Keeping The Minimum Drinking Age - 880 Words

Keeping the Minimum Drinking Age In 1984, the United States’ federal government passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act. Under this Act, the federal government gives highway funds to States that forbid people under the age of twenty-one years old from â€Å"purchasing or publicly possessing alcoholic beverages†(23 U.S.C.  § 158). The incentive created a sense of a standardized minimum drinking age despite the fact that legally there cannot be a federal minimum drinking age. Even though this Act has been in effect for decades, there are many debates on whether or not the age should be changed. The minimum legal drinking age should stay the same because it prevents a large number of drinking and driving accidents; it reduces overall alcohol consumption; and it has very horrible health effects on youth. Reducing drinking and driving was a goal of having a minimum drinking age of twenty-one. Before 1984, all states had their own minimum drinking age. These ages ranged from eighteen to twenty-one years old. A majority of states selected their minimum age as eighteen years old. If one were not able to legally purchase alcohol in his or her state, the person would drive to another state to drink legally. Many people would get into fatal accidents on their way home because they would driving while intoxicated. This caught a great deal of attention by the public. The nickname blood-borders were given to the borders between states with two different minimum drinking ages since manyShow MoreRelatedKeeping The Minimum Drinking Age864 Words   |  4 Pages Keeping the Minimum Drinking Age In 1984, the United States’ federal government passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act. Under this act, the federal government gives highway funds to States that forbid people under the age of twenty-one years old from â€Å"purchasing or publicly possessing alcoholic beverages†(23 U.S.C.  § 158). The incentive created a sense of a standardized minimum drinking age when legally there cannot be a federal minimum drinking age. Even though this Act has been in effectRead MoreKeeping the Minimum Legal Drinking Age1283 Words   |  6 Pagesthe minimum legal drinking age in the United States or not. Many Americans forbid the idea of legalizing the drinking age so that it would be profitable to the businesses. Likewise, there have been many advantages and disadvantages of why should the government allow young adults drink under the age of 21. To prevent this issue, many Americans have provided reasoning that will support the idea of keeping the minimum legal drinking age where it is now. The government should maintain the minimum legalRead MoreKeeping The Minimum Legal Drinking Age2656 Words   |  11 Pagesstarting to drink at a younger age, and their drinking patterns are becoming more extreme.† Keeping the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) at twenty-one or lowering it to the age of eighteen has been a continuous issue in the United States. People, mostly adolescent teenagers, say it should be lowered because if one is able to vote at the age of eighteen, they should also be allowed to drink. Sure, when a seventeen-year-old turns eighteen they are considered an adult, but age does not define maturity;Read MoreMinimum Legal Drinking Agre1173 Words   |  5 PagesThe legal age of adulthood in the United States for most purposes is 18. At the age of 18, a person enters the realm of adulthood and is assigned the rights and responsibilities associated with this legal status. For example, an 18 year old can legally sign a contract and is b ound by the terms and conditions of the contract. An 18 year old can marry without parental consent, serve on a jury, and vote in state and federal elections. An 18 year old who is charged with a crime is not tried in theRead MoreShould The Minimum Drinking Age Be Lowered?1138 Words   |  5 Pagesquestion whether drinking should be lowered to eighteen or not? Citizens have gave details regarding the affirmative and negative views of the minimum drinking age be lowered to eighteen. Do you think that it is wise to lower the minimum age? Would you look at the negative and positive impacts? Is it more important to give our citizens these full rights? Currently, in the United States the legal drinking age is twenty-one. But as we all know many teenages are involved in underage drinking. But the mainRead MoreLowering the drinking age: Increasing their Lifespan1058 Words   |  5 PagesBefore the year of 1975, the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) was set at eighteen. It wasn’t until 1984 when the National Minimum Drinking Age Act was passed which required the States to set the MLDA at twenty-one causing no one under the age of twenty-one to be able to consume or purchase alcohol. States that did not comply faced a reduction in highway funds under the Federal Highway Aid Act. Many can argue that ever since the drinking age was set at a higher age limit, there have been less reportsRead MoreThe Legal Drinking Age Of The United States1479 Words   |  6 Pages The legal drinking age in the United States has been argued for many decades. The current minimal legal drinking age is twenty-one but some want to lower between eighteen and twenty. The main focus of the research conducted and opinions of people are based on the minimal legal drinking age of eighteen. The research is taken from the 1970s, when the twenty-sixth Amendment was passed in the Constitution (Wagenaar, 206). It was stated that eighteen is the â€Å"age of majority†, so thirty-nine of theRead MoreLegal Drinking Age : Should It Be Altered?1408 Words   |  6 Pages Legal Drinking Age: Should It Be Altered? The legal drinking age has been an ongoing controversy for decades, consisting of people who are for lowering, raising, or keeping the age with multiple reasons behind each side. It is commonly known that consuming alcohol can have life-threatening effects on the human body, but these effects can be much harsher at a younger age. Reducing the age for eighteen year olds may result in senseless acts from the drug. Statistics prove that maintainingRead MoreLowering The Minimum Drinking Age1429 Words   |  6 PagesKorea and Thailand are others – with a minimum drinking age over 18† (Griggs, 1). When Ronald Reagan signed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act in 1984, its goal was to reduce less-mature adults from consuming alcohol and performing reckless acts (Cary, 1). However, despite the current drinking age, 17.5 percent of consumer spending for alcohol in 2013 was under the age of 21. It is estimated that â€Å"90 percent of underage drinking is consumed via binge drinking†¦with alcohol abuse becoming more prevalentRead MoreEssay about Drinking Age Controversy1076 Words   |  5 PagesDrinking Age Controversy In the United States, a citizen is considered an â€Å"adult† at the age of 18, and with that new title comes many responsibilities, such as the right to vote and to join the army. However, the legal drinking age in America is twenty-one. This issue has been a major controversy for some time now that faces both national and state governments. Should the drinking age be lowered to the age when legally a person becomes an adult and assumes all other adult responsibilities,