Alcohol and Safety. Affirmative Argument

Author: MacKenzie Misel

Safety and Alcohol

When thinking of underage drinkers I think of their safety. Underage drinkers are not in the proper settings to be taken care of when involved in alcoholic situations that would create any type of injury. Just from my friends alone I have heard of countless stories where someone is seriously injured let’s just say a couple common injuries could include, a confrontation at a frat party or a simple stutter step and fall down the steps and other underage drinkers are afraid to seek help because they are afraid of getting in trouble themselves. More than 1,700 college students in the U.S. are killed each year, as a result of

alcohol-related injuries. This is

where it would be a good idea to lower the drinking age. This topic of safety does not only concern me but it concerns, parents, guardians, and college presidents. President, John McCardel of Middlebury College in Vermont believes that the drinking age should be also be lowered. John McCardel describes how the movements dedicated to lowering the age back to 18. It may seem counterintuitive, but he also argues that lowering the age will make kids safer. I think that this is a good argument in any case because of president John McCardel addressing this issue nationally and he is a college president and he understands why the drinking age should be lowered, based on his experience in the college atmosphere and constantly being around college students. This is where I come from on this issue so I can relate to this information.

Underage Alcohol Consumption and Safety

Individuals drinking from age 12-20 years of age drink 11% of all alcohol consumed in the United States, of that 90% of that alcohol consumed is in the form of binge drinks. Under age drinker on average consume more alcohol than “adults” do on a regular occasion. In lowering the drinking age I believe that the statistics of this would go down. When children learn to drink at a younger age it is most likely hidden from parents or guardians. This creates the conception that alcohol is “bad”. Depending on how you look at it, alcohol is a bad thing to most parents with children. Also depending on how you address the issue in households givens children a better understand of

alcohol. But, because our drinking age is so high many children who have grown up with parents that are strict do not have the freedom of doing what they would like to do. Hence, when the child goes to parties or college they have the feeling of “freedom”. In high school this feeling of freedom is only temporary, for instance just one evening while you are staying over at a friend’s house. However, in college this freedom is permanent and you can do it when you want, however much you want, and however many times and it does not result much more than a really bad hang over the next day but in some cases worse things. Because kids are hiding this in high school it is not ver

y safe. 1- Because most kids in high school are under the age of 18, and I do believe in lowering the drinking age but not any lower than 18. 2- Most kid’s turn 18 in the summer before going into college, and at that point in your life you are considered an adult moving on to your next step in life. At that point in life you are then around alcohol because you are an adult. 3- I believe that it will teach kids, turning into adults the proper way to drink socially without binge drinking. Moderation will be easier to control because drinking is something you are used to and you know how much your body can handle before you could do anything stupid, or something you would regret.

Overall lowering the drinking age would create safer environments with parents and their children, or parents and their adult-children. This would help to create a positive enforcement on alcohol in life and teach their children not to hide things when alcohol is involved. As well as the proper amounts of consumption in social situations for the safety of all others around.