Underage Drinking

4 Pages 896 Words

Alcohol is a drug most frequently used by American teenagers. It is consumed more than all other illegal drugs combined and is also the drug that is most associated with injury or death. Underage drinking is a serious problem for teenagers in the United States. People do not realize the effects that alcohol have on young growing adults. Alcohol is a drug that can affect judgment, coordination, and long term health. Underage drinking has no positive aspects to it. How can we say “yes” to underage drinking? The legal age to drink is twenty-one, and people should abide by the laws.
Back in the 1960’s and early 70’s a number of states lowered their drinking age from twenty-one to eighteen. In many of these states, research found an increase in highway deaths due to this law. Since then, all states have raised the drinking age back up to twenty one. This just shows that at the age of eighteen your life takes off with too many responsibilities and it’s hard to handle alcohol. Children do not have enough responsibility and since they are now classified as adults they thinks they can do whatever they want. Underage drinkers are not very smart when it comes to judgment and other factors that take toll when operating a vehicle. Alcohol affects everyone judgment whether you are old or young, but it is more likely that a younger person will do more damage. Young teens are just not aware of what it can do to you and your body.
One reason drinking is bad for you is because your brain doesn’t stop growing until your around twenty. Alcohol effects the growth of your brain and due to underage drinking it doesn’t give your brain full growing capacity. Also, your body’s organs do continue to grow until you get older and by drinking at such a young age it does not allow them to grow to full size or strength. Alcohol is also very addictive especially in young teens. It is more likely for children who start drinking underage to have a ...