Legal Drinking Age - Research Paper Example

Drinking Age al Affiliation: Drinking Age It is not advisable for teenagers to start drinking early. Young as they are, they are susceptible to many issues that could affect their studies. The issue is not even limited to their studies but also includes other problems such as inducing them to commit petty crimes. Thus, legalizing drinking at the age of 18 years has a lot of negative effects to the teenagers ranging from ruining their studies, their personal life to their future. Prohibiting teenagers to drink at this age is more beneficial to the teenagers and the law should continue restricting alcohol among the 18 year old.

Teenagers who are 18 years old are still studying and are therefore highly involved in academic work. At this age, they should be studying rather than engaging in vices. Legalizing alcohol at this stage will distract the teenager from his or her academic life. That instead of focusing on their studies, teenagers will turn into vices and will instead end up losing direction in their academic work because of alcohol (Vick, 2010). Prohibiting alcohol at this age ensures that teenagers will remain focus on their studies and graduate school.

It is not advisable for teenagers to drink alcohol at an early age because alcoholism is an expensive habit which may be unaffordable to many teenagers. If teenagers will be allowed to drink at age 18 and get hooked with the habit, they may look for other ways to finance their habit. Thus, legalizing alcoholism at the age of 18 will lead young adults looking to illicit activities as they look for money to sustain their vice (Vick, 2010). This is a dangerous path for teenagers who are still in school because this could lead to bigger crimes just to fund their vice and therefore alcohol should be banned among 18 year olds.

Alcohol does not only ruin teenagers study and future through crime but also has a negative effect on this health. Alcohol exposes the drinker to diseases such as cirrhosis (OMalley, & Wagenaar, 1991) and other diseases such liver cancer. These diseases reduce the life expectancy period of a person if the allowable drinking will be reduced to 18 years. Allowing teenagers to start drinking early also runs the danger of making them alcoholics who are addicted to the substance of alcohol that ruins every aspect of their lives ranging from their studies, their personal life, their health and ultimately, their future.

Sources 1: OMalley, P. M., & Wagenaar, A. C. (1991). Effects of minimum drinking age laws on alcohol use, related behaviors and traffic crash involvement among American youth: 1976-1987. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 52(5), 478. According to the research done by O’Malley and Wagenaar, there is enough proof that reducing the drinking age has adverse e effects. The negative effects does not only affect the teenager but also extends to the society both in the short and long run (OMalley, & Wagenaar, 1991).

They note that the action would not have any advantages to the teenagers, and the only possible beneficiaries are the alcohol manufacturers since they will have increased sales. Source 2: Miron, J. A., & Tetelbaum, E. (2009). Does the minimum legal drinking age save lives? Economic Inquiry, 47(2), 317-336. This journal discusses the effects of reducing the legal drinking age. According to the research; they note that alcoholism at a young age creates a risk to the teenager’s life in many ways.

“Self-control at the age of 18 is very low and hence legalizing alcohol to young adults exposes them to diverse risks.” (Miron, & Tetelbaum, 2009).ReferencesMiron, J. A., & Tetelbaum, E. (2009). Does the minimum legal drinking age save lives?. Economic Inquiry, 47(2), 317-336.OMalley, P. M., & Wagenaar, A. C. (1991). Effects of minimum drinking age laws on alcohol use, related behaviors and traffic crash involvement among American youth: 1976-1987. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 52(5), 478.

Vick, Dwight. (2010). Drugs & Alcohol in the 21st Century: Theory, Behavior, & Policy. Jones & Bartlett Learning.