Lowering The Drinking

Age
Antwon Kirk
March 29, 2017
Did you Know?
Alcohol is the most commonly used and abused drug among youth aged 12-20 in

the United States, more than tobacco and illegal drugs, and is responsible for

more than 4,700 annual deaths among underage youth.

Lowering the Drinking Age
In 2010, there were approximately 189,000 emergency rooms visits by
persons under age 21 for injuries and other conditions linked to alcohol.
Now in the present time many young adults are getting in accidents because
of underage drinking (CDC).
Research Question:

Should the minimum drinking age be lowered to 18?

 Even though some people believe that lowering the Minimum Legal
Drinking Age (MLDA) from 21 to 18 would diminish the thrill of breaking the
laws to get a drink, the minimum drinking age should not be lowered
because lowering the drinking age increases alcohol related accidents,
lowering the drinking age increases the risk of substance abuse, and
lowering the drinking age impairs the the decisions of younger people while
under the influence more so than it does older adults.
 Lowering the Drinking Age Increases Alcohol
Related Accidents
Young drivers (ages 16-20) are 17 times more likely to die in a crash when they have a blood alcohol
concentration of .08% than when they have not been drinking.

If students are driving back from parties and not driving sober, there is a high chance that they or
someone else will get injured.

Teen drinking results in more 4,700 deaths per year

Lowering the Drinking Age Increases the Risk of
Substance Abuse.

Teen tend to try new thing and take risks, so they may take drugs or drink alcohol because it seems

exciting.

On the other hand teens or adults under 21 years old will choose to drink alcohol or turn to substance

abuse to try to escape the hardship that life can bring.

Children of alcoholics are at an ever higher risk for developing problems with alcohol and other drugs;

they often do poorly at school, live with pervasive tension and stress, have high levels of anxiety

and depression and experience coping problems.

 Lowering the Drinking Age Impairs the the Decisions of Younger People

Alcohol impairs the decisions of younger people while under the influence more so than it does older

adults.

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, underage drinking will also

damage brain cells in people whose brains have not fully formed more than in mature brains.

Studies of date rape and sexual assault on college campuses suggest that alcohol use factors into the

behavior of both assailants and victims

Graph/Visual

https://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/Underage
Drinking/UnderageFact.htm
Service Learning Experience/Product Slide
Underage Drinking
Solutions/Conclusions/Call to Action
If the drinking age was lowered to 18 that would just make it easier for people
below 18 you can alcohol too because they can just ask someone from their
school to get it for them. Then there be 16 year old or below drinking alcohol
damaging their brain. As a community we need to stop that from happening and
not vote for this law.
Personal Reflection
Initially, I did not see how the Graduation Project would benefit me, but in thinking
back, I now realize that I have learned a great deal. At first, when I started my
graduation project, I wondered how this was going to help me and questioned the
purpose of the project. As I move on with my project I started to learn more about
my topic. This paper help me research better and put information in my own
words. At first it was hard then it became easy! The senior exit project is not that
bad and I have learned a lot. Specifically, I learned how alcohol can affect your
brain at a young age and how alcohol can have affect on the decision you make.
References
Abba, M. (2015, 09 Nov). Lower the drinking age, lower the risk.<i> University Wire</i> Retrieved from <a href="http://sks.sirs.com"
target="_blank">http://sks.sirs.com</a>

"Drinking Age is 21 for a Reason." University Wire, 16 Apr 2016, SIRS Issues Researcher, http://sks.sirs.com.

Fox, Emily. "Lowering the Drinking Age can Ultimately Lower Student Success." University Wire, 13 Sep 2016, SIRS Issues Researcher,
http://sks.sirs.com.

McAloon, William. &quot;A Too Dry Fourth of July.&quot;<i> Wall Street Journal</i>, 03 Jul 2015, pp. A.11.<i> SIRS Issues
Researcher</i>, <a href="http://sks.sirs.com" target="_blank">http://sks.sirs.com</a>.

Wallace, Stephen. &quot;A Nation's Need to Protect its Youth.&quot;<i> Cincinnati Enquirer</i>, 09 May 2013, pp. 8.<i> SIRS Issues
Researcher</i>, <a href="http://sks.sirs.com" target="_blank">http://sks.sirs.com</a>.

"Why Colleges should Support a Lower Drinking Age." University Wire, 2015. SIRS Issues Researcher, http://sks.sirs.com.