Underage drinking

Introduction Underage drinking has affected many across the U. S. This topic has affected me personally in many ways, hence the reason I chose it. Throughout this project, I will discuss why underage drinking is such a problem, what my position is, courses of action, and possibly a visual to support the issue at hand. This may show as an interest to others for many reasons, but it has a personal meaning to me and friends of mine as well. I was curious as to what others had to say about this subject, and what they had to say about this subject, and what they think should be done as a result. To those of us who have drank alcohol illegally, we don’t fully understand the consequences and harm that alcohol has on us. If taken certain precautions, could there be too much harm? Some may say that lowering the drinking age will make alcohol more available to an even younger crowd; replacing ” forbidden fruit” with ” low-hanging fruit”, figuratively speaking. Because of the closeness in age between 15-18 years of age, the ” younger” group looks up to 18 year olds. According to the law, 18 years of age is considered an ” adult”, modeling for the other teens. If the younger teens see the 18 year olds getting the ” O. K.” to drink, they assume that it’s okay for them as well. The Age 21 to Drink laws may have resulted in some decreases in underage drinking, but it doesn’t show the fact of friends, parents, and other influential people being over 21 distributing alcohol. The whole point behind the ” Age 21″ laws was to keep young people healthier, happier, and safer; but by now it’s obvious that the law hasn’t succeeded in preventing the minors from drinking. This may be cause of serious riots by students who want to do their boozing unhindered. Some of the melees such as those at Ohio University, University of Colorado, and Penn State University, have involved significant injuries, arrests, and deaths due to these laws. 1. Source Citation: ” Age Restrictions on Alcohol Do Not Reduce Teen Drinking” by Andrew Stuttaford. Teens at Risk. Auriana Ojeda, Ed. Opposing Viewpoints Series. Greenhaven Press, 2004. Andrew Stuttaford, ” De-Demonizing Rum: What’s Wrong with ‘ Underage’ Drinking?” National Review, vol. 53, June 25, 2001. Copyright 2001 by National Review, Inc., 215 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10016. Reproduced by permission. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thomson Gale. 21 December 2006. http://galenet. galegroup. com/servlet/OVRC Andrew Stuttaford’s viewpoint argues that age restrictions on alcohol are ineffective and counterproductive. Andrew believes that using other deterrents than using age restrictions and laws as the only solutions. This article describes what actions were taken to lower the rate of underage drinking and how some of the laws were ineffective and how some new resources can be very useful. This article shows how underage drinking is still a major concern, and how some of the the laws were ineffective. Some were affected, and new laws that are being incorporated to help curb underage drinkning. 2. Source Citation: ” Arguments for Lowering the Drinking Age Are Misguided” by Center for Science in the Public Interest. Teens and Alcohol. James D. Torr, Ed. Current Controversies Series. Greenhaven Press, 2002. Reprinted, with permission, from ” Talking Points/Arguments: Answering the Critics of Age-21,” by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, February 1998, published at www. cspinet. org/booze/mlpatalk. htm. Reprinted with permission. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thomson Gale. 21 December 2006. http://galenet. galegroup. com/servlet/OVRC This article is stating that lowering the legal drinking age to 18 will create more problems with the younger population than there already is. Stating that the practices and behaviors of 18 year-olds are particularly influential on 15-17 year olds. This, as in the article, would ultimately make the younger population think that it is okay to drink. This article showed me that the viewpoints of people who are against lowering the drinking age think that 18 year olds are neither responsible nor mature enough to drink. They want stricter enforcement to make Age 21 laws more effective. 3. Source Citation: ” The Drinking Age Should Be Lowered to 18″ by Michael Clay Smith. Teens and Alcohol. James D. Torr, Ed. Current Controversies Series. Greenhaven Press, 2002. Reprinted, with permission, from ” Treat Students as Adults: Set the Drinking Age at 18, Not 21,” by Michael Clay Smith, Chronicle of Higher Education, March 12, 1999. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thomson Gale. 21 December 2006. http://galenet. galegroup. com/servlet/OVRC This article talks about some of the failures of Age 21 laws, such as death and actions of underage teens. It also states some of the harmful effects on campus life from these laws. I learned how the failure of these laws had harmful effects on campus life and the college experience. 4. Source Citation: ” The Extent of Underage Drinking Is Exaggerated” by David J. Hanson. Teens and Alcohol. James D. Torr, Ed. Current Controversies Series. Greenhaven Press, 2002. Excerpted from permission from the author. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thomson Gale. 21 December 2006. http://galenet. galegroup. com/servlet/OVRC This article is about how underage drinking is exaggerated by false facts and how the media tens to spin stories in a negative light. This article also gives ways to a better approach to reduce alcohol abuse. This article showed me how underage drinking is exaggerated by false facts and how the media doesn’t accept it. It also showed me that these are better ways to approach underage drinking. 5. Source Citation: ” Law Enforcement Strategies for Reducing Underage Drinking” by Bobby Little and Mike Bishop. Teen Addiction. Shasta Gaughen, Ed. Contemporary Issues Companion Series. Greenhaven Press, 2002. Reprinted from ” Minor Drinkers/Major Consequences: Enforcement Strategies for Underage Alcoholic Beverage Law Violators,” by Bobby Little and Mike Bishop, FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, June 1998. Endnotes in the original have been omitted in this reprint. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thomson Gale. 21 December 2006. http://galenet. galegroup. com/servlet/OVRC This article is about law enforcement strategies to reduce underage drinking. It also mentions the problems the law needs to work with, also discussing the actions the police are thinking about to cut underage drinking penalties. This article showed me what police think about underage drinking and what they should do about it. This article also talks about the actions they took, the penalties they have, and what penalties and actions they need to work on. 6. Source Citation: ” State Penalties for Underage Drinking” by Ohio Department of Public Safety. Alcohol. William Dudley, Ed. Teen Decisions Series. Greenhaven Press, 2001. Reprinted from ” The Facts of Underage Drinking,” by the Ohio Department of Public Safety (www. state. oh. us). Reprinted with permission. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thomson Gale. 21 December 2006. http://galenet. galegroup. com/servlet/OVRC This article is about the consequences of underage drinking, use of a fake I. D., and consequences to parents who give the alcohol to a minor. Also, it tells you what the fine and time would be if caught breaking any of their laws. POSITION PAPER. According to U. S. law, you must be 21 years of age before you consume an alcoholic beverage. Since 18 is considered an adult, the mentality is that it’s O. K. to drink. This causes much debate and controversy throughout society. Usually at the age of 18, one is out of high school and into college along with plenty of people over 21. Of course, there’s partying, boozing, etc. 18 years olds just may be setting a bad example. Based upon my research, I have found my position on underage drinking to be against lowering the drinking age. Age 21 laws are one of the most effective public policies ever implemented in the nation. If we were to lower the drinking age to 18 it would make alcohol more available to a younger population. If one would think that many 18 year olds are willing to buy cigarettes for some extra change from minors. The practices and behaviors of 18 year olds are particularly influential on 15-17 year olds. If an 18 year old gets the O. K. to drink, they will be modeling drinking for younger teens. Legal access to alcohol for 18 year olds will provide more opportunities for younger teens to obtain it illegally from older peers. Age 21 laws have resulted in decreases in youth drinking. Many argue that minors still drink, so age 21 laws clearly don’t work. I have also found that in response to the laws not working, young people drink less. The law has saved an estimate 17, 000 lives since states began implementing them in 1975. They’ve decreased the number of alcohol-related youth fatalities among drivers by 63% since 1982. From the other side of the fence, Andrew Stuttaford, an opinionated writer, offers to take a different approach to the underage drinking problem. He strongly believes that the laws prohibiting alcohol among minors aren’t anywhere near effective enough. He thinks that we should, rather, make alcohol more available and attractive to teens. It’s kind of a reverse-psychology. He does, in fact; have a great point and especially when he talks about growing up with intelligent parents. By intelligent parents, I mean who will introduce alcohol as a casual and controlled element. Being in this environment will definitely beat out binging, underage, and be ultimately able to handle the situation by the time they’re 21. Of couse there are consequences if caught underage drinking. In the state of Ohio, if caught having a BAC of . 02%, one may receive a 60 day to 2 year suspension of their license, the courts could assign a drug and alcohol addiction program, 4 points on their driving record, and possibly required to do a driving course. The course of actions I would like to see be taken would be a stricter law enforcement. What I mean by a stricter law enforcement is; undercover stings, cops in shops, and party patrols. A stricter enforcement of Age 21 laws against commercial sellers would make those laws even more effective at reducing youth access to alcohol. I also like to see more undercover stings, where a minor operative attempts to purchase alcohol from various licensed establishments such as convenience stores, restaurants, bars, etc. Another action would be moving more police officers in and around liquor stores to keep watch on transactions going on inside and out around the stores. What I mean by out and around is to see if any liquor is being handed off to any minors. Finally, I would like to see a lot more party patrols; a party patrol is where informants at local high schools and universities tip off law enforcement to underage drinkers planning a party. I have spoke with many close friends of mine about this topic to get a better understanding of peers. The first close friend of mine I spoke with has been caught and reprimanded by the police due to underage drinking before. Talking with him about this subject, he wishes he never did it to begin with. Now, he doesn’t have a license for a year due to a suspension on it. Not to mention the hundreds of dollars spent on fines and court costs. The second friend of mine is dealing with the exact same consequences, only he got caught twice and has twice the damage. His life is practically on hold because of all of this. Telling me that he lost complete trust and respect from his family, especially, wasn’t worth it. His privileges have been severely restricted, and no one around him knows whether or not to believe him in anything he says or does. My third friend had a best friend whose life was taken from a drunken underage driver. She knew him for so long that it felt unnatural not having her friend around for the next school year. She believes that it’s not right to drink before one is able to handle that kind of serious responsibility. She also stated the hurt, pain, and stupidity due to underage drinking. Through much discussion and experience, I have found that underage drinking is not worth the fines, hang-overs, accidents, and disrespect that it brings. bibliography 1. Source Citation: ” Age Restrictions on Alcohol Do Not Reduce Teen Drinking” by Andrew Stuttaford. Teens at Risk. Auriana Ojeda, Ed. Opposing Viewpoints Series. Greenhaven Press, 2004. Andrew Stuttaford, ” De-Demonizing Rum: What’s Wrong with ‘ Underage’ Drinking?” National Review, vol. 53, June 25, 2001. Copyright 2001 by National Review, Inc., 215 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10016. Reproduced by permission. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thomson Gale. 21 December 2006. http://galenet. galegroup. com/servlet/OVRC Andrew Stuttaford’s viewpoint argues that age restrictions on alcohol are ineffective and counterproductive. Andrew believes that using other deterrents than using age restrictions and laws as the only solutions. This article describes what actions were taken to lower the rate of underage drinking and how some of the laws were ineffective and how some new resources can be very useful. This article shows how underage drinking is still a major concern, and how some of the the laws were ineffective. Some were affected, and new laws that are being incorporated to help curb underage drinkning. 2. Source Citation: ” Arguments for Lowering the Drinking Age Are Misguided” by Center for Science in the Public Interest. Teens and Alcohol. James D. Torr, Ed. Current Controversies Series. Greenhaven Press, 2002. Reprinted, with permission, from ” Talking Points/Arguments: Answering the Critics of Age-21,” by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, February 1998, published at www. cspinet. org/booze/mlpatalk. htm. Reprinted with permission. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thomson Gale. 21 December 2006. http://galenet. galegroup. com/servlet/OVRC This article is stating that lowering the legal drinking age to 18 will create more problems with the younger population than there already is. Stating that the practices and behaviors of 18 year-olds are particularly influential on 15-17 year olds. This, as in the article, would ultimately make the younger population think that it is okay to drink. This article showed me that the viewpoints of people who are against lowering the drinking age think that 18 year olds are neither responsible nor mature enough to drink. They want stricter enforcement to make Age 21 laws more effective. 3. Source Citation: ” The Drinking Age Should Be Lowered to 18″ by Michael Clay Smith. Teens and Alcohol. James D. Torr, Ed. Current Controversies Series. Greenhaven Press, 2002. Reprinted, with permission, from ” Treat Students as Adults: Set the Drinking Age at 18, Not 21,” by Michael Clay Smith, Chronicle of Higher Education, March 12, 1999. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thomson Gale. 21 December 2006. http://galenet. galegroup. com/servlet/OVRC This article talks about some of the failures of Age 21 laws, such as death and actions of underage teens. It also states some of the harmful effects on campus life from these laws. I learned how the failure of these laws had harmful effects on campus life and the college experience. 4. Source Citation: ” The Extent of Underage Drinking Is Exaggerated” by David J. Hanson. Teens and Alcohol. James D. Torr, Ed. Current Controversies Series. Greenhaven Press, 2002. Excerpted from permission from the author. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thomson Gale. 21 December 2006. http://galenet. galegroup. com/servlet/OVRC This article is about how underage drinking is exaggerated by false facts and how the media tens to spin stories in a negative light. This article also gives ways to a better approach to reduce alcohol abuse. This article showed me how underage drinking is exaggerated by false facts and how the media doesn’t accept it. It also showed me that these are better ways to approach underage drinking. 5. Source Citation: ” Law Enforcement Strategies for Reducing Underage Drinking” by Bobby Little and Mike Bishop. Teen Addiction. Shasta Gaughen, Ed. Contemporary Issues Companion Series. Greenhaven Press, 2002. Reprinted from ” Minor Drinkers/Major Consequences: Enforcement Strategies for Underage Alcoholic Beverage Law Violators,” by Bobby Little and Mike Bishop, FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, June 1998. Endnotes in the original have been omitted in this reprint. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thomson Gale. 21 December 2006. http://galenet. galegroup. com/servlet/OVRC This article is about law enforcement strategies to reduce underage drinking. It also mentions the problems the law needs to work with, also discussing the actions the police are thinking about to cut underage drinking penalties. This article showed me what police think about underage drinking and what they should do about it. This article also talks about the actions they took, the penalties they have, and what penalties and actions they need to work on. 6. Source Citation: ” State Penalties for Underage Drinking” by Ohio Department of Public Safety. Alcohol. William Dudley, Ed. Teen Decisions Series. Greenhaven Press, 2001. Reprinted from ” The Facts of Underage Drinking,” by the Ohio Department of Public Safety (www. state. oh. us). Reprinted with permission. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thomson Gale. 21 December 2006. http://galenet. galegroup. com/servlet/OVRC