THE DRINKING AGE WILLIS FIELDSEND - SECTION VE

TODAY • Although the

age has varied in the past, today the MDA stands at 21

• Switched to combat traffic fatalities

• US is one of four other countries at 21

18 VS 21 • As an 18-year-

old:• Right to vote• Right to joined

armed forces • Right to be tried

as an adult

• As a 21-year-old• An individual has

reached a higher maturity level

• Increased brain development

• Reduces traffic fatalities

THE “EPIDEMIC”• In the past 30 days:

• 10% of underage College/High school students drove after consuming alcohol • 28% of underage students drove in a car with

someone that had been drinking

• 42% of College/High school students have consumed alcohol • 24% of which engaged in “binge” drinking

THE PROBLEM • Underage drinking has

become unenforceable

• Witnessing a constantly rising number in the amount of teens dying from over-consumption of alcohol

• Why?:• Pre-gaming • Binge Drinking• Afraid to contact

someone (parents, ambulances, etc.)

60 MINUTES INTERVIEW

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4819332n

MEDIATION• Mandatory Education and a decrease in the MDA

to 19

• No-tolerance policy for all individuals under the age of 23

• Mandatory education starting in high school and before the beginning of classes in college to stress the harms of alcohol abuse and your drinking environment

• Education of the repercussions of driving under the influence and supplying alcohol to minors

RUBRIC

COMMENTSOverall Comments: That interview you featured about two-thirds of the way along was a fine informative touch — and exemplary, in that it demonstrated why this presentation was one of our best on the controversy of the US drinking age. You’ll notice that your Response Team spoke only of your argument; because they had no serious misgivings with the PowerPoint itself. The early slides provided a useful picture of the international situation, then balanced the arguments for and against raising the age limit effectively, present three key points for each side. The “Epidemic” and “Problem” slides were likewise mature, in that they acknowledged difficulties beyond the reach of simplistic mediation. Nor did you offer a simplistic solution, in that you followed through on the earlier “Epidemic” slide by connecting the drinking age to the driving age, though surely you needed to develop your proposal further. You suggested such a radical change, a shift in two laws, that you needed to address how those changes could be effected and enforced. Still, an impressive job, rooted in research. Now why couldn’t you do this on the paper? A- or 92.

RESPONSE Huston

Ortiz

Fullenkamp

Response Team: Fieldsend, VE

 

Willis’s presentation discussed the issue of the minimum drinking age here in the United States. The problem that was expressed in the presentation was that underage binge drinking has been becoming increasingly more common. This problem is amplified by the fact that, due to fear, the underage drinkers do not report injuries or illness caused by drinking. The mediation that Willis proposed was that the drinking age be lowered to 19 with the exception that there be stiffer repercussions for supplying to minors. There would also be a no tolerance policy for drinking and driving until the age of 23. The main issues with changing the drinking age are the amount of repercussions that can occur due to the fact that you changed the age either higher or lower. One of the main issues that come with lowering the drinking age that even kids younger will feel like drinking underage is more acceptable. Given the example that 18 or 19 year old will feel like they can supply those younger just as the 21 year olds do nowadays. This will just create a big cycle that never really stops, because this issue never really ends with Alcohol.