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Argumentative Essay Final Copy

Written by: Alyssa Regner
April 2014
Core 4
"Alcohol cannot be bought or possessed by those younger than 21 in the United States, yet that age group
accounts for 17.5 percent of consumer spending for alcohol, nationwide. On top of that, 90 percent of that 17.5 percent
is consumed through binge drinking. It's not a surprise that the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) is the drug law that
is most frequently violated in America." (Tracy, Sam) Currently, the minimum legal drinking age is 21. Many factors such
as exorbitant alcohol consumption, drunk driving risks, medical problems, maturity levels, and personal responsibility
and many others, contribute towards whether the drinking age should or should not be lowered to 18. Subsequently,
the minimum legal drinking age has been a common debatable argument in the United States; should the minimum
legal drinking age be lowered to 18? Proponents propose that the minimum legal drinking age should be lowered to 18
on the grounds that 18 is the official age of an adult and there are many other responsibilities given at the age, it would
not reduce traffic accidents and fatalities from drunk driving, alcohol has several health benefits and 18 reduces the
overall consumption of alcohol. However, opponents emphasize that the minimum legal drinking age should not be
lowered to 18 and that it should stay at 21 on the grounds that, it would reduce traffic accidents and fatalities from
drunk driving, it would be medically irresponsible because of its negative health benefits, 21 is a mature age where
drinking and other responsibilities should stay, and it reduces the overall consumption of alcohol.

Advocates of lowering the drinking age claim that lowering the minimum legal drinking age to 18 reduces traffic
accidents and fatalities but keeping the MLDA at 21 does not reduce these drunk driving accidents on the road. Although
the United States increased the MLDA to 21 in 1984, its rate of traffic accidents and fatalities in the 1980s decreased less
than that of European countries whose legal drinking ages are lower than 21. ("Drinking Age ProCon.org.") In the article,
"Should the Drinking Age Be Lowered from 21 to a Younger Age?" the author states; "In 2009, the 21- to 24-year-old age
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group had the highest percentage of drivers in fatal crashes with blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) levels of .08 or
higher 35 percent. Any increase in traffic accidents or fatalities in 18- to 20-year-olds would be offset by a decrease for
those 21 and older. " This suggests that by having the minimum legal drinking age to 21 could not reduce car accidents
from drunk driving because in 2009, there was the highest 21-24 year- old drivers on fatal car crashes. ("Drinking Age
ProCon.org.") In his article titled, "Shouldn't we lower the minimum legal drinking age to 18?" President Emeritus John
M. McCardell Jr. of Middlebury College proposes that, "In almost all cases (legal drinking age and its effect on traffic
crashes, alcohol consumption, as well as other social problem outcomes), the majority of studies found no significant
relationship whatsoever between the drinking age and outcome variables." Moreover, these studies have found no
significant relationship at all between the drinking age and car crashes from drunk driving. ("Choose Responsibility.")
Furthermore, from the same article, ("Shouldn't we lower the minimum legal drinking age to 18?) "... research suggests
that the MLDA 21 may not just prevent alcohol-related traffic fatalities from happening, but simply postpone the age
when they do occur. If the reason for having the MLDA is set at 21 for that reason, then there are lives saved. But
because of this method, the postponing effect of the drinking age is measured by Dee and Evans in 2001 with 21-24
year-old kids were used as a control group. The fact of postponing deaths may inflate the recorded effectiveness of the
21 MLDA by increasing the alcohol-related traffic fatality rate in the control group of 21-24 year-olds." ("Choose
Responsibility.") All in all, they did a survey to show that postponing deaths by having the minimum legal drinking age at
21, could decrease the effectiveness of the drinking age at 21 because it would increase the fatalities from that age
group (21-24 year-olds). So if this is indeed the real reason for having the minimum legal drinking age at 21, then if these
studies are correct, they could be putting the MLDA 21 age group at risk. The advocates of lowering the drinking age to
18 clearly specified, that the minimum legal drinking age of 21 does not reduce traffic accidents and fatalities by stating
information from highly credible professionals, and presenting valuable information from surveys.
The advocates of lowering the drinking age to 18 previously implied that the minimum legal drinking age of 21,
does not reduce traffic accidents and fatalities from drunk driving car accidents. It was claimed by procon.org that "in
2009, the 21- to 24-year-old age group had the highest percentage of drivers in fatal crashes -35%". Also it was reported
that "in almost all cases, the majority of studies found no significant relationship whatsoever between the drinking age
and outcome variables." Although these facts are true, we don't have any evidence as to where these results are from;
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they could be from Japan, or China or a different country across the world. If these results are from another country, we
can't apply them to our benefit or evidence towards lowering the drinking age in the U.S. if because other countries
around the world have different regulations for drinking which would make their experience of drinking in their country
different than ours. Another limitation to the statistics provided was that the study done in 2009 showing that the 21-24
age group had the highest percent of drivers in fatal crashes, is most likely not accurate anymore because it is now 2014,
and 2009 was five years ago- much could have changed from then which leaves this information to vary or not remain
the same. It is also explained that if the minimum legal drinking age is at 21 to make the age higher when young adults
die in drunk driving accidents (as claimed in an article referred to in the text), then that is working, but a study from the
group showed that postponing deaths may increase the recorded effectiveness of the 21 MLDA by increasing the
alcohol-related traffic fatality rate in the control group of 21-24 year-olds. This statement brings up a good point, except
that the people who did the research, Dee and Evans, their credibility on the topic, is not known. The person who wrote
the article is credible but these people could just be random and not reliable. However, it is valuable that from the
article, "Should the Drinking Age Be Lowered from 21 to a Younger Age?" the purpose of the website is to provide
information without bias. This helps prevent biased information and give real facts that aren't persuaded to one side.
Also from this article, it is commendable that it gives information more in a statistical format where it gives the age
range, and lots of numbers to clarify information. From the second article titled, "Shouldn't we lower the minimum legal
drinking age to 18?" the author seems to be pretty credible on the topic and knows what he's talking about. The
information from procon.org is very clear and straight forward as to why having the minimum legal drinking age at 21
does not reduce traffic accidents and fatalities. Notwithstanding, does lowering the minimum legal drinking age reduce
traffic accidents and fatalities? If the minimum legal drinking age is lowered or not, there will still be car accidents and
fatalities. People will still over consume alcohol and get drunk, and still can get killed in car crashes. Statistics such as the
ones stated cannot be pulled to an immediate conclusion because the information varies too much for an exact
conclusion to be formed. The advocates of lowering the drinking age to 18 have some compelling facts to express that
the minimum legal drinking age of 21 does not reduce traffic accidents and fatalities from drunk driving. However, the
opponents disagree, and have found that by having the minimum legal drinking age at 21, it does reduce traffic
accidents and fatalities.
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Advocates of keeping the drinking age at 21 claim that by having the minimum legal drinking age at 21, it
"reduces traffic accidents and fatalities from drunk driving. It is proved that, 100 of the 102 analyses (98%) in a 2002
meta-study of the legal drinking age and traffic accidents found higher legal drinking ages associated with lower rates of
traffic accidents." ("Drinking Age ProCon.org.") From ProCon.org, in an article titled, "Should the Drinking Age Be
Lowered from 21 to a Younger Age?" it articulates: "The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
estimated that MLDA 21 decreased the number of fatal traffic accidents for 18- to 20-year-olds by 13% and saved
approximately 27,052 lives from 1975-2008." ("Drinking Age ProCon.org.") This shows that by having the minimum
drinking age at 21, it will save 13% of 18-20 year-olds who are underage drinkers. Having the minimum drinking age at
21 has saved almost 30,000 lives from 1975 to 2008. Imagine how many that would go up to now? Keeping the drinking
age at 21 will most-likely continue to save these lives. In addition, Laura Dean-Mooney, MADD National President for
the past 17 years indicates in her article titled: "A Lower Age Would be Unsafe" that: "Since the 21 law was widely
enacted, the number of young people killed annually in crashes involving drunk drivers under 21 has been cut in half,
from more than 5,000 individuals in the early 1980s to around 2,000 in 2005. By the end of 2005, the 21 drinking age
had saved nearly 25,000 American livesapproximately 1,000 lives a year." (US News) This shows that the number of
people killed in car accidents have been incredibly decreased and it has saved several lives. Therefore, by keeping the
drinking age at 21, it would save many lives and prevent many car crashes. Furthermore, President Emeritus John M.
McCardell Jr., states that, "Between 1970 and 1975, 29 states lowered their minimum drinking ages. Meanwhile, 13
states kept the legal age at 21. Researchers found a marked increase in alcohol-related teen car crashes in the states
with reductions. Once the 21 age was restoredalcohol-involved highway crashes immediately declined in this age
group. ("Choose Responsibility.") " To summarize, this information shows that having the minimum legal drinking age at
18, it might be hard to realize what damage it is really causing to these young drinkers but when it is raised back up to
21 it is an immediate wake up call that the MLDA 21 saves lives.
Similarly, a story was taken from an article titled, "Teen Driving Drunk Killed Friend," from ABC News, written by
Alan B. Goldberg summarizes: Jessica Rasdall and Laura Gorman, 2- 18 year old girls, were both under the influence of
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alcohol while driving together. Previously, they had been at a club drinking and having fun, until a ride in the car. Jessica
Rasdall had taken the driver's seat and within one hour, her friend had been killed in a crash from her friend's driving.
Later when Jessica Rasdall was about 22 years old, she had confessed her crime to more than 15,000 people. (ABC
News) This story shows how these girls were only 18 and because they are not mature enough and not cautious about
the dangers of drinking while driving, someone died. Granted her position, she confessed her mistake and was 100%
honest about it at age 22, this incident might not have happened. This may indicate that by having the drinking age at
21, people can make better decisions than if the drinking age were at 18. In conclusion, keeping the MLDA at 21 may not
reduce fatalities from drunk driving because it is has saved approximately 27,052 lives of 18-20 year-olds from 1975-
2008 and about 1,000 lives per year since 2005.
The opponents of lowering the drinking age delineate that by having the minimum legal drinking age at 21, it
reduces traffic accidents and fatalities from drunk driving. In the first place, from the article, "Should the Drinking Age Be
Lowered from 21 to a Younger Age?" the statistics of the number of people killed between certain years, gives very
accurate information. The number of people actually puts a number saying that there are this many people whose lives
have been saved from this law. From the article, "A Lower Age Would be Unsafe," it provides years and shows how many
people were killed from drunk driving accidents. Then it gives an astonishing 1,000 people killed in America each year.
Since more people are starting and stopping to drink each year, the amount of saving 1,000 lives per year, isn't really
exact but it still does give a close estimate. In addition to this, the story from ABC News showed that once the girl was
22, she was more responsible and her brain was more developed to be able to think out the right from wrong. At 18, she
made a stupid mistake from drinking too much but at 22 now, she was more mature to make right decisions. Although,
she was able to be mature enough and made a bad decision in the beginning, that may be the same for others. Some
people in the beginning (at age 18), are more mature and also some people at 21 or 22 still aren't mature and could
make bad decisions as well. Since everyone is different, people can be killed in car accidents from too much alcohol at
any age, it just depends on their maturity and responsibilities for their actions. Keeping the drinking age at 21 might
reduce car accidents and fatalities according to some studies, but others show the opposite. First, how can the truth be
known? It is not known whether lowering the drinking age will decrease these car accidents because it is too
unpredictable. All the studies are different because they all have different people with different experiences and
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different opinions. In fact, the minimum legal drinking age of 21 has saved many lives, but what about alcohol
consumption? The amount of alcohol drunk is what is causing all of these problems, so how does the minimum legal
drinking age impact how much alcohol is consumed?

The advocates of lowering the drinking age to 18 extrapolate that the MLDA of 21 does not reduce alcohol
consumption but causes more alcohol to be consumed by young adults. With the minimum legal drinking age at 21,
teens have the urge to drink in unsupervised places and drink more alcohol. From an article titled, "Lower the Minimum
Legal Drinking Age to 18", Says College President Emeritus, written by Dr. John McCardell, President Emeritus of
Middlebury College, says, "Drinking that is not out in the open, unsupervised, and that we pretend isnt taking place, is
drinking that is dangerous and putting both young adults and other innocent people at greater risk. (McCardell, John)
This explains that with the minimum legal drinking age at 21, more young adults are sneakily drinking instead of doing it
casually with the minimum legal drinking age at 18. With more young adults and teens drinking unsupervised, there can
be more drunk driving (which causes other accidents on the road), and alcohol poisoning among minors. Further, cited
in the article, "Addressing the Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA) in College Communities," written by highly educated
Health Professionals "Although some young people drink less in response to age-21 MLDA, youth alcohol use is still
widespread. Nearly 10 million current drinkers in the United States are between the ages of 12 and 20." ("Addressing
the Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA).") This indicates that although some people may drink less with the minimum
legal drinking age at 21, there are still many underage drinkers in the United States. The advocates of lowering the
drinking age to 18 has clearly supported their claim that the MLDA of 21 does not reduce alcohol consumption and it
might at 18 from the proven studies and statements previously. However, the advocates of keeping the MLDA at 21
seem to think different; that the minimum legal drinking age at 21 will reduce alcohol consumption.
MLDA 21 reduces alcohol consumption which is proven in a 2002 meta-study. From the study, 87% of the
analyses found higher legal drinking ages associated with lower alcohol consumption. In 2009, the NHTSA found that the
percentage of weekend nighttime drivers with a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher declined from 5.4%
in 1986 (two years after the MLDA was raised to 21) to 2.2% in 2007. Furthermore, James C. Fell, senior program
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director at the Alcohol, Policy and Safety Research Center of the Pacific Institute for Research & Evaluation in Calverton,
Md. informs that: "Back in the 1970s, a number of states lowered the drinking age from 21 to 18, and we saw an
increase in alcohol consumption by youth. When it was raised again in 1984 back to 21, we saw lower consumption of
alcohol, and we've kept those low rates." (Ogilvie, Jessica Pauline) This presents that when the drinking age is at 18,
there are more underage drinkers consuming alcohol and when the drinking age is at 21, there was a lower consumption
of alcohol. Next, the NCCDPHP's (National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention) public health professionals and
educators inform that: "Excessive alcohol consumption contributes to more than 4,300 deaths among underage youth,
that is, persons less than 21 years of age, in the United States each year." ("Fact Sheets - Age 21 Minimum Legal Drinking
Age.") This clearly shows that if there are 4,300 deaths from underage drinkers with the drinking age at 21, then imagine
how many deaths would there be with the drinking age at 18? In addition, the article, "Coroner: Amy Winehouse Died
from too Much Alcohol," written by the American Press (AP) confirms that "a 27- year old singer, Amy Winehouse killed
herself from drinking too much alcohol in one night. Her blood level showed that she had gone more than five times
over the drunk driving limit (although she wasn't driving). She had drunk several bottles of vodka the night of her death."
("Coroner: Amy Winehouse Died from Too Much Alcohol.") Even though she was over the minimum drinking age, she
died from consuming too much alcohol. Before, it was mentioned that 87% of the analyses found higher legal drinking
ages associated with lower alcohol consumption. If the minimum drinking age was kept at 21, then there wouldn't be as
many situations as these with people over 21.
To review from the articles, it was specified by the proponents of lowering the drinking age, that the MLDA 21
does not reduce alcohol consumption and opponents that the MLDA 21 does reduce alcohol consumption. The
proponents explained in the article, "Lower the Minimum Legal Drinking Age to 18," announced by the college president
Emeritus, that drinking that is not out in the open and unsupervised is what is putting these young kids at a greater risk.
This is what causes more people to drink because waiting until 21 is too long of a wait and these kids want to drink now,
and this is what they do to get away with drinking while still underage. This is a very good point because this is what
could be causing the drunk driving accidents and alcohol poisoning among minors, because parents, relatives, and other
community members are not watching out for these minors and they are hiding which puts their drinking at a complete
secret to their parents and relatives. The article also supporting the proponents, theorize that youth alcohol
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consumption is still widespread with nearly ten million current drinkers in the United States which are only between the
ages of 12 and 20. This is a great statistic to add in about how many underage drinkers there are in the United States,
but there is no information as to what year this was/is from. This could have been from 1999 or 2007, but it is not
known. If it was from a couple years ago, it can be predicted that this number has gone up whereas if it is a present-day
fact it is known that this is about how many underage drinkers there are in the United States. However, the opponents
stated that the MLDA 21 does not reduce alcohol consumption. According to James C. Fell (a senior program director at
the Alcohol, Policy Safety Research Center of the Pacific Institute for research Evaluation), in the 1970s most states
lowered their drinking age from 21 to 18. It was found that there was an increase of alcohol consumption and when it
was raised again in 1984, there was less consumption of alcohol. This is a good comparison between the alcohol
consumption rising and falling when the MLDA 21 was raised and lowered. But, this comparison is from data when the
MLDA 21 law was first enforced not from recent times. From over 20 years ago there are drinks that have more alcohol
in them which can cause more problems even when less of it is consumed. Also elucidated by the opponent of lowering
the drinking age, was that excessive alcohol consumption contributes to more than 4,300 deaths of those less than 21
years old, in the United States, each year. These are a lot of deaths caused each year from alcohol consumption by
youths, however, again there is no year showing when this study was taken. The population is changing by the second
and the amount of alcohol in a beverage ranges as stated before.
After reviewing this information: Does it really reduce alcohol consumption? Someone can drink a lot and
another person could drink a little of the same type of alcoholic beverage, and have the same reaction. Everyone reacts
to alcohol differently where one person could drink three glasses and another could drink ten and they both feel equally
sick the next morning. Alcohol standards can also range, where a lot to one person could be hardly any for the next.
Alcohol consumption is a hard artifact to compare because there are too many variables taken into the problem.
Everyone has a different reaction to alcohol and consumption standards could be different from one study to the next
since we are dealing with the whole United States. With fifty states on the line, it can be very hard to predict alcohol
consumptions and then put it into one conclusion amongst all fifty states. Therefore, we can't really come to an exact
conclusion on whether having the minimum legal drinking age at 21 reduces or doesn't reduce alcohol consumption. The
alcohol age may not relate to consumption but how about health? Is it healthy for 18 year-olds to be drinking tons of
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alcohol at such a young age?

The proponent states that alcoholic drinks have health benefits. It is proven that certain types of alcoholic drinks
have other ingredients that can actually benefit one's health rather than hurt it. In an article titled, "Red Wine and
Resveratrol: Good for your Heart", written by the Mayo Clinic Hospital staff, "Red wine, in moderation, has long been
thought of as heart healthy. The alcohol and certain substances in red wine called antioxidants may help prevent heart
disease by increasing levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol) and protecting against
artery damage." After all, red wine, which contains alcohol, is proven to be healthy and therefore might not be as
harmful to those at 18 if it actually has health benefits. From the same article, it is informed that, "Red wine has
antioxidants called polyphenols which could help protect the lining of blood vessels in your heart. Resveratrol helps
decrease damage to blood vessels, reduces low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) and prevents
blood clots. Since resveratrol is a key ingredient in alcohol, it has the ability to help avoid many of these health issues."
("Diseases and Conditions.") Resveratrol helps main problems with the heart such as preventing damage to blood
vessels, preventing blood clots and gets rid of the bad cholesterol. Resveratrol, just one substance in wine, can do three
things towards benefiting your health, imagine how much all of the substances can do for your health. From an article
titled, "What are the benefits of wine," written by, Christian Nordqvist, CEO of Medical News Today, "Researchers from
Harvard Medical School found that red wine has anti-aging properties. The resveratrol was the compound found to have
the beneficial effect. The resveratrol in wine comes from the skins of red grapes. Sources of resveratrol also include
blueberries, cranberries, and nuts." As well as preventing many health issues and protecting parts of your body, wine
also contains anti-aging properties which would make many people get the urge to drink wine because of it's great
effects. Also, presented in the same article, "A team from Loyola University Medical Center found that moderate red
wine consumption can reduce the risk of developing dementia. In a study that they used to come to this conclusion,
researchers gathered and analyzed data from academic papers on red wine since 1977. The studies, which included
nineteen nations, showed a statistically significantly lower risk of dementia among regular, moderate red wine drinkers
in fourteen countries." Since, no one wants to have dementia, why not drink wine to help prevent it? The study from this
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university clearly shows that there was a significantly lower risk of dementia. Going back to the grapes in wine,
"Scientists from the University of Barcelona in Spain reported in the Journal of Agricultural Food and Chemistry that,
wine and grape derivatives can also help minimize the damaging effects of UV (ultraviolet) light which can protect you
from severe sunburn." (Nordqvist, Christian.) Especially in summer, everyone worries about getting sunburn, but now
alcohol can help with that problem. In fact, it is now proven by the scientists from the university of Barcelona in Spain,
that the grapes in wine help reduce the effects that UV light has on your skin which means that it reduces the sunburn
effect from the sun's heat.
The advocates of lowering the MLDA to 18, stated that alcohol can be good for one's health because it has
substances such as antioxidants that lower the risk of diseases and health issues. From the article titled, "Red Wine and
Resveratrol: Good for your Heart" it is explained that red wine contains healthy substances such as antioxidants which
help protect the lining of the heart and resveratrol which helps avoid damage to blood vessels and decreases bad
cholesterol from the body. Also discussed from the article titled, "What are the benefits of wine?" it expounds that wine
has anti-aging substances, reduces your risk of dementia, and reduces the damaging effects of UV light. The studies from
the medical colleges; Loyola University Medical Center and Harvard Medical School have good clear points as to why
wine has benefits to your health. The research from Loyola University especially, has that study which includes where
and how they got the information, how many people were included, and a clear explanation of the results, that there
was statistically significantly lower risk of dementia. However, the research done by scientists from the university of
Barcelona in Spain may not apply the same to us in the United States. The weather in Spain is much different from the
weather in Wisconsin and Spain is located quite a bit away from America which means that effects of the UV rays could
be stronger. No matter what it is, the weather in Spain is different than the United States and that could have affected
the accuracy of the information. Although, there are many young adults that go to the bar and clubs to drink alcohol,
many of them aren't seen drinking red wine for it's health benefits. Most of them drink beers or margaritas. Also,
drinking red wine could be healthy when you have one glass, but consuming three or four glasses or drinking it
everyday, takes the health benefits out, and can cause more serious health problems. Altogether, the proponents
currently expressed that certain alcoholic drinks have health benefits such as preventing cancers and heart issues.
However, the opponents of lowering the drinking age clarify that there are addictive substances that categorize alcohol
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as a drug which consuming too much can have very harmful effects on young adults.
Advocates of lowering the minimum legal drinking age to 18 agree that lowering MLDA 21 would be medically
irresponsible. "Alcohol consumption can interfere with the development of the young adult brain's frontal lobes. These
are important for functions which control your emotions and help you plan and organize ideas or thoughts. When
alcohol consumption interferes with the early adult brain development, there is a higher risk for chronic problems such
as severe addiction, dangerous risk-taking behaviors, reduced decision-making ability, memory loss, depression,
violence, and greater suicide rates." ("Drinking Age ProCon.org.") Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, LD, director of nutrition for
WebMD, states in the article titled, "The Alcohol Debate: Should You or Shouldn't You?", "Since about 55% of adults in
the United States, drink alcohol according to the CDC, it is important to understand how it affects our health. However,
there's no denying that too much alcohol can lead to serious problems. Excess alcohol can increase your risk of: Liver
disease, High blood pressure, High blood fats (triglycerides), Heart failure, Stroke, Fetal alcohol syndrome (if you're
pregnant), Certain cancers, Injury, violence, and death. And, of course, drinking too much alcohol piles on the calories,
which can lead to obesity and a higher risk for diabetes." (Zelman, Kathleen.) There are obviously several health issues
that can be gained from alcohol consumption. Lowering alcohol consumption over a long period of time or just in one
night, can reduce these risks.
An article titled, "Alcohol's Effects on the Body," written by the NIAAA (National Institute for Alcohol Abuse and
Alcoholism) explains that "drinking too much over a long period of time or at one time, can seriously damage your
health. It can affect your brain, heart, liver, pancreas, immune system and your chances of getting cancer. Alcohol
interferes with the pathways used for communication." These pathways can affect the way the brain looks and works.
Since this part of the brain is used for communication, if this part of the brain works differently it can change your mood
and behavior. Also alcohol damage to the brain can make it harder to think clearly and move with coordination. The
most important organ besides the brain is the heart which if affected too much by alcohol, could kill you. In addition,
"problems caused by alcohol to the heart include cardiomyopathy which is the stretching and drooping of the heart
muscle, arrhythmias which is an irregular heartbeat, stroke and high blood pressure." The liver is an organ in your body
that breaks down toxins that are entered into your body. Alcohol and smoke are very high in toxins and too much of
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these drugs can put your liver at a high risk for shutting down. Problems that alcohol can cause with the liver is alcoholic
hepatitis, fibrosis and cirrhosis of the liver. Alcohol also affects the pancreas because it causes it to produce toxic
substances that can eventually lead to pancreatitis which swells up the blood vessels in the pancreas and prevents
proper digestion. The types of cancer developed from drinking too much alcohol are in the mouth, esophagus, throat,
liver and breast. Lastly, too much alcohol can weaken your immune system which makes your body a larger target for
disease and illnesses. ("Alcohol's Effects on the Body.") It is obvious that alcohol affects many organs in the body to work
improperly which causes diseases or health issues. Alcohol may be a solution to relax or have fun, but is not the right
direction to go to be healthier.
After examining the opposition side, it was found that alcohol can be dangerous to your body and cause several
health issues or diseases. As has been said, from the first referred-to article titled, "The Alcohol Debate: Should You or
Shouldn't You?", it describes that " about 55% of adults in the United States, drink alcohol." This is a good statistic to
relate the problem directly to us. It also briefly describes several health issues or diseases that can be gotten from
alcohol. The author of the article is also clearly credible on the topic with plenty of experience and a bachelors degree in
the topic. The second article titled, "Alcohol's Effects on the Body," gives an in-depth description of different parts of the
body, alcohol can affect and what can happen when it is affected by too much alcohol. At the same time, limitations of
all of the evidence supporting this claim is that none of them have information as to what year these studies took place.
These facts could be true but discovered years ago and be old news. As also stated before, alcohol can be dangerous for
one's body if too much is drunk, but if only a little is drunk, there is a lower risk for developing any of these diseases. If
alcohol is drunk only once and a while, the previous health benefits can be gained, but if it is abused over consumed,
there is a higher risk for any of these diseases or health issues. Alcohol consumption and health dangers usually occur
amongst underage drinkers. The responsibility of drinking is assumed to be at too high of an age according to the
advocates of lowering the drinking age because 18 is the age of an official adult which can make official decisions.

Proponents inform that 18 is the age of adulthood in the United States, and adults should have the right to make
their own decisions about alcohol consumption. Turning 18 entails receiving the rights and responsibilities of adulthood
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to vote, smoke cigarettes, serve on juries, get married, sign contracts, be prosecuted as adults, and join the military -
which includes risking one's life. ("Drinking Age ProCon.org.") Stated first, Annie Chiappetta, a University of Richmond-
Journaling graduate, writes an article titled, "Should Drinking age be 18?" on an ABC News article. In the article, Richard
C. Marron, Republican State representative says, "It just doesn't sit right with me that people at the age of 18, have the
right to do everything else, including serve their country, but don't have the right to consume alcohol." (ABC News) In
short, this shows that there are many other responsibilities at 18 that are maintained, but drinking is not one of them.
Other responsibilities at 18 involve risking one's life and so does drinking alcohol, so don't they share equal responsibility
and maturity? Also from the article titled, "Should the Drinking age be 18?", by Annie Chiappetta, she explains, "20-year
old Kyle Gilbert went out to war and was killed in Iraq. Before he left, he was unable to meet his friends at a bar for a
goodbye drink because he was still considered underage." (ABC News) In other words, having the minimum legal
drinking age at 21 does prevent underage drinkers from abusing their alcohol privileges, but it punishes those who
would use alcohol appropriately such as Kyle Gilbert where he just simply wanted to have a little celebration before he
went out to war.
Advocates of not lowering the drinking age and keeping it at 21, state that 21 is a mature age where drinking
and other responsibilities should stay because some people are not ready to take on certain responsibilities at a direct
age. Everyone is different and reacts to new responsibilities differently depending on their maturity level. Stated in the
article titled, "Your rights at 21," written by the Coram Children's Legal Centre who have been working for over 30 years,
"Once you're 21 you can adapt a child, supervise someone learning to drive (that is, if you have had a full licence for that
type of car for three years), get a flight navigator's licence, a flight engineer's licence, or an airline transport pilot's
licence. Also if you are given a custodial sentence, you will be sent to prison, and if you have been looked after between
the ages of 16 and 18, the Council have a duty to advise and befriend you until the age of 24 (for three years)." ("Your
Rights at 21.") To summarize, there are many things that you can do at 21 that are more important and serious matters,
just like drinking. Alan Greenblatt of Governing Magazine and Temple University psychology professor Laurence
Steinberg explains in his article titled, "When Does Responsibility Begin? 16, 18, 21?": "There are reasons for each
responsibility. Some rights should be made depended on an individual's ability to handle them. Rather than a calendar,
the voting age, drinking age, and driving age is decided on the age of responsibility." ("When Does Responsibility Begin?)
14
Altogether, the drinking age is one of those serious responsibilities that if it is not used right, it can end one's life.
Therefore, the minimum age is put at 21 where most young adults are ready to take on the responsibility of drinking
alcohol.
From this evidence, it can be concluded that there are different responsibilities at 21 and at 18. The age of 18
might be too young and the brain is not developed enough to comprehend the dangers of drinking but there are many
other responsibilities at 21 and a person is legally an adult at 18 and therefore should be able to make their own
decisions. At 18 people can; vote, smoke cigarettes, serve on juries, get married, sign contracts, be prosecuted as adults,
and join the military. At 21, people can; adapt a child, supervise someone learning to drive (that is, if they have had a full
licence for that type of car for three years), get a flight navigator's licence, a flight engineer's licence, or an airline
transport pilot's licence. Also if someone is given a custodial sentence, they will be sent to prison, and if a person has
been looked after between the ages of 16 and 18, the Council have a duty to advise and befriend them until the age of
24 (for three years). There are certain responsibilities at 21 and some at 18. Drinking is at 21 because it is a basis of
maturity that young adults have at that age, their brains are much more developed than they were three years ago at
18. So really, does it matter where the drinking age is? Yes, it does, but it shouldn't depend on the other responsibilities
where if someone can go to war then they should be able to drink or if someone can assist a driver, then they should be
able to drink. The responsibility of drinking is a big deal and if it isn't dealt with properly at the right maturity, it will not
reduce problems with drinking. On the other hand, the opponent proves that 21 is a mature age where drinking and
other responsibilities should stay. According to the article titled, "Your rights at 21," there are many responsibilities that
are of great control but if someone is not this age, (an age lower than 21), the tasks could be handled improperly. For
example, take assisting a new driver. This cannot be done at 18 because people don't have enough skills and knowledge
about driving to be able to assist a newlywed. Therefore, that responsibility can only be done at the age of 21. The
opponents of this claim have a great statement. It is from a reasonably credible website and the company has plenty of
experience in the topic. Moreover, this topic could be questionable to the society because all of the states in America
don't have the same alcohol rules. In other words, some have exclusions such as under parental supervision, or for
educational or religious reasons. If alcohol can be consumed at some consent, then alcohol does not relate equally to all
states. This means that in some states it might seem like not a big deal that going to war and drinking are equal
15
responsibilities. In conclusion, some states allow more alcohol to be consumed at younger ages for certain reasons
which affects the dramatical effect it has on other responsibilities at 21.

The advocates of lowering the drinking age previously stated that the official age of an adult is 18 and since
there are so many other responsibilities at that age, why should drinking be there? It was also claimed that it would not
reduce traffic accidents and fatalities from drunk driving, alcohol has several health benefits which makes it good for our
health and it reduces the consumption of alcohol among young adults. The advocates of keeping the minimum legal
drinking age at 21 have explained that it reduces traffic accidents and fatalities caused by drunk driving, it is dangerous
to young adults' health, it reduces the consumption of alcohol and there are many other responsibilities at 21 and higher
that require just as much maturity as drinking. Those in favor of lowering the minimum legal drinking age to 18, stated
that lowering the drinking age to 18 may not reduce traffic accidents and fatalities, there are other responsibilities at 18
and drinking should too, alcohol has several health benefits, and the age of 18 reduces the overall consumption of
alcohol. The opponents proved that the minimum legal drinking age should not be lowered to 18 on the grounds that it
would reduce traffic accidents and fatalities, it would be medically irresponsible because of it's negative health benefits,
21 is a mature age where other responsibilities and drinking should stay. It can also reduce the overall consumption of
alcohol. Alcohol can be healthy if it is consumed in moderate amounts but can also be very damaging to your health if
over consumed. Some statements contradict against each other such as lowering fatalities from car accidents or not, or
reducing alcohol consumption or not; these statements have evidence to support both sides, but there is no exact
conclusion that can be made. More and more studdies could be pulled into the equation and no conclusion could be
made, because the results are so unpredictable with different amounts of people, different opinions and different
results. No matter what the minimum legal drinking age is set to; 18 or 21, young adults will continue to consume
alcohol, get in drunk driving car accidents, or kill themselves from alcohol intoxication or abuse.


16








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