SHOULD THE UNTIED STATES DRINKING AGE
REMAIN AT 21?
By. Alicia Schad
&
Cody Chatham
SURVEY
•
What do you think the legal drink age should be?
•
18 years old
•
21 years old
GRAPHS
INFO & QUESTIONS
•
“ More than 90 percent of high school seniors consume alcohol” (56)
•
Students are also binge drink.
•
Questions to think about
• “will reducing the drink age make it easier to teach young people to drink
responsibly?” (56)
• “is reducing the drink age simply capitulating to the realities that young people
drinking” (56)
• “Do drinking laws discriminate against people under the age of 21” (57)
INFO
•
Kids can drive at 16, and get married at 18. But they can not drink until 21
•
In 2007 “Surgeon General published a paper with suggestions to reduce underage
drinkin”(57)
•
“The Amethyst Initiative” (58)
• Is a non-profit that was started in 2007
• This made people think about the drink age, and even brought it up with
colleges.
• 135 college president signed to help lower the drinking age to 18.
INFO
•
The 21 law.(59-60)
• 18 years old were aloud to drink in the years 1970s-1980s.
• After prohibition majority of states had the drink age at 21.
• Because of Vietnam War, and voting rights the drinking law cam back up.
• “between 1970-1976 29 states lowed drinking age back to 18.
• Teen death rates raised during this time.
• Then by 1976-1984 “24 out of the 29 states” put the drink age back up to 21.
VIDEO
•
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufXLSRtsCGQ#t=39
INFO
•
More men are more liking to drink and binge drink then women are. (60)
• Approximately 1,400 people die from drinking incidents.
• 1,100 of those deaths are from drunk driving.
• “more kids drink then smoke pot”
• Most kids have first drink at the age of 13, have drinking patterns between 8 th
and 10th grade.
INFO
•
15% of people 18-25 years of age already binge drink. (60)
•
People feel if one is in the military then they can have a beer. (62-63)
• “The U.S. Department of Defense take substance abouse among military very
seriously” (62)
• Military has found more binge drinking in people from ages 18-25.
•
Drinking can lead to sexual assault (63)
• in 2001, 97,000 college students reported sexual assault or rape.
•
Educated people may help them to drink reasonable.
•
Alcohol education is important. Many colleges have alcohol education classes, and
bring in out side people to help with me.
INFO
•
Why doesn’t the drinking policy stop underage drinking?
•
Parents are the main person to start early drinking in children. Parents normally supply
children with drinks.
•
They think if they let them drink at home they will be safe, then doing it other places.
•
“Children at 13 are more than four times as likely to become alcoholics” (71)
•
People who a tend college drink more then those whole do not.
•
“A person over 18 is no different fro the 18-21 age group.
•
18 years can do everything a 21 year old can do but drink.
•
Most parents do not of control over a child when they turn 18. Then are no an adult.
•
This is one reason why it is hard to enforce the drink age law.
FINAL DISCUSSION
•
Questions
•
What are your thoughts of the drinking age being lowered or staying the same?
•
What are the pro’s and con’s if the age is lowered?
•
What are the pro’s and con’s if the age stays the same?
SOURCES
•
http://drinkingage.procon.org/
•
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufXLSRtsCGQ#t=39
•
http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/05/28/do-we-need-to-redefine-adulthood/letthem-drink-at-18-with-a-learners-permit
•
Textbook- Current Issues in Health; McGraw-Hill, 2013