However, "a 2003 study showed that in many countries with lower minimum drinking ages, 15- and 16-year-olds are less likely to become intoxicated compared with teens in the U.S. (Roan 2008, p.3).
Opponents of lowering the law in the U.S. have increasingly used medical science to support their position, pointing out that the teenage brain is less developmentally mature than an adult brain and "younger someone starts drinking, the greater the likelihood of developing alcohol dependence" (Roan 2008, p.3). But a 2006 Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine study shows that while it is true that prepubescents who begin drinking have dramatically higher rates of alcoholism, between 18 and 21, the difference is "insignificant" in terms of how age of first use affects later consumption. "What we ought to look at is not keeping 18-year-olds from drinking, it's keeping 13-year-olds from drinking," concluded the study (Roan 2008, p.3).
While medical and psychological evidence may suggest that drinking later is better, many cultures have created an atmosphere of moderation and responsibility around alcohol in a manner that fosters lower levels of drunkenness amongst young people of all ages. Raising the drinking age has created a cultural of rampant defiance of the law through binge drinking at many high schools and college campuses....
The issue was a charged issue that many people felt very strongly about, i.e. race and was an allowable and supported social stigma, and yet when faced with the real life decision to break the taboo and serve Chinese people they did so with little hesitation and then effectively lied about it in self report. (Pager & Lincoln, 2005, p. 355) Drinking and driving is a seriously socially charged issue
Lower Voting Age Proposal Should the voting age in the United States be lowered from 18 to 16? POV: More than 80% of American teens, aged 16-18, have jobs and pay taxes. In the new information age, this group is far more informed and worldly than ever. This demographic group has a vested interest in improving their community, as well as a needed voice in their elected representatives that make laws directly
Lowering the Voting Age Suffrage is the right to vote through the democratic process. Contemporary readers typically believe that everyone who is an adult citizen in the United States has always had the right to vote. However, it was not until 1870 that race, color, or former slaves could vote; not until 1920 that women could vote; and not until 1971 that citizens 18 years or older could vote. Essentially, from
Lower Abdominal Pain Patient: Patient is a 30-year-old female presenting with lower abdominal pain, beginning approximately 48-hour previous to her exam. Over the last few days, her pain has increased, and she reports vaginal bleeding that is scanty. She did have a normal menstrual period that ending two-weeks prior, and she indicates this was normal and lasted about 4 days. She is Gravida 2, Para -0, Miscarriage -- 2, and has
Young Diverse Children Living in Big Cities This paper will focus on the lives and challenges minority and culturally diverse youths face growing up in major urban city environments, such as Newark, New York, Baltimore or Seattle. The advent of major metropolitan areas has stimulated a rapidly increasing population of disadvantaged and volatile youths. In today's America, it seems that more and more young people growing up in major cities are
The Archives of Internal Medicine study confirmed that 30 minutes of walking a day (10-12 miles a week) "can prevent weight gain in most people who are now inactive. Other studies have shown that working up to 10,000 steps or more could reduce the risk of heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. Companies and organizations have encouraged their customers and members to participate in the program. ("10,000 steps a day") The
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