"The minimum legal drinking age should be age 25"

The resolution is "The minimum legal drinking age should be age 25" Definitions: Drinking – consumption, possession, or purchasing of alcoholic beverages. I will argue that such a law will (a) protect oneself from harm (b) protects others from harm (a)Protect oneself from harm The government to some extent should protect us from unreasonable and preventable harms. Certain drugs are illegal. There are seatbelt and helmet laws. Gambling is heavily regulated. People cannot always make the most rational decisions and these decisions could have detrimental permanent effects on the lives of one. Overall, any benefit or joy alcohol can bring is minimal compared to the greater harms alcohol causes. Although alcohol is harmful to everyone, alcohol harms adolescents much more than older adults. One's brain does not complete development until the age of 25. This time marks a critical period for neurodevelopment. The mind has not fully formed its critical and rational thinking abilities. [1] Studies show that alcohol is deterrent to the process [2] Not only does alcohol consumption affect the brain, it also affects female maturation and reproduction abilities during adolescents [3]. Not only that, but because of an adolescents inability to rationally think or make good judgments, they are more likely to binge drink or engage in heavy alcohol consumption than any other group[4], an action that has obvious negative health effects include liver and brain problems. Many suicides, homicides, motor vehicle accidents and accidental falls are alcohol related [5]. Homicide suicide and accidents are the three leading causes of death among teens. [6] It is unnecessary that alcohol causes the deaths and harmful effects of hundreds of thousands of youth. (b)Protects others from harm The government main purpose is to protect harm from others. Innocent bystanders receive the negative spillover effects of alcohol. In the United States, before the law raised the minimum drinking age to 21, John Volpe Chairman of the Presidential Commission on Drunk Driving stated: "Those between 16 and 24, although making up only 20 percent of licensed drivers, they are involved in more than 42 percent of fatal alcohol related crashes" [7] The minimum age drinking age of 21 has effectively reduced the number of fatal crashes involving the use of alcohol[8]. Violent crimes, including homicide, a vast amount committed youth, are also often alcohol related. (c) Overall benefit to society if minimum drinking age 25 As demonstrated previously, alcohol destroys intelligence. Modern society would not be able to have such great inventions, leisure, and economic growth if it were not for the brilliant inventors, engineers and scientists that have shaped modern day society. Where would we be if Einstein or Nicholas Carnot spent their youth drinking alcohol? Conclusion: Alcohol overall is harmful both to oneself, to others, and to society in general. Although it is harmful to everyone, it affects those under 25 the worse. The vast amount of unnecessary death it causes is atrocious. [1]http://www.examiner.com... [2]http://www.sciencedirect.com... [3]http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov... [4]http://www.oas.samhsa.gov... [5]http://www.come-over.to... [6]http://www.statisticstop10.com... [7]http://digital.library.unt.edu... [8]http://www.sciencedirect.com...