Will lowering the drinking age solve the problem of binge...

Alcohol; it’s something Americans enjoy, whether it is at a party, before meals, during the football game, with our buddies, so on and so forth. Alcohol has been a part of human civilization for hundreds of thousands of years and is linked but not limited to, pleasure, and sociability in many people’s minds. Up until 1984 the legal age for people to drink was eighteen, that age was then raised up to twenty-one in order to reduce the death rate of many teenagers who were dying because of alcohol related problems. Today, many people believe that lowering the drinking age back down to eighteen would reduce and or solve the problem of binge drinking among college students. A simple answer can be conjured up, no. What many people don’t realize†¦show more content†¦Studies have shown that the developing adolescent frontal cortex is much more sensitive to damage than the adult frontal cortex, even with the same amount of alcohol† (Binge Drinking in Adole scence Can Hinder Adjustment to Adulthood). Crew’s explained that: â€Å"brain scans performed on rats showed that adolescent binge drinking in rats led to a smaller forebrain volume and size. The animals also showed significantly less behavioral flexibility compared to those that weren’t exposed to alcohol† (Dangers of College Binge Drinking)The study also found â€Å"reductions in the activity of neurotransmitter genes 24 hours after binge-drinking in adolescent animals. As adults, the animals showed even greater reductions, averaging 73 percent† (Dangers of College Binge Drinking). Dr. Crews said that their findings suggest that people who drink heavily during adolescence could be more likely to have â€Å"difficulty adapting successfully to changing life situations as adults, possibly because of changes to the frontal cortex, the part of the brain that is associated with predicting consequences, impulse control, reasoning, and long- and short-term r ewards† (Dangers of College Binge Drinking). When a person is 21 or older their body and brain are completelyShow MoreRelatedTo Lower or Not to Lower the Legal Drinking Age to 18, That Is the Question881 Words   |  4 Pagesattend college with the hope of expanding their career opportunities, but are these young adults doing more than studying and homework? A new study suggests that binge drinking is on the rise among college students (Eisenberg n.p.). With an increase of alcohol consumption by underage drinkers, it only seems logical to lower the drinking age to prevent binge drinking, however there are far more consequences to be seen. Lowering the drinking age to 18 will not solve the binge drinking problem amongRead MoreCollege Binge Drinking As A Right Of Passage1447 Words   |  6 Pagesstepping stone is college, however, students are not only learning from the classes they attend, but also from the parties. Consequently, they are being introduced to alcohol and plen ty of it; learning how to shotgun a beer or attempt a keg stand is all the rage. Suddenly, people are viewing college binge drinking as a right of passage for even their youngest students. Thus, demands the questioning of lowering the drinking age to counteract college binge drinking. â€Å"The reality is that at age 18 in thisRead MoreThe Effects Of Binge Drinking On College913 Words   |  4 Pagesadult years .† Whenever I heard this statement, I thought of teens binge drinking in college. College drinking has become a major issue for people under the age of twenty- one. Binge drinking becomes addicting, especially for people under the age of twenty-one. Understanding the problem and consequences of binge drinking will help to show that lowering the drinking age will not help the problem. Binge drinking in college is when students consume an excessive amount of alcohol in a short period of timeRead MoreCausal Argument Essay1357 Words   |  6 PagesArgument: Will Lowering the Drinking Age Solve the Problem of Binge Drinking among College Students? Research has supported the observation that young people in America consume alcohol regularly; this prevalence of use increases rapidly during adolescence, as well as a few years afterward (Wagenaar and Wolfson 37). This has come to be a problem among college students. It has been shown through extensive quantitative and qualitative research that those under twenty-one years of age are able to obtainRead MoreHow Bingeing Became the New College Sport 1089 Words   |  5 PagesDrinking on college campuses has become a huge problem. For example, in the 10th century only old people used to drink, but now students drink more than their parents. Students see their parents drinking, so they may think that drinking has no effect on health that anyone can drink so why can’t the students drink? Therefore, college students have been drinking alcohol since the 14th century. Barrett Seaman’s article â€Å"How Bingeing Became the New College Sport,† appearing in TIME magazi ne on AugustRead MoreDrinking at 18 Essay1243 Words   |  5 PagesDrinking at 18 If you look around at college parties it seems as if everyone is drinking. Actually you are probably right, but over half of those people drinking are also under the legal drinking age. Drinking is one of the main forms of entertainment for the typical college student. The only problem with drinking being the main form of entertainment is that half of the students in college or 20 years or younger. This seems to be a problem all over theRead MoreMaking The Law Fair While Saving Lives1740 Words   |  7 Pagesyouth under the age of 21 in the United States is in the form of binge drinking (McCardell). Lowering the drinking age is a big topic among younger adults and concerned college parents. Being 18 people serve in the military and they are known as adults. People 18-20 have to hide when they are drinking which makes them thrive to drink and party more but it s dangerous. This is called binge drinking which is landing them in the hospital. Also, there are a lot of underage drinking that is going onRead MoreBinge Drinking On College Campuses1459 Words   |  6 Pages Binge Drinking On College Campuses Over the past few years, there has been this big debate about whether the drinking age should be lowered to 18 or if it should stay at 21. Those in favor of lowering the drinking age to 18 argue that someone who is old enough to serve their country should be allowed to have a drink. Those who are in favor of keeping the minimum legal drinking age at 21 because of consequences regarding psychological development and health problems later in lifeRead MoreDrinking Age1395 Words   |  6 Pagesis good or bad, helpful or hurtful. Some debates are simple with no major side effects such as would drinking gatorade or water better maximize the performance of athletes. Other debates involving drinking are not as simple, these debates involve alcohol drinking age. Both arguments can have different viewpoints, the difference is the significance in the argument. What should the legal drinking age in the United States be? Consuming alcohol has been done for many years. Unlike a typical beverageRead MoreThe Impending Conclusion Of The Legal Drinking Age, Whether1953 Words   |  8 Pages The impending conclusion of the legal drinking age, whether it be lowered to 18-years of age or remain at 21-years of age, has been fiercely debated across the United States. â€Å"Since 1984, the National minimum legal drinking age in the United States has been 21 years, and during the intervening 25 years there have been periodic efforts to lower the minimum drinking age†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Wechsler and Nelson, para. 4). As some underage teenagers still remaining in High School and young adults who are currently attending