When president ronald just say no reagan signed the act, he issued a blanket requirement for all states to raise their drinking age. The theory behind this move was that raising the drinking age would prevent drinking and thereby lower. According to the american medical association, evidence shows that lower drinking age results in more traffic injuries and deaths among youths. Congress again put pressure on the states to raise the drinking age because of this startling increase in highway deaths, and the age 21 minimum legal drinking age. Phyllis kahn has worked for a lowering of the drinking age in her state. The lower minimum legal drinking age was followed by increases in the sale and consumption of alcohol and in alcoholinvolved traffic fatalities, particularly among young adults aged 1820 years. Effects of lowering the drinking age volume 79, issue 123 of research monograph volume 79, issue 123 of research report oregon. Lowering the drinking age would be good for the economy. Although many people argue that the national minimum drinking age act of 1964, which lowed the drinking age. Lowering the drinking age to 18 linkedin slideshare. Secondly, lowering the drinking age would allow the government to receive more taxes off of the sales of alcohol.
Lowering the drinking age will invite more use of illicit drugs among 1821 year olds. A louisiana senator says lowering the legal age to buy alcohol would remove its allure for minors and help combat binge drinking that sometimes turns deadly on college campuses. This week, state lawmakers in south dakotas house state affairs committee will consider a bill that would lower the drinking age to 18 for active duty military, including the national. Heath knows what he is about to say will sound a little crazy to most people. At the age of 18, people gain all of their legal adult rights except the right to drink. List of books and articles about legal drinking age. Should the legal drinking age be lowered stefan kiesbye. Ludmila koltunova slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. Drinking age should be lowered says international expert.
The minimum legal drinking age national institute on alcohol. Among them, 18 countries have set the minimum drinking age at 18. The organization says that a higher minimum legal drinking age results in fewer alcoholrelated problems among youths, and the 21yearold requirement age. This chapter was originally published in the book interventions for addiction.
Indirect effects of lowering the drinking age on new zealand students alcoholrelated. Back in the mid1980s, the minimum legal drinking age was raised on a state and national level from 18 to 21. The author brought a lot of points to life regarding introducing alcohol at a younger age. If this were true, teen drinking would have gone up after adoption of the legal drinking age. Lowering the legal drinking age karita lockwood professor oquinn com 323 october 29, 2012 introduction alcohol is a drink that is made from corn, barley or a beverage containing ethyl. Chile, egypt, honduras, russia, samoa and the united states. Will increasing alcohol availability by lowering the. The only things i can think of is that if the drinking age in your community is 21, you might use these ideas. More than college chancellors and presidents have signed a petition initiated in 2008 in support of the idea.
One of the most dangerous times for drinking in the united states is between the age of 18 20. Book and reference sources minimum legal drinking age. The variable mlda an acronym derived from minimum legal drinking age is the proportion of 18 to 20 yearolds that can legally drink beer in state s in time t, and the coefficient on this variable is our best estimate of the impact on mortality rates of lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18. Some experts say the solution is to lower the legal drinking age to 18. Minimum legal drinking age laws have been a primary alcoholcontrol strategy in the united states for 75 years. Lower it for beer and wine to steer teens towards safer forms. Allowing states to lower the legal drinking age would. These books provide a range of opinions on a social issue. We should lower the drinking age politico magazine. The number of alcoholrelated traffic fatalities began to rise at alarming rates and a high percentage of those involved young drivers. It could reduce or even eliminate unsafe drinking activities. We should legalize drinking at 18 to make college life safer. A drinking permit should replace the minimum legal drinking age.
Pros and cons of lowering the drinking age opinion front. Will increasing alcohol availability by lowering the minimum legal. The pros and cons of drinking at 18 psychology today. Readers will learn both sides of the issue, from experts who examine what the impact would be of lowering the legal drinking age. Centers for disease control and prevention cdc, age 21 minimum legal drinking age, cdc. Lowering the legal drinking age breaks the lock that fraternities and dorm rooms and offcampus housing currently have as the only places to drink offering an alternative changes the dynamic in. Pros and cons of lowering the drinking age the proposal of lowering the legal age for drinking from 21 to 18 has sparked off yet another debate in the u. List of books and articles about legal drinking age online. Lowering the drinking age would eliminate thrill drinking. Since more people will be allowed to go to bars, beer distributors, and liquor stores, an entire new. It explores whether the minimum legal drinking age mlda has been effective, efforts to lower the mlda, impact of mlda on safety, and examines legal drinking ages outside of america. Lowering the drinking age has serious consequences tara watson is an associate professor of economics and chairwoman of the program in public health at williams college in.
The minimum drinking age continues to stir controvers. Lowering the drinking age would destroy this concept. As a father myself with a 16 year old this book swayed my views on the legal drinking age. The national minimum drinking age act is also seen as a congressional sidestep of the tenth amendment. The author brought a lot of points to life regarding introducing alcohol at a younger age in order to familiarize young adults with it, making it a less tempting substance. The legal drinking age policy has been effective substance abuse policy research program saprp the legal drinking age has not been effective michelle minton efforts to lower the drinking age have both supporters and detractors radley balko lowering the drinking age. Alcohol consumption at an early age can result in various health problems. National youth rights association drinking age page choose responsibility promotes discussion of the minimum legal drinking age forbidden fruit reasons to lower the drinking age books. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books every 1, 2, or 3 months new customers receive 15% off your.
Lowering the drinking age is consistent with your support for personal liberty and will resonate with libertarianleaning youth. By lowering the drinking age, some people believe this will improve the state of the economy in the u. Pdf history and impact of minimum legal drinking age laws on. In the critical 18 20 age bracket, there are often binge drinking episodes simply because it is a thrill to break the law. But everyone knows that the 21 age limit hasnt stopped minors from drinking. In the bulk of the countries there are no special exceptions. Although debates have not been highly publicized, a few states have proposed legislation to lower their drinking age, while guam raised its drinking age. The legal drinking age exacerbates underage drinking dennis tamburello 6. The legal drinking age in the united states has been 21 since the national minimum drinking age act in 1984.
Lowering the drinking age has serious consequences. The drinking age should be lowered to the age of 18 for the following reasons. Draws on eyewitness accounts, governmental views, scientific analysis. Changes in reported driving after drinking among 16 to 20 year olds following the increase in new yorks drinking age.
A drinking permit should replace the minimum legal drinking age david j. Recently, there has been much hype about an online petition to lower the drinking age to 18. Arguments for lowering the legal drinking age are not valid 5. The current system, which forbids alcohol to americans under 21, is widely flouted, with disastrous consequences. Readers will learn both sides of the issue, from experts who examine what the impact would be of lowering the legal drinking age, either. She has an interesting take on whether this would mean that the state would have to give up 10% of federal highway funds the threat that the feds used to force states to raise their drinking. Lowering the drinking age 1223 words 5 pages what were doing now to prevent underage drinking isnt working. When the age was raised to 21 in the mid1980s, the goal was to reduce highway fatalities. There are a lot of misconceptions about alcohol and the legal drinking age should be changed to 18. This book should be read by all parents with children around the ages 1820. According to the national center on addiction and substance abuse, underage drinking accounts for about 17. Eliminate the thrill by lowering the drinking age and the taboo will be gone as well, encouraging normal alcohol consumption in the critical age bracket.
There is currently an ongoing debate as to if the legal age. However, the minimum legal drinking age should be lowered says expert dr. Return the drinking age to 18 and then enforce the law. A man should be able to drink a beer legally at 18 if he can vote and join the service. Eastman iii 29 5 the legal drinking age may provide a safer environment for women alan mozes 33. Shes professor emeritus of applied health sciences at indiana university in bloomington. It did not teen drinking has gone done by 24 percentage points since 1984. An mlda of 18 is widely considered medically irresponsible. But the lower drinking age begins to take a toll on the nations highways. Here are the primary benefits of lowering the drinking age. Discover librarianselected research resources on legal drinking age from the questia online library, including fulltext online books, academic. Two have a minimum drinking age of 16 italy and malta.
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