Topic > Alcohol Law: Raise the Minimum Drinking Age

Alcohol drinkers often don't see the effects of alcohol until it turns into an addiction. During the Vietnam War, government officials lowered the drinking age when people raised the question of why they could die for their country at 18 but not drink alcohol. This change did not last long as people began to see increased health effects and an increase in car accidents. Raising the drinking age may give young people more time to realize the dangers of alcohol before consuming it. Science has proven that if young people consume alcohol, it affects their body and mental processes. People who consume alcohol daily often don't see the consequences of drinking alcohol before it's too late. The consequences are many, including illnesses, effects on children and parents, accidents and other problems. Raising the drinking age to twenty-five will minimize the widespread effects on the body, the effects on adolescents and the dangers of drinking and driving. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The first reason why government officials should raise the drinking age of alcohol from twenty-one to twenty-five is because of the widespread effects on the body. Alcohol affects the brain in many different ways. Problems with vision, memory, difficulty walking, and slurred speech are examples of the effects of alcohol (NIAA). The effects in the brain prevent the drinker from walking, talking and seeing properly. Another effect is that alcohol can cause the growth of new brain cells. More brain cells can form in the brain leaving the alcoholic at risk for disease. Government officials maintaining or even lowering the drinking age can have serious consequences for teenagers by giving them the choice to drink alcohol at a young age. Along with the brain, alcohol greatly affects the cardiovascular system. Monico says: “In 2016, alcohol-related cardiovascular disease caused approximately 593,000 deaths globally. Consuming too much alcohol is linked to high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, difficulty pumping blood through the body, blood clots, stroke, cardiomyopathy, or heart attack.” High blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, and stroke are just some of the symptoms that can develop in the cardiovascular system after excessive alcohol consumption. These listed heart and brain symptoms are some examples of the effect alcohol has on the body. The cardiovascular system and the brain are both greatly affected by alcohol consumption. If government officials could pass a law raising the minimum age for drinking alcohol to twenty-five, rates of drinkers experiencing widespread body effects would decrease. If government officials lowered the minimum age for drinking alcohol to a lower age instead of raising it, teenagers would be more likely to drink alcohol at a younger age and develop these widespread effects on the body. In “Calculating Lives Saved by Minimum Drinking Age Laws,” Kindleberger explains when states lowered the drinking age: Between 1970 and 1975, 29 states lowered the drinking age to 18, 19 or 20 years old. By 1983, security concerns had led many of these states to reverse course. In 1984, the Uniform Drinking Age Act reduced federal transportation funding to states that did not ban the “public purchase and possession” of alcohol by those under 21. All states eventually reset their age to 21legal for the public purchase and possession of alcohol. Less than fifty years ago, twenty-nine states lowered the drinking age law from 21 to 18, 19, or 20. This law did not last long after the increased rate of accidents on highways and the increase in Widespread effects of alcohol on adolescent bodies. Eventually, states reinstated the law making drinking any form of alcohol 21 years old. Since there have been fewer accidents since the drinking age was raised to 21, the number could become even lower by raising the minimum drinking age to 25. The second reason government officials should increase the minimum age at which a person consumes alcohol is because of the effect alcohol has on teenagers. Kindleberger states: “Each year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) National Center for Statistics and Analysis (NCSA) publishes an estimate of the lives saved due to such bans, referred to more loosely as the “legal minimum age for drink” (MLDA)”. This quote explains that alcohol bans have saved many young lives as the legal drinking age is twenty-one. There are those who argue for lowering the drinking age, but the results of the experience of earlier drinking ages do not support this argument. If states lowered the drinking age to eighteen, teenagers would have the propensity to binge drink alcohol as they do not make wise choices at a young age and there would be many harmful effects. Isaac Cooper says: “In recent years, researchers have lost light on the age at which young adults reach physical maturity – and it's not 18. It's not even 21. Some studies on the effects of alcohol or drugs on teenagers and Young adults have shown that physical maturity, especially of the brain and nervous system, does not occur until a person reaches age 25." A person's brain and nervous system do not fully develop until they are at least twenty-five years old. This means that their maturity level is not fully developed at the age of 21, which leads them to make poor decisions about alcohol consumption due to the low minimum age law. In addition to destroying both the body and relationships, a third reason why government officials should raise the minimum drinking age is because of the dangers of drinking while driving. There are many victims of alcohol-related car accidents, including drivers, passengers, and those who are hit by the person driving while intoxicated. Every year families face the death of loved ones due to the effects of alcohol on their ability to drive. An anonymous author under the pseudonym Buddy T states: “Although traffic fatalities are lower than at the turn of the century, alcohol-related crashes kill about 10,000 people a year in the United States, and alcohol is a factor above all. three motor vehicle deaths.” Every year ten thousand people lose their lives because a drunk drinker was behind the wheel. The effects of alcohol alter a person's driving abilities, and the results of drinking while driving are life-changing. Juergens also states: “The sedative effects of alcohol impair the driver's decision-making abilities and coordination. A driver with a disability lacks the ability to quickly and decisively avoid an accident or even perform a routine while driving.” An individual under the influence does not have adequate coordination skills to drive on the road. Once again, the anonymous author under the pen name Buddy T states: “Underage drinkers are a danger to themselves and others, especially on highways.” The underage drinker on the highway is..