Young Is Too Young? Lowering Research Paper

Total Length: 1635 words ( 5 double-spaced pages)

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However, "a 2003 study showed that in many countries with lower minimum drinking ages, 15- and 16-year-olds are less likely to become intoxicated compared with teens in the U.S. (Roan 2008, p.3).

Opponents of lowering the law in the U.S. have increasingly used medical science to support their position, pointing out that the teenage brain is less developmentally mature than an adult brain and "younger someone starts drinking, the greater the likelihood of developing alcohol dependence" (Roan 2008, p.3). But a 2006 Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine study shows that while it is true that prepubescents who begin drinking have dramatically higher rates of alcoholism, between 18 and 21, the difference is "insignificant" in terms of how age of first use affects later consumption.
"What we ought to look at is not keeping 18-year-olds from drinking, it's keeping 13-year-olds from drinking," concluded the study (Roan 2008, p.3).

While medical and psychological evidence may suggest that drinking later is better, many cultures have created an atmosphere of moderation and responsibility around alcohol in a manner that fosters lower levels of drunkenness amongst young people of all ages. Raising the drinking age has created a cultural of rampant defiance of the law through binge drinking at many high schools and college campuses. Although lowering the drinking age may not be the full solution to a widespread cultural problem within the U.S., clearly raising it to 21 has not proven to be an effective panacea.

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"Young Is Too Young Lowering", 31 May 2010, Accessed.15 May. 2024,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/young-too-young-lowering-10972