essay

What would happen if the drinking age lowered?

April 27, 2016

I have decided I wanted to know more about if the Drinking Age was lowered back down to the age of 18, specifically the pro and cons.

April 28, 2016

Binge drinking not common at colleges outside the United States (2001). Modern Brewery Age LLC

The Hunt Library

Reading Notes

· This talks about how we as a society in the United States basically over think the drinking age. Also they interview a few international students about the Binge drinking and what they think about it.

Strong Response Notes

The article is very interesting showing how colleges overseas and the lower drinking age don’t affect the students like it does here. It is like a culture shock to the international students when they get here and see the Americans acting a fool.

Strong response summary: It is a big help on both sides on either keeping the drinking age the same or lowering it.

April 28, 2016

Anonymous. (2008). United States: Too young to have fun; drinking. London: The Economist Intelligence Unit N.A., Incorporated

The Hunt Library

Reading Notes

· The Article is bringing up the question about if a American can fight for his country why can’t he have a drink. Also it states a group call “Choose Responsibly” proposed lowering the drinking age and combine it with mandatory alcohol education.

Strong Response Notes

· The article has some strong points about lowering but still not completely satisfied with their answers. Mothers Against Drunk Drivers is still going to win an argument to either keep the legal age at 21, raise it, or even ban alcoholic drinks all together.

Strong response summary: This article help with both sides of the argument for both sides, but the cons still out way the pros in it.

April 28, 2016

Busch III under fire for drinking age comments (2000). Modern Brewery Age LLC.

The Hunt Library

Reading Notes

· The chairman of Anheuser Busch Cos. Inc. is drawing criticism about a statement he made about the drinking age. It states “We need to listen to those who say that a law that makes it illegal for college students to drink a beer is wrong and that result in the very behavior that we are trying to fight. Bottom line: instead of pretending that prohibition on college campuses is realistic, we should be investing in helping those young people learn to make healthy responsible choices.”

Strong Response Notes

· Well this article is basically about the comment and how Mothers Against Drunk Driving doesn’t like and they are outraged. I see the point of the Chairman on we need to help and educate those individuals that are drinking irresponsibly.

April 28, 2016

Pete Coors draws flak for his comments on a lower legal drinking age (2004). Modern Brewery Age LLC.

The Hunt Library

Reading Notes

· The article is aimed towards at trying to vilify Pete Coors of the Coors Brewing Co. Pete Coors was quoted saying “We got along fine for years with the 18-year-old drinking age.” With that being said the co-director of the International Institute for Alcohol Awareness James Copple said “Underage drinking destroys lives and costs our nation billions of dollars.” James Copple also went on saying “We’re shocked by Mr. Coors’ unabashed support for lowering the drinking age.” He also went on to say “His comments reveal either an appalling ignorance of the national underage drinking crisis we’re battling or a callous indifference to it.”

· Copple also said “Mr. Coors and his Family have made a fortune selling beer and he understands the economics of his business. We hope that he will join us in understanding the human costs and consequences and in doing something to prevent them.”

Strong Response Notes

· While this article is geared towards the keeping the drinking age at 21 it is also one sided. Given Mr. Coors’ short quote on it the matter and his opposition a larger microphone to voice their distaste on the matter at hand.

· Mr. Coors should have had just as big microphone to explain his side and be a part of the argument.

Strong response summary: This article is a good example of the one-sided media that wants to throw things out of proportion. With that being said I believe our country has a fight on whichever way we look at this subject.

April 28, 2016

Anonymous. (2008). EDITORIAL: Lowering the drinking age? the real answer is responsibility. McClatchy - Tribune Business News

The Hunt Library

Reading Notes

· This editorial is about 100 institutions rethinking the idea of the drinking age and believing that having the drinking at 21 encourages dangerous binge drinking. University of Wisconsin’s La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow would like to see more research before endorsing a change in the drinking age, but he did say something that is more pertinent. “I think we need to do everything we can to help students make more responsible decisions about alcohol, and that may take some creative approaches,” Gow Said.

· What do we need? The three campuses have been working to provide alternative programming – activities that don’t involve alcohol.

· We also need ways to talk about responsible drinking, and to encourage moderation. The problem isn’t so much that young people are drinking – it’s the level to which some are doing it.

Strong Response Notes

· I believe it is the responsibility of the student to know what he/she doing and how to moderate, on the other hand a little more research on this subject would not be so bad.

· I think alternative programming is kind of off the wall for a university to come up with. What they should be doing is educating the students about the effects and the consequences for their decisions. They are educators not summer camp counselors.

· I agree with this, by that I mean it is not all up to the educators the parents have every impact on the student they send to the schools.

Strong response summary: The Universities need to educate and not falter on their duties. The parents need to do the same for their children as well. But this is not a perfect world and humans are not perfect people there will always be a flaw in the process somewhere and somebody well find it. I do agree with this editorial but it will take some time. Even though I believe if you are old enough to serve in the Armed Forces then you should be able to have a beer.

April 28, 2016

PROS AND CONS OF LOWERING THE DRINKING AGE. (2008). US Fed News Service, Including US State News

The Hunt Library

Reading Notes

Pros for lowering the Drinking Age

· The 21 drinking age law means young adults are not served in bars and other public places, but also means they continue to drink behind closed doors, where they are least supervised

· Young adults can vote, enlist in the military and smoke at age 18but are not allowed to have a beer until they are 21.

· Binge drinking has increased by 56 percent between 1993 and 2001, and more than 90 percent of alcohol consumed by underage drinkers is done so while binge drinking.

Cons for keeping the drinking age 21

· The minimum legal drinking age law has saved nearly 1,000 lives on the road each year.

· Alcohol-related deaths dropped dramatically soon after the law took effect

· Youths in European countries, where the drinking age is lower, drink more and binge drink more often than their American counterparts, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Strong Response Notes

· I remember the days of being a teenager in the 90’s, we had to go to parties out in the country in Texas and drink. We had a few friends, that wouldn’t grow up, that would buy the beer or liquor and then the bingeing began.

· I can completely relate to this, being that I was one of the young enlisted Airmen in the Air force.

· This is a great point and that proves that if we educate our children about alcohol and the responsibility that lies when drinking.

· While this may be true, I believe that the education of the responsibility of drinking to our young people is what needs to happen.

· We didn’t need the law to reduce alcohol related deaths. We needed education and our country did little by little.

Strong response summary: The Pros and Cons are both good points in the argument for lowering the drinking age.

April 29, 2016

Will, G. F. (2007). Lowering the drinking age: Central edition. Buffalo News

Reading Notes

-John McCardell and his group, Choose Responsibility,

suggest merely that the drinking by 18-year-olds be treated

like driving by young people—as an activity requiring a license earned after instruction, with provisions for suspending the license when the right it confers is abused.

Strong Response Notes

-I remember while being deployed for the military, we were issued “beer cards” that could be used to get alcoholic drinks no more than 4 drinks per day. The idea of a license is a little extreme, but I think giving “beer cards” would help a lot with over drinking by young adults.

Strong response summary: The idea of having a license is a great idea in the works. More research is need to get this concept to paper that can be used to help with young adults drinking at underground clubs.

April 29, 2016

Keen, J. (2008). States weigh lowering drinking age: Focus especially on military consumers. USA TODAY

Reading Notes

-Debate over lowering the drinking age is heating up in several states, fueled in part by legislators who contend that men and women who are old enough to fight on Iraq and Afghanistan are responsible enough to buy alcohol legally.

Legislation introduced in Kentucky, Wisconsin, and South Carolina would lower the drinking age for military personnel only.

-Proponents face opposition from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and a potentially costly obstacle: Congress voted in 1984 to penalize states that set the drinking age below 21 with forfeiture of 10% of their federal highway funds. That threat “may prove to be a deal breaker” for the bill.

Strong Response Notes

-I do agree with legislators about how at 18 you can join the military, but aren’t allowed to buy alcohol. I do not think that it would be beneficial to only drop the age restrictions for military personnel only.

I do understand what MADD is trying to say about drinking and how drunk driving amoung young adults is high percentage, but if states would realize that 10% is not a large percentage; maybe they would be able to get this bill past.

Strong response summary:

MADD has put some obsticles for states Kentucky, Wisconsin, and South Carolina to pass a bill to lower the drinking age for military personnel. This bill would be a great start on lowering the age to include all young adults.

April 29, 2016

Anonymous. (2009). ProCon.org; new ProCon.org website stirs up debate over lowering the drinking age. Politics & Government Week

Reading Notes

-47 out of 50 states consider 18 as the “age of majority” meaning that in those states people who are 18, 19, and 20 are generally allowed to vote, join military, serve jury duty, sign contracts, marry, apply for credit and loans, make decisions about medical treatments, and be prosecuted as an adult. However, those same people are not allowed to drink alcohol.

-Proponents of keeping MLDA at 21 believe that teens are more likely to harm or even kill themselves and others by drinking prior to 21.

-Opponents contest that a MLDA of 21 has caused greater underage drinking and subsequent health and life endangering behavior by teens.

Strong Response Notes

- I do agree with the points about what all a young adult can do at the age of 18, but not allowed to purchase or drink alcohol legally. All states need to rally together to get all at 100% agreement about lowering the MLDA.

- I can see the cons about lowering the age, but I do see the pros. I have seen more underage drinking in the news now of days. If the age was lowered than it would be less dangerest to the teens and others around them.

Strong response summary:

An ongoing battle with most states with debates of the national drinking age of 21. Underage drinking issues and a few nonpartisan entities have focused on providing facts and resources about whether or not the drinking age to be lowered.