A Critical Analysis: Why the Drinking Age Remains 21 in the US

This essay explores the rationale behind the drinking age of 21 in the United States, examining the biological, social, and legal factors that support this age limit. It discusses the impact of alcohol on adolescent development, including its effects on brain development, hormone regulation, and the potential for addiction. The essay also addresses the role of organizations like Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) in advocating for a uniform national drinking age of 21. Furthermore, it contrasts the US approach with that of countries like the UK, where the legal drinking age is lower, and considers the implications for public health, road safety, and rates of alcohol-related deaths among young people. The essay concludes by emphasizing the importance of the 21 drinking age in protecting the health and well-being of young adults during a critical period of development.

Why 21? A look at our
country’s drinking age.

Table of Contents
SUMMARY.....................................................................................................................................1
REFERENCES ...............................................................................................................................3

SUMMARY
The age which is generally being chosen for drinking in a particular country is generally
at the age of 21. Drinking can impact both positively as well as negatively on humans. As it
plays a significant factor on the sex hormones which includes both Estrogen and progesterone.
The hormones which are responsible for addiction when drinking alcohol is the dopamine that is
being released from the centre of brain as it is called as neurotransmitter which is responsible for
feel good or the feeling pleasure. This Dopamine is one of the hormone which drives addiction in
human body. A Heavy drinking can impact over the reproductive health as well as the sexual
performance among male and female both. It can make impact negatively over the fertility on
both the sexes which further results in making the difficulties regarding conceive. Heaving
drinking also plays a peculiar role in the number of deaths of the young people in the united
states every year. As this will includes the deaths which are occurring from motor vehicle
crashes, the alcohol overdose, suicides and many more.
The drinking at the age of 21 leads to many problems such as school problems, social
issues, physical issues, and the legal issues. As in the schools, the habit of drinking may results in
absence or lower grades in the academics. The social problems may involves the lack of active
participation in the youth activities. Some of the legal complications may involve arrest for case
such as drink and drive or physically hurt someone while drinking. In this, there are various rule
are being taken in several countries regards with the drinking age. As per this, the 21 is good and
better diabolical aspect for the drinking age because 21 is measure as adults age where individual
is enough mature and biological eligible to take alcohol. Moreover, there are other reason which
follow the pattern of law in which is state with the configuration by connecting some of
organisation for example mother against drunk driving which is agitating for the uniform
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national as a based on drinking age which is 21 and it help to eliminate such type of blood border
and keep the alcohol out of the hand which is supposed to take format of less mature 18 year old.
As per this, in the UK, the alcohol consumption is not a problem at the lower age but due
to this the road crashes and death are occurring. In this, at a lower age or the below 21, the
individual is not enough mature to handle the situation of tachycardia which is followed to
bradycardia. In this. They follow the region of high aggrieve response towards the depressive
which may render the brain activity and many of individual loss their conscious at this age
because of improper development of such sense which can handle the stress of over emotional
factor. There is another biological reason which is necessary to amend the law of drinking age at
21 is because in lower age, it is analyse that the child has gone through development phase which
is associated with the physical, emotional, social and cognitive. The habit of alcohol may rupture
the thought and process of development which is related with brain (Why 21? A Look at Our
Nation’s Drinking Age, (2014)).
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
DuPont, R. L., 2018. The opioid epidemic is an historic opportunity to improve both prevention
and treatment. Brain research bulletin, 138, pp.112-114.
Lams, L., 2018. Examining strategic narratives in Chinese official discourse under Xi
Jinping. Journal of Chinese Political Science, 23(3), pp.387-411.
Trombley, J., Chalupka, S. and Anderko, L., 2017. Climate change and mental health. AJN The
American Journal of Nursing, 117(4), pp.44-52.
Online
Why 21? A Look at Our Nation’s Drinking Age, (2014) [Online] Available through:
< https://www.boston.com/culture/health/2014/07/17/why-21-a-look-at-our-nations-drinking-
age/>
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