is 18 years old . Mexico requires that young adults show photo identification, either a passport or driver's license, as proof of age when buying alcohol.
