Final Project Revised

The Drinking age in the United States should be changed to eighteen. On July 17, 1984, the Uniform Drinking Age Act was formed, which states the legal drinking age to be declared to twenty-one from eighteen. This law was changed in an attempt to lower the amount of drunk driving accidents, but I am opposed to this solution. Just because someone is under the age of twenty-one, doesn't mean they will drink and drive. I believe that people who drink and drive will do so no matter what age. At eighteen years old, we are categorized as “adults” and yet we are restricted from doing certain things, for example, drinking alcohol. Although you must be twenty-one to drink, this law doesn't stop minors from drinking. Instead, people under twenty-one will just consume alcohol irresponsibly, because they feel as if it's a way to "rebel". In forcing this law of the drinking age as twenty-one, it is actually making the problems worse. Lowering the drinki

ng age can teach responsible drinking to those who drink alcoholic beverages. Eighteen year olds should be treated like the "adults" they are.

Many young people took advantage of their right to suffrage this past election. It seems to not make sense how the U.S. Government trusts eighteen year olds to contribute in making the decision of who runs our country, yet they cannot allow them to be responsible enough drink an alcoholic beverage. At eighteen you are able to get married, but not able to sip champagne at your wedding. We are able to fight and die for our country. On your eighteenth birthday, you can go get something drawn on your skin that will stay on your body forever, and afterwards go out to a bar where eighteen year olds are serving beer, but still cannot drink. At eighteen years old you can buy a gun, cigarettes, play poker, go to jail and even buy and smoke Salvia, which is a drug that has some of the same effects of LSD. With all these privileges or rights we get at eighteen, what makes twenty-one so special for drinking?

Recently, A small group of about 100 college presidents disagreed with our government. This group is called the Amethyst Initiative. They believe that restricting people under twenty one from drinking increases and encourages binge drinking. Binge drinking is drinking with the primary intention of becoming intoxicated by heavy consumption of alcohol in a short period of time. The law states that any state that wants to consider lowering its drinking age faces 10% deduction in highway funds. The Amethyst Initiative isn't necessarily trying to lower the drinking age, but just trying to open the discussion in congress.

Alcohol can make you feel really good, but if it is abused, it can impair your ability to operate some machinery and vehicles. About 185,000 people are killed each year in drunk driving accidents and 85,000 in alcohol-related situations. Kids always want what they can't have. If they are introduced to alcohol at a younger age they are more likely to be responsible about drinking. There is much more education now then when the drinking age used to be eighteen so the idea wouldn't be just to lower the age to eighteen, but have something called a "drinking license." Similar to a drivers license, you would have to go to school and be certified, just the way you would do to be able to drive a car. This would better inform eighteen year olds about the risks of being an irresponsible drinker.

Each year, a staggering 440,000 people die in the US from cigarette use. There are also 30,694 firearm deaths each year as well. The two statistics just stated involve items you can buy at the age of eighteen. What makes an eighteen year old mature enough to buy a gun and take a life, but not mature enough to have a drink? The governments concern is that 18-20 year olds are the main cause behind most drunk driving incidents today. If you need to be twenty-one to drink, maybe you should be twenty-one to smoke and purchase a firearm as well, considering the deaths caused by them are the same if not higher.

On September 16, 2004, Gordie Bailey, a freshmen at the University of Colorado, died of alcohol poisoning. He drank as part of a hazing to get into a fraternity. This is a huge example of why the drinking age should be lowered. Gordie Bailey died because it was illegal for him to be drinking, so the guys in the fraternity didn't take him to a hospital or call an ambulance because they were afraid. If it had been legal for him to drink, Gordie could have been saved. Considering that I am this age, I feel that it's wrong to call an eighteen year old an "adult" but at the same time not let them drink an alcoholic beverage.