Drink up Majority essays

Drink up Majority essays From the time of prohibition up through 1970, the legal drinking age for the entire United States was twenty one. Over the next five years, twenty nine states lowered their statewide drinking ages to either eighteen, nineteen or twenty (AMA). After some research was conducted about the relationship of the lower drinking age versus motor vehicle accidents, many states were urged to restore the drinking age to twenty one. While some states obliged to this, others remained unchanged (AMA). The remaining states were then threatened with losing state highway funding if they did not restore the minimum drinking age back to twenty one. With this penalty looming, eventually all the states were practically forced to comply. Ever since the entire United States uniformly accepted twenty one as the legal drinking age, there has much debate as to whether or not to lower it again. Once a person turns eighteen or the age of majority, they are thrown into this adult world to learn adult things but are still held as children when it comes to consuming alcohol. At eighteen, individuals can no longer be charged as juveniles in a court of law; they can vote in political elections and can even enlist in the armed forces where they may be sent off to war to die for their country (Lower the Drinking Age). With these immense responsibilities suddenly handed to them, it would seem inappropriate to deny young adults of their drinking privileges. Much debate comes with the idea that when younger people drink, they are also going to drink and drive. In theory, this would then cause more accidents and alcohol related deaths but law makers do not take into consideration that people who legally drink also drink and drive. Perhaps the answer doesnt lie in barring younger people from drinking but instead the answer is to stop people from drunk driving all together. The penalty here in Maryland for a first offense DUI (driving under ...