Drinking Age

Jesus Mendez

Susan Zelms

English 1101

Nov 26, 2007

Drinking Age

An Arizona Department of Public Safety report found that

fatal accidents increased over 25%. While traffic fatalities increased more than 35% after the state minimum legal drinking age(MLPA) was lowered from age 21 to 19 (Jim Hall). Everybody thinks as soon as they turn twenty-one they are mature enough to make smarter decisions in their lives. But then the news talks about how alcohol played a major part in a recent accident, or death. Studies show that if the legal was drinking age was changed to twenty-five the death toll would decrease dramatically(Jim Hall). The legal drinking age for a US citizen is twenty-one but should be twenty-five so it can decrease alcoholic related deaths, drunk drivers, and the addiction to alcohol among young adults.

There would be less families grieving the death of their children. At the age of twenty-five they will take greater responsibility for what they do. When going out to a party they would call a cab, instead of driving their cars. Second option would be Staying at a friends house, or having someone drive them home. At twenty-five many may already have a family so making immature decisions would not be a option in your life. Irrational thinking takes the lives of other innocent people. Not as much fighting would be taking place since being able to handle the liquor will help in avoiding confrontations with others.

When people drink they feel more powerful and feel they can take on the world. Hospitals would see a decline in alcohol poisoning deaths. Young adults sometimes over drink and their bodies cannot take it. At twenty-five there would be no need for individual to try to show of how much they can drink in front of their friends. This will seem like a game for children that you will not want to be part of since age has made you smarter and wiser.

Most drivers who have had something to drink have low blood alcohol content or concentration (BAC) and few are involved in fatal crashes. On the other hand, while only a few drivers have BACs higher than .15 a much higher proportion of those drivers have fatal crashes(NHTSA). Many young adults would keep their drivers license due to the decrease in drunk drivers. Fewer driver licenses would be suspended or revoked. Increasing penalties on drivers licenses by revoking it for one to three years would make someone think twice before jumping in a car. Many jobs now check for your driving record so having a clean record is crucial.

In addition not having a drinking under the influence(DUI) on your record will give many the dream job they are looking for. The courts would not be as crowded as it is now. Imagine not having to sit there handcuffed to a chair waiting for a judge to make a ruling on the future of your life. There would be less people paying a lawyer thousands of dollars to keep you from going to jail. Thousands of dollars will be saved and you will not have to worry about living with restrictions or being on probation. Not worrying about having to go visit a probation officer, and having to take a urine test to prove that their is no alcohol in your body will be a blessing. A probation officer telling you to go do hours of community service by cleaning up the streets, parks, and highways would be greatly reduced.

Individual who increase their drinking from age 18 to 24 and those who consequently drink at least once a week during this period may have problems attaining the goals typical of the transition from adolescence to young adulthood in marriage, educational attainment, employment, and financial independence(NIAAA).