Mandujano 1

Maria Mandujano
Roxana Dewey
Eng 101
30 November 2016
Drinking Age Should Not Be Lowered
Many lives have been saved since Congress raised the national minimum drinking age to
21 in 1984 (Nelson, par.10). Keeping the drinking age at 21 would not stop underage drinking
but at least would make it harder for them have access to the alcohol. People between 18 and 20
tend to drink more than the people that are over 21. Lowering the age in which people can
legally purchase and drink will give them the option of drink more often because they would
have more access to it. Teenager are is the stage of life where they want to feel and proved to
others that they are not kids anymore, that they are adults that can make their own decision and
decided when to drink even though they are not allowed to. The drinking age should not be
lowered, there would be many deaths of young people and will lowered their life age.
Drinking affect peoples behavior. People that drink at a really young age, tend to have an
aggressive behavior and with time they can become an alcoholic (Watkins, par.7). Alcohol does
not just affect them physical, affects them mentally. In the age of 18 to 20 the brain is still
developing and by consuming alcohol is dangerous for the developing brain (Watkins, par.10).
Adolescents do not really drink because they like to, mostly they drink because they want to be
accepted by a certain kind of group or people older than them.

Mandujano 2

In colleges student tend to drink more than people that do not attend to college. The
reason may be that in college there is people from different ages and some student that just finish
high school want to be accepted by older students. College life is saturated with popular drinking
games that no doubt seems brilliant to the late- adolescents (Thompson, par.13). In college there
still student that are not mature enough to take school serious and they just go to school to make
friend and have a good time. Many students have already drinking problem and when they go to
college, they invited others to drink and thats how they make groups on which every member of
this group would have to drink because if they dont do it they would not accepted them in their
group.
Many young people have been killed in a car accident while influence from alcohol.
Countless lives have been saved since the congress raised the age of drinking to 21 on 1984
(Nelson, par.11), this is why the drinking age should not be lowered. When people are under the
influence of the alcohol, they do not thinking straight. Alcohol affect people driving, when a
person in under the influences of the alcohol, they are not able to react the same way that if they
were sober. Many people are been killed in car accidents by people who drive under the
influences of alcohol. An estimated of 5,000 young people under the age of 21 die as a result of
underage drinking (Watkins, par.4).
If a boy is old enough to fight for his country, why isnt he old enough to vote? was the
popular refrain (Thompson, par.7). People does not agree with the 21 drinking law because how
is possible that when some turns 18 they are allowed to join the army and risk their lives for their
country and they are not allowed to have a drink. If they are old enough to make the decision to
fight for their country, they should be old enough to make other decisions like if they want to
drink or not.

Mandujano 3

Between 1970 and 1976. 29 states lowered the drinking age to 21 and this decision was
catastrophic, the number of deaths of teenagers and young adults was too high (Thompson,
par.8). There is a big number of young adults that die every year, if the drinking age get lowered
to 18, there would be more deaths than the ones that already exist. Young adults would have
more access to the alcohol and would drink more often if they are allowed to buy the alcohol
themselves. Schools should help the parents to keep students away from drinking, they should
make some groups where the student can join and have fun without drinking, there is many
things to do that does not need alcohol to make it good day. People should learn how to
appreciate the beauty of the life. There are many things to do and have a wonderful day without
been waist or drunk. For example, walking at the park and looking at the beautiful flower, feeling
the fresh air or just looking at kids play on the playground. People are living their lives to fast,
and are missing the simple things that make the life beautiful.

Mandujano 4

Works Cited
Main, Carla T. "The Minimum Legal Drinking Age Should Not Be Lowered." Teens at Risk,
edited by Stephen P. Thompson, Greenhaven Press, 2013. Opposing Viewpoints.
Opposing Viewpoints in Context,
libproxy.gc.maricopa.edu/login?
url=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010167407/OVIC?
u=mcc_glendale&xid=828aefe1. Accessed 8 Dec. 2016. Originally published as
"Underage Drinking and the Drinking Age," www.hoover.org, no. 155, 1 June 2009.
Moyse, Misty, and Melanie Fonder. "The Drinking Age Should Not Be Lowered." Teen Drug
Abuse, edited by David E. Nelson, Greenhaven Press, 2011. Opposing Viewpoints.
Opposing Viewpoints in Context,

libproxy.gc.maricopa.edu/login?

url=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010436249/O

VIC?

u=mcc_glendale&xid=cbc23477. Accessed 8 Dec. 2016. Originally published as "Some

University Presidents Shirk Responsibility to Protect Students Dangers of Underage Drinking,",
19 Aug. 2008.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "The Minimum Legal Drinking Age Should
Not Be Lowered." Teens at Risk, edited by Christine Watkins, Greenhaven Press, 2009.
Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, libproxy.gc.maricopa.edu/login?
url=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010167287/OVIC?
u=mcc_glendale&xid=decf0295. Accessed 8 Dec. 2016. Originally published as
"Underage Drinking: Why Do Adolescents Drink, What are the Risks, and How Can
Underage Drinking Be Prevented?", Jan. 2006.