Human Growth and Development
Group # 2:
Group in Favour
Our topic: Be it resolved that the legal drinking age should be raised from 18.
The early onset of drinking is associated with the increase of violence and increased impaired driving and accidents. Currently in Manitoba the legal drinking age is 18 years of age. In the United States, the decision was taken in 1987 to raise the minimum drinking age from 18 to 21. This showed clear evidence of a decrease in road traffic fatalities amongst young people and benefited the social and public society. The reason for this raise of legal age was driven largely by the desire to decrease traffic fatalities associated with alcohol consumption. Based on statistics compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration traffic fatalities for people under 21 dropped by 43% (from 5,062 alcohol-related fatalities to 2,883). We have to remember the victims in these fatalities.
These victims are not only the youth who have been drinking. They are your family, friend's neighbours and children. As you all know, in Winnipeg, there is much controversy pertaining to violence in bars and night clubs. Most of these violent crimes involve adults age 18-21. Here is one example, Jonathan Tan, 19 years old, was leaving Vertigo night club on May 10th of last year, he was leaving the bar when his friends got into a fight. He was beaten repeatedly and died by repeated blows to the head. His mother was told the news on mother's day that her only son has been killed. The people involved in this crime were also within the ages of 18-21. A free press carrier was killed last year after being hit by a car driven by an 18 year old woman, who was leaving the bar after she...
Hard judgement call
Good paper on your views for raising the drinking age there in Canada, but will this ever stop the youth from acquiring alcohol. Young adults will go out of their way to get the alcohol if you keep it from them. Here in America, we just have to govern society with rules. Do I agree with them? Some I may, but when you have age limits for smoking and drinking, do you think that this stops the youth from doing it? No it does not, but it does make it harder for them. They will only hide from parents when they do do it.
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