FREE ESSAY ON DRINKING AGE

DRINKING AGE

Drinking Age
Why has America had so many problems with underage drinking? I think that there is way
too much underage drinking by young adults in America. On the other hand, I don't believe
that it is their fault. I feel, that the lawmakers should lower the drinking age. The
National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1986 forces states to enforce the legal age of 21
years old or lose matching highway funds.
Alcohol has been around since the beginning of time and its not going to disappear. I
believe that alcohol is not a bad thing, unless you abuse it. Today, most young adults
start drinking early in their high school years at social gatherings. During those years,
they endure many changes in their lives. They think that if they don't drink like their
fellow peers, they will not fit in. What they don't know is that their body is still
growing and alcohol can lead to many complications early in life. 
In many cultures drinking as a young adult is not frowned upon, you are encouraged to
have alcohol in moderation. We, as a culture, need to look at alcohol as something that
is not bad unless it is abused. If drinking alcohol were looked at as being a social act
and not as something to do every weekend when you were bored, we would have fewer
problems with underage drinking. 
In addition, I feel that parents have a lot to with the problem. They are too naive to
realize that their kids are going to drink. In most households, parents don't approve of
drinking. Rather, they should approve of you to drink responsibly if you are going to
drink. In my household, I was brought up knowing that alcohol is not something that
should be abused. My parents have trusted me to be responsible when drinking. They
trusted me to make the right decisions. For the most part I have, except for one time
that I will never forget, when I abused alcohol.
Furthermore, I truly believe that if you are able to fight for your country in a war, buy
cigarettes, and be tried as an adult in court, you should be able to purchase alcohol.
Therefore, I think that the legal age should be 18 years old. By doing that, I also
believe that they should raise the penalty for driving under the influence. I feel very
strongly against people drinking and driving because I've almost lost family and
friends.
I also realize that this could have very bad effects on the young adults of America.
There could be many people who would abuse this law if it were to take effect. It all
leads to the maturity factor and being responsible. I think that the government should
make a compromising situation with young adults. For the most part, young adults drink on
the weekend. So, I think they should allow us to drink on the weekend legally from 5
o'clock in the evening on Friday until Sunday 6 o'clock in the evening. That would give
us an opportunity to go and have fun on a weekend without it affecting our lives.
Another contradicting fact is that alcoholism is a disease. Some people might assume that
there would be more alcoholics, but that wouldn't change the fact that they have a
problem. I have a friend who has this problem and lowering the law would not effect how
much he drinks. No matter what, he will get his alcohol every weekend. 
In conclusion, I hope what I have told you has persuaded you into believing that they
should lower the drinking age. Although it seems farfetched, I think when you are in
college you are responsible enough and can make a mature judgment.