Global Breaking News - Monday, April 29, 2024
   |
[Debate/토론] (PC-009) Should the Drinking Age Be Lowered from 21 to a Younger Age?
최고관리자 | 17-09-17 08:41
All 50 US states have set their minimum drinking age to 21 although exceptions do exist on a state-by-state basis for consumption at home, under adult supervision, for medical necessity, and other reasons.
Proponents of lowering the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) from 21 argue that it has not stopped teen drinking, and has instead pushed underage binge drinking into private and less controlled environments, leading to more health and life-endangering behavior by teens.
Opponents of lowering the MLDA argue that teens have not yet reached an age where they can handle alcohol responsibly, and thus are more likely to harm or even kill themselves and others by drinking prior to 21. They contend that traffic fatalities decreased when the MLDA increased.
Pros
1. 18 is the age of adulthood in the United States, and adults should have the right to make their own decisions about alcohol consumption.
2. Allowing 18- to 20-year-olds to drink alcohol in regulated environments with supervision would decrease unsafe drinking activity.
3. Traffic accidents and fatalities are most common among newly-legal drinkers, regardless of the MLDA.
4. There are fewer drunk driving traffic accidents and fatalities in many countries with MLDA of 18.
5. The decrease in drunk driving fatalities as a percentage of total traffic fatalities in the United States does not correlate to the MLDA.
6. Lowering MLDA from 21 to 18 would diminish the thrill of breaking the law to get a drink.
Cons
1. Lowering MLDA 21 would be medically irresponsible.
2. Lowering MLDA 21 to 18 will irresponsibly allow a greater segment of the population to drink alcohol in bars and nightclubs, which are not safe environments.
3. The right to drink should have a higher age of initiation because of the dangers posed by drinking.
4. MLDA 21 reduces traffic accidents and fatalities.
5. MLDA 21 reduces alcohol consumption.
6. MLDA 21 should not be lowered to mirror European drinking age limits because the rate of drinking among US teenagers is lower than most European countries.
|
|