Monday, December 13, 2010

Drinking Age

The Marin Institute, Initials. (Designer). drunk boy by keg. [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.marininstitute.org/Youth/alcohol_youth.htm
The Drinking age law in the United States makes it illegal for people under twenty-one to drink and buy alcoholic beverages.  When you are under the age of twenty-one you cannot gamble or drink but can do anything else. Are young adult’s choices affected by these laws and does it affects who they are and are these laws for their well-being?

Alcohol is the leading cause of death in people under the age of twenty-one. Drinking can effect a person’s mental, emotion and physical welfare as well as the welfare of those around them. More people try alcohol a day than any other drug and nearly one-third of high-school students’ drink dangerously.  The younger the age you start drinking the more likely you are to develop alcoholism than people who start drinking at the age of twenty-one. If the law is changed so that the drinking age is lower more people will become alcoholics and more people will die. Although many people already drink underage they are more than likely to hide it and be safe, because they fear that they may get in trouble from the law for drinking illegally, thus affecting the choices they make. But if the drinking age were lowered, they will be less careful and because of this there will be more accidents and more deaths from them not being as afraid of the law and getting in trouble.  If allowed to do something people are more likely to do it and take advantage of and abuse it.

Most people have not fully developed and matured until around the age of twenty-one so they are not as able to make good choices and their bodies can be hurt more easily by harmful substances, this being another reason of why the drinking age is twenty-one.  Although people have some of their rights taken away until they are the age of twenty-one I believe that it’s for the good of everyone. When you are young you are not responsible enough to make as good choices especially under the influence of alcohol. This law is not only there to protect other people but the people the law effects. Like in the Constitution, everyone may not always agree with what is in it but its there for the welfare of American citizens. Although restricting people from doing things may lead to rebellion not all restrictions are bad. Although like in Iron Jawed Angels women are restricted because of their gender not considering their intellect, age restrictions have to do more with a  person's mind and maturity. But this could also deal with Hayles post human,if we define people based on their age because of their mental capacities how can we not give right to cybernetic/robots if they are intelligent.
Passaic News. (Designer). (2007). Drunk driver. [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://passaicnews.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/drunk-driver.jpg&imgrefurl=http://passaicnews.wordpress.com/2007/11/21/njsp-targets-drunken-driving-and-seatbelts/&usg=__zXg2NsDDAhcfX_nN89Cg1uVAM3U=&h=428&w=575&sz=214&hl=en&start=2&zoom=1&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=IHP7QOtXn9WusM:&tbnh=100&tbnw=134&prev=/images%3Fq%3Ddrinking%2Bcar%2Baccident%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26tbs%3Disch:1
This is a video shows ways drinking affects teenager and how it harms them.

Effects On Society and Person -This is a link to a report done on The most dangerous drug.It discusses about how alcohol is the most dangerous drug because of its availability and legal status as well as the way it harms people.

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