The Legal Drinking Age - Term Paper Example

Outline i. Introduction: Background of regulation ii. Body: i. Point1: social behavior at ages 16-20 Explanation Relation to thesis ii. Point2: Economic benefits Health costs incurred by government Explanation iii. Point 3: Education system The impact of college and institution of higher learning iv. Point 4: Health benefits of alcohol Explanation Relation to the topic v. Point 5: Myths about alcohol consumption Explanation iii. Conclusion Confirmation of the main point of discussion Lowering the Drinking Age: The United States has set the minimum drinking age at 21 years. This age is presumably put in place to reduce the level of fatalities caused by reckless driving under the influence of alcohol. Accidents are always common amongst drunkards, mainly because they are unable to control themselves when driving. This inability to control themselves emanates because of the existence of alcoholic substances in their body system. However, the impact of drinking is not only related to the transport sector. It spans wide to the social and economic aspects of life and would be mitigated by decisive action within these contexts (Seaman, 2010). A decision to cap the drinking age at twenty-one years on the basis of the fatalities of the transportation sector is an unbalanced decision. The government should consider a position that will lower the age to a more general and acceptable level. This is to mitigate the negative effects of a high threshold in the drinking age. The age between 16 and 21 years is an age bracket that experiences a lot of social activities. This is because at this age, the associations and groupings are much stronger than in other ages. Furthermore, these groups normally experience a development stage, reffered to as adolescence. This stage is characterized by the disobedience of these young people, and the desire to experience some forms of life, and this includes drinking of alcohol. Therefore if not well counseled, young people between these ages may become addicts to alcohol or other drugs. Furthermore, the impact of individual behavior on the other persons and delinquency is very high at this time. Reckless driving and accidents are not totally related to the consumption of alcohol (Mortensen, 1999). There are several contributing factors that lead to the cause of such accidents and not merely the consumption of alcohol. These factors may include the recklessness of a pedestrian, driving a faulty vehicle, poor road network, or even inappropriate weather conditions. These factors may also lead to the emergence of a road accident. However, the psychological impact of the consumption of alcohol is the major reason that drives most critics to believe that alcohol is a major cause of accidents among teenagers (Lindenbaum et. al. 1988). What these critics or any other person of the same school of thought fail to realize is that the psychological impacts of alcohol is similar within different ages. In fact, there is a small or negligible difference between the impacts caused by age (Seaman, 2010). Therefore denying the young people between the age of 18 and 20 years the right to use alcohol is not a solution to the problems caused by alcoholism within the society. The solution should begin by identifying the factors that are responsible for making young people to consume alcohol, and hence tackle these factors by developing policies that could prevent these young people from consuming alcohol. For example, if the problem lies on peer pressure, then the best method is for the government to educate young people, on the dangers of peer pressure, and tell them on how to avoid bad company. There is also the need of counseling young people, who are unable to disengage from bad groups, and this is for purposes of rehabilitating them. Through these methods, chances are high that there will be a reduction in the number of young people, who are involved in the consumption of alcohol. There are a number of economic benefits that the government could get from lowering the age of drinking. Binge drinking is one area that could be of impact (Lindenbaum, Healton, Savage, Brust, Garrett, Podell, & Allen 1988). By lowering the minimal drinking age to 18 years, the government could save on the costs incurred on medication of young binge drinkers that consume alcohol with little regards to health effects so long as an opportunity arises (Mortensen, 1847). Effects like alcohol poisoning could be lowered if the legal drinking age were also lowered. In binge drinking, there is little consideration on the health effects. Secondly, the increase in the market of alcohol would benefit the government a great deal. It would serve as a potential avenue to expand the economy. Expansion of the economy, in this case, results from the fact that the market for alcoholic beverages has expanded (Gifford, 2010). To the youth in school, especially college, the drinking age limit of 21 years creates a difficult situation (Gifford, 2010). While senior college students above 21 years have the right to partake alcohol, they are restricted by law not to do the same. The most probable action that will result from this is that there is a huge number of college students that will engage in illegal drinking due to peer influence. This has been witnessed at the fraternity parties that college students participate in and the rites that they institute as a means of joining these societies (Gifford, 2010). According to many college going students, the rite of joining a fraternity is associated with binge drinking (Gifford, 2010). This barbaric act of passage that is as a result of the denial of the law that stipulates that in order for one to consume alcohol, 21 years is the minimum limit. The impact of this legislative requirement is that there is a growing number of illegal drinkers in colleges and universities that spiral from the interaction of different ages within campus. A proper way of dealing with this issue would imply be that the students above 18 years are given the freedom to decide on whether to drink. This choice would limit the probability of the underage students partaking alcoholic beverages as a rite (Maggs, 1999). The health benefits of alcohol are numerous. In health circles, the effects of alcohol are attributed to some of the life-changing experiences and medical conditions. According to research, moderate levels of alcohol result in the increase in the levels of high-density lipoprotein. In ordinary language, this type of protein is known as friendly cholesterol. Its impact is that it protects individuals from several forms of heart diseases (Gifford, 2010). Scientists believe that the presence of this kind of protein increases an individuals response to insulin and improves the clotting properties of blood. The ability of this protein to limit clotting prevents the chances of blood clotting within the main arteries that are the main cause of heart diseases (Mortensen, Jensen, Sanders & Reinisch 2001). Apart from these known facts that alcohol has a great potential of improving the health conditions of an individual, the reliability of the information that is given and the channels that are used is a matter of concern (Lindenbaum et. Al.1988). To these young individuals, the spread of such propaganda can be effective due to the impact of the modern day technology. The impact of technology and the rate of consumption of the same among this population is at a high level. In 2009, for instance, the publication that appeared in the journal of sexual medicine indicated that the consumption of alcohol can reduce the common problems that young men face like erectile dysfunction. The coating of this kind of information can drive up the urge to consume alcohol. Many other societal myths also point to the same direction. Some of these facts are yet to be proved through research. For instance according to the journal Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, the possibility of drinkers becoming patient of Alzheimer disease is limited (Lindenbaum et al, 1988). Such information is readily available to young illegal drinkers without the counter information to expose the disadvantages of the same. As a result, the young drinkers engage in the illicit consumption of alcohol hoping that the mentioned benefits would be reciprocated to them. From this preceding discussion, lowering the minimum age of drinking is the best alternative not taken by the government. This alternative is better for several reasons as indicated by the points described above. Furthermore, the legal drinking age was set by legislation that has so little to do with the current time and setting. At this age, the choices that are made by individuals within the same age bracket are mostly driven by trends and information. The main issue that led to this legislation has changed over the time that this law has been effective. Issues like responsibility need to drive the agenda in discussions that touch on the use and abuse of alcohol. The young mind of the American child needs information that will enable them make choices on the use of alcohol. This should not be pegged on legislation and age. In fact the direction by law that sets an age limit on the consumption of alcohol only serves the purpose of increasing the chances of young individuals abusing alcohol. The information in this case is the key to the reduction of the underage drinking. Through information, the young individuals will realize the need to avoid alcohol use or abuse. The young minds need to be taught socio-economic impacts of alcoholism and the need to avoid the use of the same. This is the only possible remedy to the menace and not capping the minimum age at 21 years. References Gifford, M. (2010). Alcoholism. Santa Barbara, Calif: Greenwood Press/ABC-CLIO. Lindenbaum, J., Healton, E. B., Savage, D. G., Brust, J. C., Garrett, T. J., Podell, E. R., & Allen, R. H. (1988). Neuropsychiatric disorders caused by cobalamin deficiency in the absence of anemia or macrocytosis. New England Journal of Medicine, 318(26), 1720-1728. Maggs, J. L. (1999). Alcohol Use and Binge Drinking as Goal-Directed Action During the Transition to Postsecondary Education." Health risks and developmental transitions during adolescence. Mortensen, E. L., Jensen, H. H., Sanders, S. A., & Reinisch, J. M. (2001). Better psychological functioning and higher social status may largely explain the apparent health benefits of wine: a study of wine and beer drinking in young Danish adults. Archives of Internal Medicine, 161(15), 1844-1848. Seaman, B. (2010). Binge: What Your College Student Wont Tell You. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons. Read More