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WHY 21 ?
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• Ever wonder why 21 was chosen as the “Magic Age” to be considered old enough to drink legally?
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Two Reasons
• Brain Development• Statistical Evidence
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• Just like roller coasters that require you to be a certain height before you can ride SAFELY, you need to be a certain age (a certain level of nervous system development actually) before you can SAFELY drink responsibly.
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Brain Development
• There are 2 distinct centers in the brain that deal with conscious actions
• The Limbic System
• The Cerebral Cortex
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The Limbic System• One of the oldest parts of the brain (evolutionarily
speaking)• This means it evolved very early in man’s evolution• Needed for survival• Yes/No answers –
no reason involved in decisions
• Only concerned with immediate wants, desires, and needs
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The Limbic System
• I want – I take• I’m hungry – I eat• I’m thirsty – I drink• I’m tired – I sleep• I’m bored – I play• I’m Angry – I yell or strike out• I’m sad – I cry
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The Limbic System
• The Limbic System controls urges, impulses, and emotions
• Very SELF- centered• Only concerned with immediate wants,
desires, and needs• This system develops in-utero in humans
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The Limbic System
• Alcohol inhibits nervous system development• This is why women who consume alcohol during
pregnancy are at a higher risk to deliver babies with brain damage (among other things)
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Cerebral Cortex (pre-frontal lobe)
• This area of the brain is the newest (evolutionarily speaking)
• It finishes developing very late in human development (19-21 years)
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Cerebral Cortex (pre-frontal lobe)
• Responsible for:– Reflection– Reasoning– Understanding long and short term
consequences– Upper level decision making
• Slowly assumes control over Limbic System impulses
• Allows learning from experiences
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Cerebral Cortex (pre-frontal lobe)
• Alcohol use before completion of cerebral cortex development actually inhibits (stops) development of the part of the brain designed to control the urges that can lead to alcohol abuse!
• In other words, drink before your brain is grown, and your brain won’t be able to stop you from abusing alcohol
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Statistical Reasons for a LegalDrinking Age of 21
• Behavior of 18 year olds is particularly influential on youths ages 15-17, because young people typically imitate the behavior of those who are slightly older than them rather than those significantly older than them
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Statistical Reasons for a LegalDrinking Age of 21
• 98% of all alcoholics treated in the US began drinking before age 21
• 92% began drinking before age 17
• Damaged Pre-frontal lobe maybe?????
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Statistical Reasons for a LegalDrinking Age of 21
• State motor vehicle data shows that in states that lowered the drinking age from 21 to 18 in the 1970’s, there was an increase of 25% in traffic accidents and 35% in alcohol related fatalities, for this age group.
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Statistical Reasons for a LegalDrinking Age of 21
• Using national data, marijuana and cocaine use by high school age students dropped dramatically when the legal drinking age was raised back to 21
• Between 1979 and 1984 the suicide rate was 9.7% higher among teens who could legally consume alcohol than those who could not.
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THE ENDTHE END