Category: Driving Under The Influence

The Devastating Consequences of Alcohol Abuse

The stories are constantly being told. A family relative died in a car accident because a reckless driver decided to have several drinks before their joy ride. In the inverse, the relative died because they had one too many drinks. The story of how a loving mother lost their child to a disease that was contracted thanks to the consumption of alcohol. These stories are not unique. They tell us of events that could happen to anyone at any time.

As you read this now, hundreds of people are experiencing a story that will inevitably end in grief and sorrow. When someone asks whether the legal drinking age should be lowered, the answer should be no. The legal drinking age should not be lowered because it could increase the chance of health problems associated with alcohol consumption, increase the rate of mortalities, increase the rate of alcohol-related crimes, and increase the rate of drunk driving.

Implications of Lowering the Drinking Age on Mortality Rates

The lowering of the drinking age would allow for the increase of health problems to occur. According to the article “Alcohol ‘more damaging to brain health than marijuana,” marijuana has less of an effect on brain matter than alcohol does. The research found that people who consume alcohol had a large reduction of gray matter, a dark tissue of nerve cells and dendrites found in the brain and spinal cord, and also a reduction in the integrity of white matter, a brain and spinal cord tissue composed of nerve fibers with myelin sheaths. This can lead to several different psychological issues and damage to the nervous system.

As a result, conditions such as Paralysis and Alzheimer’s Disease can occur and negatively affect the lives of others. Therefore, by preventing those younger than the age of 21 from drinking alcohol, it is essentially preventing conditions like this from happening. In the article “Tests of Causal Links Between Alcohol Abuse or Dependence and Major Depression,” a study was conducted to see whether or not the consumption of alcohol had a correlation with Major Depression.

The study found that the use of alcohol was significantly correlated with causing Major Depression. This is a major discovery as it means that if people were to drink more and more alcohol, then their chances of gaining a mental illness, such as Major Depression, increased. In order to prevent something like this from happening, it is best to keep the restrictions on alcohol in place. Preventing the masses from being able to purchase an item that is a major factor in mental illness helps prevent mental illness from occurring in them.

By allowing the drinking age to be lowered, there is a high chance that it could increase mortality rates as well. The study “Actual Causes of Death in the United States, 2000” showed that approximately 83,000 deaths in the U.S. were caused by the consumption of alcohol. This number is significantly higher than the number of deaths caused by sexual violence, drug use, vehicle crashes, and firearm incidents. Since the drinking age requirement is one of the most powerful obstacles against the increase in alcohol consumption; if the drinking age were to ever be lowered, then this number would be expected to grow.

The more people are allowed to drink alcohol, the greater the chances there are of people dying due to alcohol consumption. According to Jürgen Rehm and Robin Room, the consumption of alcohol is a huge factor in the mortality rates of humans. After interviewing families about their late family members, it was discovered that many of the deceased members were involved in alcohol consumption. This pattern shows that many premature deaths were influenced directly or indirectly by the consumption of alcohol. This gives more grounds for people to go against the act of lowering the drinking age since it increases the chances of people involving themselves with the consumption of alcohol and, therefore, in effect, the chances of premature death as well.

Unraveling the Nexus: Alcohol Consumption and Crime

If the legal drinking age were to be lowered, then it’s highly likely that alcohol-related crimes would increase in the United States. According to “Alcohol and Crime,” “approximately 3 million violent crimes occur each year in which victims perceive the offender to have been drinking at the time of the offense.” This shows that many crimes occur when at least one individual has become under the influence. Those around this individual can become possible targets of serious crimes.

If we were to allow for the drinking age to be lowered, then that would allow a whole age group to possibly become under the influence and increase the number of crimes from 3 million to possibly 4 million. According to Thor Norstrom, areas with consumption of spirits and beers provided statistically significant data toward the increase in homicides and assaults. Greenfield’s research also shows that areas that have shown high alcohol consumption have shown an increase in the rate of crimes nearby. Once again, if we were to allow another age group to begin drinking, then this would mean that areas in which alcohol is being consumed will increase in size and, therefore, also increase the areas in which crime rates are elevated.

The Peril of Drunk Driving: A Case for Maintaining the Drinking Age at 21

The drinking age for alcohol consumption should remain at 21 because it helps prevent an increase in the amount of drunk driving.  According to the NHTSA’s data for “Alcohol-Impaired Driving,” there was a recorded number of 51,914 drunk drivers in 2016 who were involved in accidents. This is important to note because in 2007, according to the same data, the number of drunk drivers recorded in accidents was 56,019 drivers. After nine years have passed, the amount of drunk drivers in accidents has decreased by approximately 4,000 drivers. This means if the same trend is kept in the next couple of years, then the amount of drunk drivers will begin to decrease. Yet, if the drinking age is lowered, then it would only do the opposite to these results. By allowing more people to drink, you are also allowing more people to be able to drink and drive.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an average of 130 million drunk drivers were reported between 1993 and 2014. The data provided shows nearly a constant amount of drunk drivers every year (Impaired Driving). And since there has not been any major action taken to stop drunk driving, it is highly likely that this trend will continue in 2018. This means that drunk driving-associated accidents are still really likely to occur. The property damage that these accidents can cause is up in the millions, and the amount of lives these accidents can take is one too many to have. If the drinking age were lowered while this trend remained the same, then it is highly likely that the number of drunk drivers per year would increase, and the accidents associated with these would increase as well.

When it comes to the conversation of the age requirement to be able to legally consume alcohol, there will always be two sides. The ones who are against the lowering of the age and the ones who are for the lowering of the age. Those for the lowering of the drinking age argue that age 18 is when teens are now considered adults, and that should allow them the opportunity to make complete decisions over what they consume. This is a valid argument. It is true that at the age of 18, newly recognized adults are allowed to participate in voting, join the military, get married, and participate in the jury. However, the main issue is not what they can do but what they should do. After receiving several responsibilities and the ability to make their own decisions, these young adults are still too inexperienced. The taste of more freedom in their lives can be too overwhelming and can lead to bad decisions being made.

One of these decisions is the abuse of alcohol. If they are allowed to consume alcohol, their inexperience and new sense of freedom will cause them to be more likely to abuse their rights. As a result, they could possibly hurt themselves and anyone who is found around them. The right to consume alcohol is a matter of public safety. It is best to take the best measures possible to ensure that this safety is not breached, and that is why this law is in place.

It is in place to ensure that the abuse of the right does not lead to harm to oneself and others. The drinking age should not be lowered and should remain where it is at the age of 21. There is just too much risk associated with lowering  the legal drinking age. The chances of contracting health issues, increasing the rate of mortalities, increasing the number of crimes, and increasing the amount of drunk driving could all result just by changing the 21 law.

As things currently are in this country, the drinking age should remain the same, but let’s not forget the future. One day, it could be possible for the drinking age to be lowered. The issue here is only the amount of risk that doing so might create. In order to convince others in the future to lower the drinking age, the reasons for not lowering the drinking age must be addressed, and evidence that represents the opposite results must be shown. All that is needed is time.

At this time, one of the most effective ways to one day change this law is by beginning to educate the people. Education about the use of alcohol and morals must be done in order to help prevent the reasons listed above from occurring. If people are aware of what they could possibly do and they are aware of what would be mutually beneficial for them as a society, then they will be able to drastically change the results. They will be able to change results so much that they will be able to minimize the risks enough to change the current law.

References:

1. “Alcohol ‘more damaging to brain health than marijuana’”.
2. “Tests of Causal Links Between Alcohol Abuse or Dependence and Major Depression”.
3. Actual Causes of Death in the United States, 2000 Source: “Actual Causes of Death in the United States, 2000”.
4. Alcohol and Crime Source: “Alcohol and Crime”.
5. Impaired Driving Source: “Impaired Driving”.
6. Rehm, J., & Room, R. (2007). Alcohol and mortality: Global alcohol-attributable deaths from cancer, liver cirrhosis, and injury in 2010. Alcohol Research & Health, 33(3), 332-339.

Introduction:

The drinking age law currently has an increase in America’s percentage in crime statistics, and DUI reports are significantly higher than they would be with the drinking age set at 18. With all of the other rights coming to adults at eighteen, there is no logical reason they should not receive this one as well. Most of the arrests for underage DUIs were not because the driver was drunk but because they were underage. Because of its prejudices, the drinking age should be changed to 18.

Age Discrimination and Consequences:

The legal age being 21 is ageist. This example of age discrimination affects all age groups, and taxes are higher because of it. In some states, young people cannot bartend, preventing them from a large job market. There are other factors as well. Within Rhode Island, for example, those aged 18-20 face increased consequences for underage drinking (compared to those under 18). But the worst part is that when someone under 21 tries to help and be a designated driver, they could be charged for being where alcohol is served as a MIA (minor in attendance). The 18 to 20 age group is not one of the major high-risk groups and is less likely to be driving. Alcohol has many risk factors, and people with a history of alcohol and substance abuse and the male gender are all higher risk groups than the 18 to 20 age group, and all of them are allowed to drink.

Impact on DUI Cases:

About 25% of people aged 18-20 do not have a driver’s license, let alone a car, and an even larger number have licenses but either choose not to drive or do not have opportunities to drive. This means that the drunk driving argument for the drinking age does not even apply to at least a quarter of the population aged 18-20. Although the law should be changed, legal snags are many, including the highway money taken from the states if they lower the legal age and the fact that it isn’t winning any reelection votes.

The reason for this is made clear in the following interview with Mark Mahaney. Name: Mark Mahaney Age: 57 Profession: tourist/retired police officer/retired police investigator Interviewer: Kimberly Neumann Interviewer: Do you have a valid driver’s license? Mahaney: Yes. Interviewer: Did you participate in underage drinking? Mahaney: No. Interviewer: Do you drink? Mahaney: No. Interviewer: Position on the subject: Mahaney: 21 Interviewer: Do you think your position is safer for society? Mahaney: Yes. Interviewer: Has anyone you know been in a drunk driving accident? Mahaney: No. Interviewer: Do you think this would change your viewpoint?

Mahaney: No. Interviewer: Do you think the law makes a difference in underage drinking? Mahaney: Yes. Interviewer: Good or bad? Mahaney: Good. Interviewer: What would you do, if you could, to improve the situation? Mahaney: More education and enforcement. Tammy Neumann comes in. Tammy Neumann: Hey, Mark Mahaney: Hey, Tammy. Tammy Neumann: Do you think there was any relation you were dealing with the drug people with alcohol? Mahaney: Do you think there was any relation between alcohol and drugs when you were dealing with the drug people? Mahaney: Oh yeah, no.

Conclusion:

This is the position of most legal-age voters, the majority of whom do not do the research to figure out which side is right or just don’t want to deal with the change. This means the law will most likely not change any time soon. The number of drunk driving deaths fell during the 1980s; this decrease was already underway when the drinking age was raised in 1986. There were a lot of other factors contributing, such as seatbelt use, lower BAC limits, and more negative social attitudes toward drunk driving. The law moved drunk driving deaths from one age bracket to another.

In an unrefuted study, Peter Asch and David Levy showed that raising the drinking age merely transferred drunk driving deaths from the 18-20 age group to the 21-24 age group. Their research confirmed their hypothesis that the real risk factor for drinking and driving is being an inexperienced drinker, not being under 21. Meaning that more education is needed, not a legalized segregation of adults that punishes people for doing the right thing or unequally punishes those who don’t. This prejudiced law needs to change.

References:

1. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). (2021). Underage Drinking. https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/underage-drinking
2. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). (2021). Traffic Safety Facts: Young Drivers. https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/811460
3. Wagenaar, A. C., Toomey, T. L., & Erickson, D. J. (2005). Preventing youth access to alcohol: Outcomes from a multi-community time-series trial. Addiction, 100(3), 335-345.
4. Fell, J. C., Fisher, D. A., Voas, R. B., & Blackman, K. (2008). The relationship of underage drinking laws to reductions in drinking drivers in fatal crashes in the United States. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 40(4), 1430-1440.
5. Voas, R. B., Tippetts, A. S., & Fell, J. C. (2003). The relationship of alcohol safety laws to drinking drivers in fatal crashes. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 35(6), 861-870.
6. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). (2021). Alcohol: Teenagers. https://www.iihs.org/topics/alcohol
7. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). (2021). Teen Drinking and Driving. https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving/teen-drinking-and-driving
8. Asch, P., & Levy, D. (1987). Raising the legal drinking age: Effects on traffic accidents and fatalities. Journal of Legal Studies, 16(2), 249-266.

The Devastating Impact of Alcohol and Drug Abuse

After reading Coffman’s argument on stopping drug abuse and gun violence, I can agree to a great extent. I personally would like to bring an end to drug abuse and gun violence because of what horrific damage these items can do. Coffman’s argument is also trying to make the companies that support drugs and guns make up for what they’ve caused others, in a range from putting them into the hospital to diseases and even death. These medical problems with drugs and gun violence have been going on for a while.

Addressing Alcohol-Related Deaths and Drunk Driving Incidents

Throughout the generations, there have been many deaths caused by the consumption of alcohol. The percentage of deaths caused by alcohol is 88,0008, which is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Many deaths are caused by drunk driving, alcohol poisoning, and becoming addicted to alcohol (becoming an alcoholic). Drunk driving can cause death to the driver or even the one who the driver crashes into.

Driving while under the influence of alcohol is, of course, illegal, but there are massive amounts of people who still drive drunk. Many have lost their families to drunk drivers, which is quite disrespectful and shameful. Driving drunk can also cause serious injuries; a family friend was driving drunk one time, and he had gotten into a really bad car accident. He then was walking around and was said to have a broken neck and a concussion. Luckily for him, he was so drunk he didn’t even feel what happened to him. However, he did hurt himself, and that comes to show how dangerous alcohol can be to the body.

While lots of people do drink and cause damage to others, they also damage themselves by smoking cigarettes, or any other type of smoking for that matter. Most commonly, cigarettes can lead to very tragic illness and even death. Smoking has been known to cause several different types of medical problems in the past and still causes medical and personal problems to this day. The damage smoking can cause could be lung cancer, heart disease, and strokes. There are many other damaging causes smoking can do to the human body, but those are just the most common diseases or problems in general caused by smoking.

The Escalating Problem of Gun Violence

Personal Loss and Tragic Consequences of Gun Violence

Although consuming alcohol and drug usage is a major problem in our society today, so are shootings and gun violence in general. I have personally lost a loved one to a gun. His name was Christian Rosales; it was New Year’s Day when he was shot and killed trying to save his friends from a man who was trying to steal from them. Christian’s death was very tragic, but many people considered his actions ‘heroic’ in a way because he had saved his friends. I would love to have guns band for good.

I mean, sure, yeah, many people have them to protect themselves from harm, but others take them and use them to their advantage. Moving on from Christian’s death, there have been several other deaths caused by guns, including self-harm, school shootings, and shootings in the streets (such as drive-bys or theft). The percentage of school shootings has gone up since 2002, with a total of 10 school shootings per year until about 2014-2018, with a rate of 15 shootings. Approximately 60% of most adults with firearms die by suicide; 61% percent more die by homicide.

To sum up, what Coffman’s argument was about was to hopefully slowly put an end to consuming alcohol, usage of drugs, and, of course, to put an end to gun violence. Personally, I can agree with Coffman’s argument because I have had personal experiences. Hopefully, the reader can agree and maybe even spread awareness of the dangers drugs, alcohol, and guns can bring.

References:

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Alcohol and Public Health: Alcohol-Related Disease Impact (ARDI). URL: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/spanish/ARDI/index.html
2. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Understanding the Dangers of Alcohol Overdose. URL: https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/understanding-dangers-alcohol-overdose
3. American Cancer Society. Health Risks of Smoking Tobacco. URL: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cervical-cancer/prevention-and-early-detection/what-is-cervical-cancer.html
4. Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. School Shootings: By the Numbers. URL: https://www.bradyunited.org/key-gun-violence-statistics
5. Everytown for Gun Safety. Gun Violence Statistics. URL: https://everytownresearch.org/school-shootings/

National Minimum Drinking Age Act and Its Debate

21 is the age every young person looks forward to in America. It is the age when citizens are legally able to drink. This was established in 1984 when Congress passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act (APIS P 1). Some believe the age should be lowered because you are considered a legal adult at 18 and can enlist in the military if you want to. Others believe raising the age would be safer because as you age, it is assumed you are more mature. It has been a long debate due to both sides having convincing arguments. The question is, can lawmakers and citizens meet in the middle to come up with an age that both can agree on? In my opinion, I believe that the drinking age should be lowered.

Driving Under the Influence and Its Consequences

People who believe the age to consume alcohol should be raised are looking towards increasing not only the safety of the consumer but the people around them. Drunk driving is one of the top priorities to decrease. According to Bankrate, “Alcohol is a leading cause of traffic fatalities. Drinking and driving kills 28 people a day in the U.S. — about one person every 52 minutes — according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (Rivelli, 2022).

Brain Development and Health Concerns

At the age of 21, your brain still hasn’t fully developed. It isn’t till you turn 25 that your brain is fully formed. According to The University of Rochester Medical Center, “Adults think with the prefrontal cortex, the brain’s rational part. This is the part of the brain that responds to situations with good judgment and an awareness of long-term consequences. Teens process information with the amygdala. This is the emotional part” (Campellone 2022). Due to young adults not having an awareness of long-term outcomes, they are more likely to drink and drive because they may feel invincible and think nothing bad could happen to them, or they could give in to the emotional part of the brain and give in to peer pressure.

Lowering the Age: Freedom, Responsibility, and Economic Impact

Proponents of lowering the age of drinking alcohol are looking at it from a perspective of freedom and responsibility. When you turn 18, you can vote, enlist in the military, get sentenced to an adult term in jail, and even buy a shotgun. All of these activities that you can do at 18 are something you should do when you are mature; if they think you have the responsibility to partake in these, why can’t people legally drink as well? By allowing people younger than 21 to drink, it allows more consumers to spend money on alcoholic beverages. It can also decrease the cost of putting people in incarceration.

Education as a Potential Solution

A compromise that can be made to help keep people safe and happy is ultimately educating. In most High Schools, we are taught just to abstain from drinking. This is the same thing with sex education as well. Instead of educators trying to ignore the fact that most young people partake in these activities, they should teach young people how to be safe and responsible. Overall, the age limitation for drinking will continue to be an ongoing debate. With teachers and parents educating younger people about the responsibilities they will need to have with alcohol, I believe it will teach them to be safe, and it can also build more trust and be more open if there are issues.

References:

1. APIS (Alcohol Policy Information System). “National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984.” Retrieved from https://alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov/national-minimum-drinking-age-act-1984-1
2. Rivelli, Tony. “Drunk driving kills 28 people a day in the U.S.” Bankrate, 2022. Retrieved from https://www.bankrate.com/insurance/car/alcohol-related-driving-deaths/
3. Campellone, Joseph. “Teens process information with the amygdala.” University of Rochester Medical Center, 2022. Retrieved from https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=1&contentid=3051
4. “Why 21: MADD’s Mission to Eliminate Drunk Driving.” Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), 2022. Retrieved from https://www.madd.org/the-solution/why-21/
5. “Alcohol Fact.” Better Health Channel, 2022. Retrieved from https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/alcohol-its-effects
6. NIH (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism). “College Drinking.” Retrieved from https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/college-drinking
7. World Atlas. “Countries with the Highest Drinking Ages.” Retrieved from https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/countries-with-the-highest-drinking-ages.html
8. Swartz, Kyle. “The Economic Impact of America’s Beer, Wine, and Spirits Retail Industry.” Beverage Dynamics, 2018. Retrieved from https://beveragedynamics.com/2018/05/09/economic-impact-of-americas-alcohol-industry/
9. Barajas, Joshua. “Underage Drinking in America: How Many People are Arrested Each Year?” National Youth Rights Association, 2019. Retrieved from https://www.youthrights.org/issues/drinking-age/underage-drinking-in-america/