Alcoholism and alcohol- related deaths have been a major problem in American society since this country began. During the last century, however, advances in knowledge have allowed people to realize the total effect of alcohol abuse on every aspect of life. Legislators, driven by public opinion, find themselves having to decide how to protect the children of America from this harmful chemical, while maintaining the integrity of the Constitution. The theory behind the issue is if this abuse can be stopped while people are young, then they will be less likely to acquire the disease during adulthood. .
"Raising the minimum purchase age for alcohol to 21 throughout the country has been a successful strategy for reducing alcohol use and preventing related problems" (Levy, Miller, Cox, 1999, p. 1). According to the U.S. Department of Justice, since 1975, minimum purchase age laws have prevented more than 17,000 traffic fatalities (Levy, et al, 1999). To focus on the growing cost to society associated with underage drinking, Congress appropriated $50 million over a two-year period to the Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to fund the Enforcing the Underage Drinking Laws Program (McKinney, K., 1999). .
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 18,000 young lives have been saved by minimum drinking-age laws (NHTSA, 1998). "Seven out of ten respondents believed that stiffer punishments for teenagers caught drinking would discourage them from obtaining alcohol. "Most favored a one-year license suspension, while the rest supported a penalty of 20 hours of community service" (Alters, 2002, p. 108). According to Alters, adults providing alcohol to teens are responsible for problems associated with teen drinking. Eighty-three percent supported penalties for adults who provide alcohol to underage drinker's (Alters, 2002, p. 109). .
The drinking age is too high in this country. ... The opposition also believes that the laws against underage consumption of alcoholic beverages will dissuade young people from drinking alcohol. ... Obviously then the law is not working. Why keep a law that cannot be enforced? If the repercussions from the act of breaking the law are few and light, Why retain the law at all? ...
Enforce the law In the United States, the legal drinking age for all fifty states and the District of Columbia is twenty-one years of age. ... They say the laws that insist on merchants to turn people down less than twenty-one years of age will help get rid of the problem of underage drinking. ... Numerous arguing people also believe that the laws against under age consumption of alcohol beverages will dissuade younger people from drinking alcohol. ... The law is not effective. ... They say the laws that insist on merchants to turn people down less than twenty-one years of age will help ...
In the United States the legal drinking age is twenty-one for everyone. ... While in the military a person is held to higher standards which means that they are subject to tougher and stricter laws. These laws fall under the UCMJ, which is the uniformed code of military justice. For every state and federal law in the U.S. there is an even stricter law for individuals in the military. ... You are also tried as an adult in a court of law. ...
Flaws of the Drinking Laws Alcohol is a drug, and it is one of the most commonly used ones throughout history. ... The minimum age for drinking is one of the most highly regulated laws in this country. ... I most definitely agree that drinking and driving was something that needed to be addressed immediately, but I also believe that the laws need to be modified to several other factors, which make little sense. ... The belief was that by passing these minimum drinking age laws, or MDAL's, the overall consumption of alcohol would be reduced and therefore the drunk driving accidents wo...
An interesting question can be made from legislative analysis of gun laws and alcohol laws. ... To get the alcohol laws changed, MADD, a special interest group, pushed for the law. ... Finally, how many teenagers do not drink because of the law? Parents and the physical consequences weigh heavier on a teens decision to drink than the law. ... It actually probably adds some sort of excitement to drinking for some teens. ...
Laws against abusive drinking are very strict the way they are, especially against drinking and driving. Everyone knows about this law, and many people hand over their car keys to a sober friend because of the fear of the strong consequences that come along with drinking and driving. With the legal drinking age at 18, police officers can shift their focus more on drinking and driving issues rather than busting underage drinkers. Just as the drinking age was 18 before the 1970's, it should be the same now along with strict penalties for abusing the right of drinking. ... Current laws s...
Drinking and driving is dangerous. Drinking and driving kills. ... Laws need to cover not only advertisements but all media outlets to protect people from positive views about drinking and driving. ... A society needs laws to function and these laws must be fair to allow people to be free. ... For this to stop the government needs to put in stronger laws that will stop Canadians from drinking and driving. ...
Despite laws designed to prevent teenage alcohol consumption by imposing minimum age limits, America's youth continue to drink at alarming rates. ... Numerous clubs and special interest groups have been founded to combat underage drinking and underage drinking laws. ... The push for a drinking age law truly started back before prohibition. ... There are too many loopholes in the law that allows kids to drink and not be punished. ... The drinking-age law is perhaps the one law that has had the biggest impact on the day-to-day lives of America's youth. ...
European teens and college students have an opportunity to drink more often and at an earlier age and therefore better manage their drinking habits. ... If we as society continue to teach values there would be little need for laws restricting or prohibiting alcohol. ... Like alcoholics, they drink to get drunk. ... Laws are in place for the good of our nation's citizens. No one questions domestic abuse laws because they protect innocent people. ...
