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Alcoholism

Tramontelli 1

Mike Tramontelli

Mr. Greshes

English 12

30 April 2007
Is the Drinking Age too High? A Modern Controversy
There has been a controversy in the United States of America ever since the legal drinking age was increased from 18 to 21. Many new points of contention have arisen ever since the federal government passed their decision. In my opinion, I think that the drinking age should be lowered again to eighteen for many reasons. Usually every weekend, most teenagers' main thrill is drinking and getting drunk. Research has found that restricting access to alcohol doesn't lower its consumption among young people. It just happens to do the exact opposite. Such a high drinking age makes alcohol the forbidden fruit. When teen in this country get a hold of alcohol, drinking in moderation goes right out the window. ., The present drinking age is counter-productive and makes young people drink in excess and doesn't allow for teens to learn drinking in moderation. Young people in this country think that since there is alcohol now, why not drink it all because who knows when they are going to have it again. Furthermore, young people think that drinking alcohol is a right of passage. If your parents can drink alcohol and you cannot, it seems like the government is infantilizing people under the age of twenty-one. The drinking age law is an insulting law. It basically says that the government doesn't trust young people and they aren't ready to make important decisions on their own. Young people having been making important decisions way before they were
Tramontelli 2 twenty-one. If a person can choose which college to go to, what low wage job they want to have, and joyride in their cars, than they should be allowed to drink.
One may say, if the drinking age is 21, how is it that all of these teenagers have experimented with alcohol and want to feel its effects on a regular basis? That is because, teenagers obtain alcohol...