Let's make 16 years of age, the legal age of "adulthood"

It seems I must present evidence for my opponent to see that their claims are false.1. Drugs, not everyone that is a teen does them.According to this website, "The best way to find out if high school kids do drugs is to ask them. That's exactly what NIDA does every year in its annual Monitoring the Future study. This survey of more than 46,000 teens—8th, 10th, and 12th graders to be exact—showed that 13% of 8th graders, 30% of 10th graders, and 40% of 12th graders say they have used a drug at least once in the past year. So, what is the most commonly used illegal drug?—Marijuana. More than a quarter of 10th graders say they have tried it in the past year. You can see the numbers for each major drug type in this report (PDFR10;2.25 MB). But, to answer the question, not that many kids in high school do drugs, although marijuana is the most common. Even though it may sometimes seem like "everyone's doing it," know that not everyone really is."This is according to a nationally accredited drug prevention center. So obviously, not ALL teens do drugs. Claim 1 is false.2. Smoking, not all teens do it.According to the CDC here: http://www.cdc.gov... The overall percentage of Tobacco users for the 18 and under age group, is 25.3% of all teenagers. Considering that is only 1/4 of all teenagers, clearly not ALL teens smoke. Claim 2 is false.3. Drinking, is everyone really doing it?By now the answer I give should be obvious, but no not every teen is drinking.According to Web MD here: http://teens.webmd.com... "More and more teens are choosing not to drink alcohol. Less than 10% of teens under age 14 has drunk alcohol in the past month. For teens ages 15 to 17, less than 30% has drunk alcohol in the past month. If somebody says you need to drink because "everybody" is doing it, don't believe it. Even though teenage drinking may seem common or even normal, it isn't."So clearly claim 3 that ALL teens drink is false.4. Charging, is it always being adult level?Well according to PBS, my opponent is correct that more and more children are being charged as adults. Let me clarify for a minute here however.When a teenager commits a violent crime, it is only reasonable to give them a harsh sentence in relation to the severity of the crime. For some of them, that harsh sentence can mean charging them as an adult. This is called FAIRNESS in the Justice System's outlook on teenagers. Because let's not forget, the teenagers in question are criminals, and are not exactly mature human beings. So just being charged as an adult does not mean one can suddenly vote.According to PBS here: http://www.pbs.org... "During the 1960s, civil libertarians began to raise concerns about the progressive era model of juvenile justice. They argued that despite rhetoric to the contrary, juveniles within the system were not actually being rehabilitated, but rather warehoused in institutions not much different from an adult prisons. If juveniles were going to be treated as adults in the sentencing phase, the advocates argued, they should also be accorded the due process protections afforded to adults in court. They also challenged the broad discretion given to juvenile court judges. In a series of rulings during the 1960s and 1970s, The U.S. Supreme Court agreed; "There is evidence, in fact, that there may be grounds for concern that the child receives the worst of both worlds: that he gets neither the protections accorded to adults nor the solicitous care and regenerative treatment postulated for children," wrote Justice Abe Fortas in Kent v. United States. In decisions such as Kent, In re Gault and In re Winship, the Supreme Court ruled that juveniles must be afforded due process protections including: formal hearings when facing waiver to criminal court; protection against self-incrimination; the rights to notice of charges, counsel, and cross-examination of witnesses; and adherence to the "proof beyond a reasonable doubt" judicial standard."WHAT THIS MEANS, is that Teens may be given adult protections when charged as such. It does not translate to voting, nor should it.In Conclusion, my opponent's claims are false, false, false, and partially true but missing the point. As such do not listen to my opponent in the weighty matter of who should vote.With that I eagerly await my opponent's arguments.-42