Legal Age for Alcoholic Consumption

Paper Summary:

This paper argues that lack of maturity in adolescence, the link between increased criminal activity and alcohol consumption, the link between alcohol consumption at a young age and illicit drug use, and the high rate of alcohol-related deaths among young people are factors that overwhelmingly point to the need for a high legal age for alcohol consumption.

From the Paper:

"Due to the immaturity and lack of reasoning skills demonstrated by adolescents in their late teens, it is crucial for the legal age of consumption to be 21 rather than eighteen. Although the difference in age is only three years, a lot of maturation and responsibility is gained in this short time span. Often young adults have completed or nearly completed college in these three years, or have taken on the responsibility of a full time job. Many young adults move out of their parents' homes and establish their own lives that they must support independently through earning an income and behaving in a responsible manner. This increase in responsibility and maturity translates into a better understanding of the consequences yielded by one's actions and better decision-making. A twenty-one year old is better equipped through life experience to make responsible decisions regarding alcohol consumption than an eighteen year old is."

More papers on Legal Age for Alcoholic Consumption:

• Essay # 32578 : "The Minimum Age of Alcohol Consumption"
• Argumentative Essay # 105392 : "Minimum Drinking Age"
• Argumentative Essay # 134562 : "The Legal Drinking Age Should be 18"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: