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Josu Roln

Josu Roln Andino


Professor Ellen Pratt
English 3103 section 036
October 7, 2014
Alcohol in Adolescence
In recent discussion of the age limits for drinking alcohol, a controversial issue
has been whether it should be legal to drink at the age of 18 or leave the age limit to 21.
On the one hand, some argue that the limit must be 18 because if at the age of 18 you
can join the army, the state sees you as an adult in terms of driving permissions, your
parents dont have the obligation to support you, if you commit a crime you will be
charge as an adult, then why cant you drink alcohol? From this perspective, that a very
good fact because it is like giving you permission to have a gun and go to war but when
you come back, you cant drink alcohol since you are only 18. On the other hand,
however, others argue that the limits should remain on 21 because at the age of 18
many teenagers are still immature. In other words, that at the age of 18, teens would
cause problems, accidents and even deaths. In my view, I say that the drinking age
should stay on 21 years old, because at 18 years many teens dont think what could
happen if they drink too much and this will just cause problems. For example, the
president Franklin Roosevelt approved lowering the minimum age for the military draft
from 21 to 18 during World War II and this increased the traffic fatalities related to
alcohol among 18-20 year-old drivers in areas where the drinking age had been
lowered. This was a clear example that most teenagers at that young age are not
mature enough to drink.

Josu Roln

Now, one of the major facts is that teenagers dont consider, is the dangers that
drinking alcohol could have. According to a Harvard Health Publications, the average
age an American girl has her first drink is 13 and for a boy, it's 11 years. Also, Harvard
Health Publications said that young people who start using alcohol before age 21 are
more likely to be involved in violent behaviors, attempt suicide, engage in unprotected
sex or have multiple sex partners, and develop alcohol problems later in life. Some
researchers of Harvard speculate that teens are more vulnerable to addiction because
the pleasure center of the brain matures before the part of the brain responsible for
impulse control and executive decision making. In other words, what they say is that
the teenagers focus more in the fact that if they drink alcohol they will be closer to being
an adult instead of thinking in their capacities to make the right decisions. In my view,
many teenagers dont have awareness about the consequences than can cause their
action while drinking alcohol. More specifically, I believe that if teens become aware
about the dangers they may face when drinking alcohol, there would not be many
disputes or fatalities due to alcohol. For example, if you take a kid in the process of
entering the adolescence and start teaching him what can happen if he drinks without
control, he might think carefully through his adolescence what would be the right
decisions when he start drinking alcohol. Although many people might object that
drinking is just a process in life and that it is just a way to say hey Im mature enough to
drink alcohol, I maintain that at the present, teens dont think too much about the
consequences of their actions and particularly less when it comes to the consumption of
alcohol.

Josu Roln

It is true that the alcohol can bring some negative effects to the adolescence, but
there are people who believe that the alcohol can have few positive effects. According
to the Mayo Clinic staff, the use of alcohol in a proper quantity is not bad for the health.
The staff argues that moderate alcohol consumption may provide some health benefits
such as: reduce the risk of developing and dying from heart disease, possibly reduce
your risk of ischemic stroke (when the arteries to your brain become narrowed or
blocked, causing severely reduced blood flow), and possibly reduce your risk of
diabetes. But these are just possibilities because the evidence about the possible health
benefits of alcohol isn't certain. Also, in certain situations, the risks of alcohol use may
outweigh the possible health benefits, for example, women that are pregnant or are
trying to get pregnant. Besides, the excessive drinking can increase the risk of serious
health problems, including dead. In my view, I think that the young people must look for
other ways to benefit their health, because even if its true that the alcohol can be a
benefit to the health, there are much more things you can do or eat to keep yourself
healthy. More specifically, I believe that if you create a program of healthy eating and
active routine, theres no need to drink alcohol. For example, lets say that I create a diet
that I like what Im eating and it also is healthy, then why would I be drinking alcohol,
putting toxins in my body, when I can just drink or eat healthy food. Although the Mayo
Clinic staff might agree that drinking moderate alcohol can benefit health, I maintain that
a healthy diet and a active routine is all I need to keep myself healthful and in good
shape.
To conclude, drinking alcohol can be danger to the health of teenagers lives, and
the people around us like I mentioned above. Also there are many teenagers that will

Josu Roln

start drinking and others will keep drinking alcohol and that is not bad, but it is important
to drink only moderate amounts so no one get hurt and you can have a life without
problems created by the alcohol.

Josu Roln

Work Cited

Mayo Clinic staff. Alcohol use: If you drink, keep it moderate. Mayo Clinic.
February 11, 2014. Web. September 21, 2014.
Harvard Medical School. Teenage Drinking Understanding the Dangers and
Talking to Your Child. Help Guide. nd. Web. September 21, 2014.
Trex, Ethan. Why is the Drinking Age 21? Mental Floss. August 25, 2008.
Web. September 21, 2014.

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