Should Congress Pass Drinking Law, In America - 1650 Words

Should Congress Pass Drinking Law, In America? (Research Paper Sample) Content: Studentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s name Course Tutor Date Should Congress Pass Drinking Law, In America? Profiles of Opposing Stakeholders I and II The first shareholder opposing the legalizing of drinking age is MADD. Mother Against Drunk Driving was started in 1980. The movement gained the national influence very quickly, where it lobbied the lawmakers to increase the legal drinking limit. The movement pressured states to increase the legal drinking age. The pressure from the MADD saw all states comply by increasing the legal drinking age. The second stakeholder opposing the legal drinking law is Anti-alcohol movement. Physicians and ministers started the anti-alcohol movement in the nineteenth century. The movement was concerned about the drunkenness of servants and workers. The movement became a mass movement of the small and middle-class people. Although the movement was not only about alcohol but also about the minoritiesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ rights, the movement played a role in fighting alcohol in the country. The movement aimed at convincing people that alcohol was destructive and dangerous. The movement claimed that the alcohol affected the physical and moral character of the drinker. Although most people started on moderate drinking, they naturally started compulsive drinking, which led to their addiction. Argument I for Policy and Opposing Evidence According to the anti-alcohol movement (temperance), the legal drinking age should not be raised. The movement argues that since alcohol affects the ability of employees to perform well, it would also affect the mind of a teenager, which would see their level of productivity reduce. Most teenagers are in school, where they are expected to be the future of the country. If the congress can pass the legal drinking age, the number of drinking students would increase. Passing the drinking age according to the movement would also affect the social status of a person (Kelleher 76). Many students and teens would not be able to maintain social relationships with their fellow teens or parents. As a result, youngest drinkers will go through depression. The argument made by the movement is that even though they cannot drink and drive, alcohol in students will increase the mortality rate in the country. In defending their stands as to why students should not drink at a young age, the movement cla imed that it would help reduce the huge amount of money used in rehabilitations. Argument II for Policy and Opposing Evidence According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, setting a legal national drinking age is not morally right as it would increase the number of young drinkers in the country. According to MADD, most Americans are eager to reach 21 years, which will see them get an ID. Getting an ID means that they will be able to purchase alcohol freely without any fear. According to MADD, the issue of lowering the drinking age was started in 1971 after the Congress lowered the voting age to 18 from 21. Many states started following suit only that this time they lowered the drinking age (McCloskey and Sanford 210). The rationale used for their argument was that is a young American could be entrusted to serve a jury or vote, he or she should be allowed to order a beer. MADD claims that alcohol negatively affects the functioning of the teen's brain. The association quoted a study done by the NHTSA (National Highway Transportation Safety Administration), which showed that the number of road accidents caused by drinking and driving among the teens was because of their inability to make sound decisions while on the road. Passing the drinking age by the congress would result to increase in road carnage. The association says that passing the legal drinking age at 21 may not be successful in curbing binge drinking on varsity and college lives (McKenzie, Pinger, and Jerome 343). MADD suggests that the congress should raise the legal drinking age. The association claims that numerous researches have been done, which shows that raising the drinking age would help in lowering the number of road fatalities in the country. The association also suggests that instead of passing the drinking age, the congress should introduce a curriculum in school that would teac h students on how they can drink responsibly. Profiles of supporter Stakeholders I and II One stakeholder of the supporters is the American academy of child and adolescent Psychiatry, which is an organization facilitating the mental care for adolescents and children. The aim of the association is to promote health developments in adolescents and children through training and diagnosis. The association argues that if the drinking age is not passed, youths and teenagers will still find a way of accessing alcohol The American Medical Association is the largest physiciansà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ association. The American medical association argues that the problem with drinking today is based on the reckless and goal-oriented consumption of alcohol. Due to the strict laws restricting young adults from taking alcohol, the drinking is done in clandestine locations. Enforcing the law has proven very difficult. The legal age has seen young adults consuming alcohol in private places where they cannot be seen by the adults. Argument I for Policy and Supporting Evidence In a study done by the American academy of child and adolescent Psychiatry, the level of binge drinking in campuses has not changed since 1979. The study also revealed that the rate of drinking in college women has recorded a 40 % increases while the level of drinking in non-college women has increased by 20%. According to the association, more and more people are getting into irresponsible drinking once they get a chance of getting alcohol. The association argues that if the drinking age is not passed, youths and teenagers will still find a way of accessing alcohol (McCloskey and Sanford 210). As proven by their study, the rate of binge drinking is the same as it was in 1979. If restricting the age of drinking were effective, the rate of alcohol assumption would have decreased. The study also showed that more people tend to indulge themselves in binge drinking once they start accessing alcohol. Thus, passing the legal law would introduce people to alcohol at a good age, which would reduce binge-drinking cases in campuses. Argument II for Policy and Supporting Evidence The American medical association claims that despite the efforts made to control drinking, college students are being involved in binge drinking and the harms associated with it. The medical association argues that when one forms a habit during teenage, the habit has high chances of prevailing. According to the association, passing the legal drinking age would mean that one have to wait until he or she reaches the legalized drinking age. The medical association argues that most teenagers have a tendency of sampling what they have been denied. The arguments given by the association is that when the legal age is passed by the congress, other movements such as the Mothers Against Drunk Driving would give their own guidelines that prevent the young people from drinking and driving (Jurkiewicz and Murphy 229). A 21-year-old American citizen is considered an adult. Thus, the legal age should be passed with the rationale that they are grown ups, which would help them make sound decisions ab out the quantity they should drink. Analysis of Argumentation Both opponents and proponents effectively give proofs of their stance. The opponents claim that alcohol negatively affects the functioning of the teen's brain. The opponents also argue that since alcohol affects the ability of employees to perform well, it would also affect the mind of a teenager, which woul...