Lowering the Drinking Age - Essay Example

Lowering the Drinking Age Topic: Lowering the drinking age General Purpose: To inform the audience that lowering the drinking age will be more advantageous to our country USA Specific Purpose: To persuade the audience that lowering the drinking age will be more advantageous to our country USA Thesis Statement: Considering the 21st century environment, discrimination to the youth due to their age despite their ability to make decision, increased traffic accidents and crime rates it would be beneficial for the government to reduce the drinking age from 21 years to 18 years. Organizational Pattern: Monroe’s Motivational Sequence Visual Aids: none Introduction I. Attention-getter: The drinking age in USA must be reduced because it is discriminative, as it denies those who are otherwise responsible people the opportunity of taking alcohol because of their age. Therefore, the age should be reduced so that it includes those people who have reached the age where they can take responsibility for their own actions. This is because, despite the fact that it is illegal for young adults below drinking age to drink alcohol, most people always start drinking before they reach the legal drinking age Credibility Statement: I have researched on the issue at lowering the drinking age in USA on the pros and cons, as well as their implications for over 30 years. As a result, I present this argument calling for the lowering of the age due to its benefits to society despite strong opposition from the public and other members of the society. II. Preview: The controversy on lowering the minimum legal drinking age has been raging for a long time and has attracted the attention of many. Many have been arguing that lowering the drinking age will encourage promiscuousness and irresponsibility, which is a mistaken stand since there is no direct relation between drinking and behaviors, as we will come to realize. > Body I. Main Point 1 Lowering the drinking age will minimize discrimination. A. The drinking age should be lowered because; in the early days, anyone was allowed to drink regardless of their age. The drinking age should be lowered because; in the early days, anyone was allowed to drink regardless of their age. 1. “Consumption of alcohol is done by people over the age of 21 years at their own peril. 2. Why not allow those at the age of 18 years participate in their alcohol drinking antics freely and without any form of restriction from the authorities and the law, as well as other authorities. B. The youngsters have as much right as any other human adult to take his, or her drinking seriously without any inhibitions. 1. Failure to allow this amounts to discrimination on the basis of age, which, in turn, sets a bad example to the same young people that the law is attempting to protect. 2. This is in relation to showing them that as long as you are not of a given age, then your conduct or behavior is restricted to certain bounds that cannot, or must not be crossed. 3. In the early times, consumption of alcohol was an event or act for anyone, why can we not let the memories of our ancestors come back to life by allowing all those with the ability to handle their liquor participate in the consumption. C. The consumption of alcohol at an early age does not do much for wellbeing of the underage is a common argument. 1. However, it is beneficial for the society collectively in relation to sustenance of cultural and traditional values. 2. This is what brings us back to the ancestral issue, where anyone should be free to drink at an early age without any restrictions. > II. Main Point 2: Anyone at the age of eighteen years is of legal age to make decisions for him, or herself. A. In addition, anyone at the age of eighteen years is of legal age to make decisions for him, or herself. 1. These decisions include signing of contracts that are legally binding, voting, and participating in jury. 2. This excludes the information that as long as one is over the age of eighteen years, one can be forced to join the Selective Service for possible drafting into the military and participating in war should one occur. 3. The implication of the above is that the government and the law recognizes the ability of eighteen year olds to make appropriate decisions regarding the welfare of the country at large, but not those that determine their own wellbeing.. B. Lowering the age of alcohol consumption displays in truth and earnest the amount of trust that the government places in its young adult on a practical scale. 1. This is by allowing them to consume alcohol as soon as they become adults, rather than subjecting to distrustful antics. 2. It also put one in the state of questioning the sincerity of the government, in giving independence to young adults; while withholding the benefits that come with being a grown up person such as choosing whether to drink or not. C. The legal age for drinking should be lowered in order to harmonize the image or perception of the people towards the government. 1. Lowering of the drinking age would harmonize the image or perception of the people towards the government, as an institution that builds trust in its people and promotes fairness and justice. 2. It also builds a good impression of young adults at the age of 18 as trustworthy people who can manage their own lives and the affairs of the nation 3. This is because they are already charged with civil responsibilities at the same age. . > III. Main Point 3: Uniforms help students fight peer pressure to buy trendy clothes, therefore saving parents a good amount of money. A. Lowering the minimum legal drinking age should be done in order to work for the better of the society and the involved parties collectively 1. This is concerning allowing young adults to drink in regulated environments and under appropriate supervision (“Drinking Age”) 2. This is because with the current minimum legal drinking age, young adults are restricted from using social amenities to engage in their drinking activities. Such amenities include pubs, clubs, restaurants and other social places that sell alcohol and provide entertainment, and alcohol is involved. 3. With this in mind, the young adults end up engaging in their activities in unrestricted environment, where their safety and wellbeing is questionable. Such places include fraternity houses and house parties, where they are free to engage in drinking and other risky behavior, such as drunk driving after the party is over, or trashing the entire neighborhood during their drunken stupor (“The Debate on Lowering the Drinking Age” 2). B. In addition, lowering the drinking age is a positive step towards raising the bar on responsible drinking for the young adults. 1. This is because of the official recognition given to them; meaning that they are bound to act as role models and keep down their antisocial behavior. 2. This is concerning drunken street fights and risk of causing grievous harm to themselves and others. 3. Lowering the drinking, as a result, promotes mature conduct in young adults as the trust invested in them to engage in drinking activities creates a sense of responsibility that should be upheld at all times for the greater good of the society. 4. It is, therefore, crucial to lower the minimum legal drinking age in order to create better means of preventing alcohol abuse among youngsters. This is by using regulated and supervised drinking areas to ensure responsible drinking habits. Transition: While environmental, decision capacity will be obeyed, it is also worth noting that drinking alcohol has no direct relationship with human behavior.>> IV. Main Point 4: Drinking alcohol has no influence to human behaviors A. Minimum legal drinking age should be reduced to that of young adulthood, as alcohol consumption has no influence on behavior as many like presume. 1. Considering the first point, on the ancestors and their drinking habits; there is not much that has changed, in modern times, to warrant a restriction on the age of drinking. 2. This is because most of the events that took place back then, still occur today implying that it is not the influence of alcohol on the youth that leads to irresponsible behavior before, during, or after consuming alcohol. 3. This reveals that the influence of alcohol is just but a mere perception, or rather misconception of alcohol as a problem but not as an activity (Spiess). B. Lowering the age of drinking would be the responsible thing following the exhibition of mature behavior to accept that there are other factors driving social evils on alcohol. 1. This is the same as saying that bad choices are to blame for misfortunes that the youth face while drinking, which is true as they are adult enough with civil responsibilities (Spiess) 2. In addition, countries that do not have alcohol problems have almost similar problems as the USA in relation to alcohol related accidents and disorderliness. 3. In turn, this means that the age of engaging in alcohol consumption activities has little to do the current events that are affiliated with alcohol consumption and behavior. C. In addition, in other countries that have a lower minimum legal drinking, the accident rates went lower faster than that of the USA after the drinking limit was increased to age of twenty-one. 1. This implies that, all negative influences affiliated to alcohol are all but a misconception or negative attitude towards alcohol. 2. Moreover, it shows that lowering the age drinking does not influence the behavior of young adults negatively; it only proves that there are other factors in play, such as bad decisions. V. Main Point 5: The minimum legal drinking age should be lowered is the number of traffic accidents affiliated to drunk driving. A. Statistics prove that there are more traffic accidents during the first few years after one attains the legal age of engaging in alcohol consumption activities (“Drinking Age”). 1. This means that those who are from the age of twenty-one years all through to twenty four years tend to have more traffic accidents as compared to the other age groups. 2. This put in simple terms implies that lowering the minimum legal drinking age drops the level of accidents as once it is reduced; there are bounds to be measures to supervise young adults and their drinking habits. 3. This is because they are not in a hurry to conduct experiments with their drinking capabilities and habits, as opposed to those that begin at the age of twenty-one. It also means that it will make the consumption of alcohol cease to be a taboo for youngsters attending college (“The Debate on Lowering the Drinking Age” 1). B. Crime rates are bound to go down as young adults tone down their drinking habits into moderate consumption thus, less unruly behavior than when it is illegal to consume alcohol before twenty one 1. As a result, the government would save plenty of effort in trying to prevent underage drinking and instead invest in relevant areas. 2. This is because; none of the strategies put in place to save curb drinking before 21 works effectively, but is instead a challenge on its own and works towards increasing crime rates. Conclusion I. Review/Summary of Main Points: In conclusion, lowering the minimum legal drinking age is bound to work for the good of the society following good riddance of some practices. Lowering the legal drinking age eliminates discrimination among the youth, based on their age and the privileges they should enjoy, and creates a positive atmosphere and environment that they can engage in drinking. This is concerning supervision and regulated environments, where behavior can be monitored to prevent traffic accidents and ensure appropriate decisions are made. Works Cited “Drinking Age”. Procon.org. 2012. Web. 30 October 2012. < http://drinkingage.procon.org/> “The Debate on Lowering the Drinking Age”. CBS News. 2010. Web. 29 Oct. 2012. < http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18560_162-4813571.html?pageNum=2&tag=contentMain;contentBody> Spiess, DJ. “696 Very Good Reasons Why We Should Lower the Drinking Age”. Fermentarium. 2008. Web. 29 Oct. 2012. < http://www.fermentarium.com/lifestyle/reasons-why-we-should-lower-the-drinking-age/> Read More