Should the Drinking Age Stay the Same

Madelene Radillo Enc 1101/ Research Paper Prof. John Colagrande Many people use alcohol to â€Å"loosen themselves up† in anticipation of having sex with a new partner. It is a commonly held a belief that alcohol is an aphrodisiac. Since drinking alcohol can make people feel more comfortable engaging in sex it can lead to a one night stand, and a handful of sexually transmitted diseases. Sexually active teens and young adults have unprotected sex because they are under the influence of alcohol. Alcohol can make anyone become more sexual and do things that were not planned, which is a leading factor in teenage pregnancy. It is estimated that teenage girls who binge drink are up to 63 percent more likely to become pregnant. Another problem with drinking too much alcohol is that it can cause a blackout which may lead to a date rape. The victim has no recognition of what is going on in their surroundings and may go along with any scheme. As of April 2008 â€Å"more than 97,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are victims of alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape each year. Also, among university students â€Å"over one-half of all sexual assaults are committed by men who have been drinking alcohol, while approximately 50% of victims also report alcohol use at the time of the assault† (www. collegedrinkingprevention. gov) Even with the drinking age being 21, there is a target market made to promote underage drinking. People tend to argue that if men and women are old enough to fight for their country then they should be old enough to drink. This may be true, but an 18 or 19 year old who has joined the military and been broken down, trained, and rebuilt almost always comes back different then when they came in. They are taught structure and discipline; two key factors that may be lacking in a regular civilian. Unfortunately, teens in today’s social environment tend to think that they are invincible and will do just about anything in order to fit in. The problem seems to be in their lack of guidance and or experience. Nowadays, children tend to find their morals in reality television shows and music videos, rather than in structured social environments (i. e. school, home, church etc. ). Teens and young adults (college students) are not ready to handle the responsibility that drinking entails or the repercussions that follow when too many drinks are put into the wrong hands. Lowering the drinking age will only add to the problem.