Drinking age in Canada - Essay Example

? 02 December Drinking age in Canada: A growing body of research related to the controversial subject of legal drinking age can be found in the present world. Proponents of lowering the drinking age to 18 argue that if a person at 18 is considered eligible enough to vote, he/she should also be trusted with the right to consume alcohol. Opponents of the legal drinking age of 18 see an army of hotheaded teenagers with large beer cans in their hands as a grave issue associated with huge social consequences. Though the legal drinking age varies from country to country but it is stressed in Canada that all people under 19 should be denied alcoholic beverages. The pattern of legal drinking age in Canada is quite lenient considering how it stands in contrast to the US where the legal drinking age is 21 which makes more sense. I believe that the age 21 law is the reason why fewer Driving under the Influence (DUI) accidents happen in America as compared to Canada. In this essay, I will attempt to prove why the drinking age in Canada should be raised to 21 by evaluating what research literature has to say on the subject. Research stresses that people under 21 should not be allowed to consume alcohol because teenagers are at a stage in their life where their brains are still in the process of development. There are findings about late cerebral development now which have lent more stability to the argument of raising the drinking age in Canada (Klingberg 25). This shows that damage ensured to the brain by continued exposure to alcohol in late teenage is a scientific reality. This should not be ignored in the name of voting argument presented by proponents of drinking age of 18 or 19. Now, this cannot be denied that teenagers are exceptionally attracted to deviant behavior. They engage in many shallow activities to achieve that destructive yet attractive objective. To cap the matters, they are also legally authorized to consume alcohol to their hearts’ content. How much more destructive role can be played by the government? There is already a worrisome rate of drug and alcohol abuse among teenagers in Canada in contrast to the US. This rise in the rate of drug and alcohol use is because of the drinking age which is set at 19 and at 18 in some provinces. Apart from binge drinking which is a favorite pastime of a large number of irresponsible teenagers, it is also not a hard task to observe many semi-unconscious teenage girls outside bars and pubs in Canada. This is a great responsibility of the government to raise the drinking age to at least 21 because teenage girls found in that state happen to be a favorite target of dangerous criminals. While uncontrolled alcohol consumption turns some people into vulnerable targets, it can also compel many to act very aggressively and generate violence in the society. This is because alcohol consumers particularly those who are under 21 lose their ability to think rationally sooner than usual. So, it does not take long for small arguments to transform into angry brawls under the influence of alcohol. DUI accidents are another potential reason why the legal drinking age of 19 in Canada should not be considered reliable and valid. Many drunk drivers ruin all their future prospects as a consequence of serious road traffic accidents in which they not only hurt themselves but also others. Research suggests that a higher drinking age can be very effective in “preventing alcohol-related deaths and injuries among youth” (Hanson, Venturelli, and Fleckenstein 214). In the US where the legal drinking age is set at 21, alcohol abuse is still seen as a factor that causes a significant percentage of violent crimes every year. If this is the state in the US where the drinking age is 21, then things can be understandably expected to get worse in Canada where drinking age is even lower. Despite scientific realities and blazing newspaper headlines suggesting against the validity of the drinking age of 19, the opponents of the age 21 law instead argue that the US should follow the Canadian legal drinking age concept. The Canadian MLDA ensures many benefits. They claim that if drinking age is set at 21, a modest drop in the rate of road traffic accidents may be noticed. But, it should be remembered that this strategy will also play a significant role in encouraging the youth to adopt wrong means to do exactly what they are stopped from by the law. They also argue that resentment in under 21 people in the US and other countries where drinking age is not 19 like Canada is quite high (Daniloff). However, I believe that drinking age in Canada should still be raised to at least 21 like the US. This is because just sticking to the MLDA of 19 thinking a higher drinking age may prompt the youth to follow wrong paths to consume alcohol is not a good strategy. It offers more disadvantages than benefits. High levels of alcohol consumption in the youth can negatively interfere with the psychological balance leading to violence and depression. There are also many disorders resulting from heavy drinking which clearly harm a person’s psychological and cognitive wellbeing. In conclusion, the above discussion underlies the validity of this claim that in the present age when the rate of alcohol addiction is already on the rise, setting the drinking age at 19 is what actually seems to be a joke. Though this Canadian policy may have some advantages, but it really brings more evil in the society. There is a higher chance of engaging in risky activities when drinking age is 19 and not higher as in the US. Alcohol affects many sensitive parts of the brain and it can also expose the youth to serious mental health problems. Starting drinking alcohol on routine basis from 19 has many bad consequences both for the drinker and the society. The US age 21 law is inspirational because it plays a potential role in reducing a number of nasty incidents. Works cited: Daniloff, Caleb. Drinking: 18 vs. 21: Alcohol on campus: debating lowering the drinking age. BU Today, 21 Oct. 2010. Web. 02 Dec. 2013. Hanson, Glen, Venturelli, Peter, and Fleckenstein, Annette. Drugs and Society. 11th ed. USA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers, 2011. Print. Klingberg, Torkel. The Learning Brain: Memory and Brain Development in Children. USA: Oxford University Press, 2012. Print. Read More