Tobon 1

Bryssa Tobon
English 113A
Professor Jaclyn
November 15, 2015
Lets Have A Drink
Being considered an adult varies by cultures, states, and beliefs. In the United States,
an individual is considered an adult at the age of eighteen. The legal drinking age in the
United States is twenty-one, which is extremely high. Many people in the United States view
drinking at the age of eighteen wrong, but in many cultures it is completely normal. The
drinking age in the United States should be lowered to eighteen because it prevents pregaming, reduces the craving for alcohol consumption, and will prevent deaths.
Lowering the drinking age will only increase the youth fatalities; therefore, it should
remain at twenty-one. Previous statistic show the rate of deaths have decreased since 1982,
which was when the legal drinking age changed to twenty-one. Manchester Universitys
campus newspaper published an article Legal drinking age should remain at 21 Alina
Bigjohny states that, The laws have saved an estimated of 20,000 lives since the states
began implementing them, and they have decreased the number of alcohol-related youth
fatalities by 63 percent(5). Ever since the legal drinking age increased there has been
positive results. The death of young adult decreased by more than half, so their plan has been
successful. This implies that individuals who drink at the age of eighteen are more likely to

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make bad decision, so theyre not capable enough to consume alcohol. Although the law
raised the drinking age and helped reduce some death it didn't get completely rid off
underage drinking. Even though leaving the drinking age at twenty will help prevent youth
fatalities, lowering it will stop individuals from pre-gaming.
Individuals who don't exceed the legal drinking age will usually consume alcohol in
residential areas to prevent being caught in public places. Since eighteen year old are not
allowed to buy nor consume alcohol anywhere they go its easier for them to drink before
they go out to a party, club, etc. former president of Middlebury College in Vermont, John

McCardell, argues that, This law has been an abysmal failure... It hasn't reduced or
eliminated drinking. It has simply driven it underground, behind closed doors, into the most
risky and least manageable of settings(7). The drinking age is extremely high that is leading
to young adults drinking in dangerous places. This activity is also know as pre-game or
pre-gaming where individuals consume a big amount of alcohol beverages in order to get
drunk. Young adults play a variety of drinking games to make the pre-game fun for instance
flip cup, beer pong, kings cup, six in ten, twenty-one, etc. These activities usually happens
more in college campuses because most incoming freshman and sophomores are trying to
have fun but theyre not twenty-one yet. If the drinking age is lowered to eighteen individuals
wont have to hide from anyone to drink alcohol beverages. Lowering the drinking age will
not only prevent pre-gaming, but it will allow young adult to have an option and itll help
reduce alcohol consumption.
Individuals who are not yet eligible to consume alcohol have a high demand for it,
and are willing to do anything to obtain it. Alcohol consumption in young adults is very
common. The reporter from The debate on lowering the drinking age states that, It's like

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the old days of prohibition: from the suburbs to college campuses to inner cities, kids find
ways to get around the 21 year old individual that is twenty-one, so they have no trouble on
getting alcohol beverages. If young limit(6). There are many ways individuals can get their
hands on alcohol. Most college students know at least one other person that is twenty-one, so
thats how they get. If young adults have the option to drink theyll have less cravings for
alcohol because itll be something normal to society. The more the law enforces young adults
to not participate in certain activities the more theyll do it.
The 18th Amendment established the prohibition of alcohol beverages. All activities
related with alcohol were not tolerated for example transportation, production, sale of alcohol
etc. People did not respect the law and continue consuming alcohol; underground secret bars
were built, and many men would go there after work. During the prohibition era the demand
for alcohol rose because not every individual was able to get their hands on it. Since the
demand for alcohol was so high it increase the illegal sale of liquor also known as
bootlegging. The same happens with underage drinking; since its illegal individuals have a
high demand for it. Although eighteen year olds are not able to buy alcohol they find a way
to get their hands on it just like in the prohibition era when they build underground secret
bars. If alcohol was available for young adults the demand for alcohol wouldnt be so high
because they would have the option to consume it.
Excessive consumption of alcohol can cause an individuals body to have severe
reactions that may lead to death. Some symptoms of alcohol poisoning include vomiting,
paleness, trouble with breathing, unconsciousness etc. If an individual is experiencing any
alcohol poisoning symptoms they need to get treated right away or else theyll have a high
risk of dying. In the University of Colorado at Boulder, which is known as one of the

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countrys top party schools, there was a death incident due to alcohol poisoning. An incoming
freshman, Gordie was 18, was doing an initiation to join the fraternity Chi Psi and was asked
to drink ten gallons of hard alcohol and wine in half an hour. In the interview Drink Age
Debate Gordies mother and stepfather, Leslie and Michael Lanahan, stated that, He had
had 15 to 20 shots... By the time they got back to the fraternity house his eyes were rolling
back in his head and he couldnt walk...Passed out on a couch for nine hours, Gordie died of
alcohol poisoning(24-25). Gordies body wasnt able to resist that much alcohol, and he was
undergoing different symptoms but no one paid attention to him. Since he was suffering from
many symptoms for a long time his body was not able to resist it and he past away. Later in
the interview the reporter said that the only reason the fraternity brothers didnt take him to
the emergency room was because he was underage. Drinking at the age of eighteen is clearly
illegal in the United States and they didnt want to get in trouble, so instead they let him lay
there and the brothers got in bigger trouble by avoid it. Drinking at the age of eighteen is the
norm, and there are many individuals who consume big amount of alcohol. Lowering the
drinking age will make young adults feel more confident and comfortable on taking someone
with alcohol poisoning to the emergency room.
Even though leaving the drinking age at twenty-one decreases the amount of youth
fatalities; lowering it will help death rates decrease more. Since alcohol beverages are
restricted to young adults it makes them crave it more, so they have a high demand of it.
Although individuals are not able to buy alcohol until they're twenty-one they still manage to
work around the law and get what they want. Individuals participate in many risky activities
just to consume alcohol that may get them in trouble with the law or risk their life. The law
can save many individuals life by making it legal for eighteen year olds drink, so if theyre

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giving the option to consume alcohol the demand for it will decrease. Many individuals do
the opposite that they are told for example if they are told not to drink they will most likely
end up drinking. A individual can have alcohol poising anytime, but in many cases they
wont go to the emergency room to get treated because theyre scared to get in trouble.
Lowering the drinking age to eighteen will be beneficial for all young adults because itll
keep them safe.

The Debate On Lowering The Drinking Age. Cbsnews. CBS, 19 Feb. 2009. Web. 15
Nov.2015.
Prohibition. History, n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2015