Sociology

Reducing the legal age of drinking to 18 years is not a noble idea taking into consideration the negative effects associated with alcohol. This is a prime age in which young people join college and shape their careers. Surveys have shown that alcohol related consequences include car accidents, homicides, suicide, sexually transmitted diseases, and multiple injuries like fatal falls, drowning, and burns. According to Monitoring the Future (MTF), which researches on U.S. youth, 11 percent of 8th graders, 22 percent of 10th graders and 29 percent of 12th graders engages in heavy episodic (binge) drinking. Binge drinking involves consuming alcohol until the blood alcohol concentration reaches 0.08grams percent or beyond. It also reports that whenever the youth take alcohol, they over indulge and mostly drink around five drinks in a span of two hours.
               
Research has shown that intensive drinking or alcoholism is a condition which mostly manifests itself during early adulthood. More research reports that the youth who consume alcohol are more likely to engage in other activities that can be harmful to them and their colleagues. Alcoholism is also associated with abuse of other drugs like cocaine and heroin, engaging in sex with multiple partners and failure in exams. Lowering the age of drinking is not advisable since studies have shown that brain development continues up to the twenties. Scientist argues that this long period of development could be a reason why teenagers engage in risky activities.
               
Despite the fact that health problems resulting from alcohol mostly affects adults, research has shown that the young are also at risk of getting similar complications. In conclusion, reducing the legal age of drinking will not only harm the youth and the society at large, but will also expose the teen to adverse complications which tend to occur later in life.