The discussion about the drinking age should not be controversial. Setting the drinking age at 21 is obvious and absolutely clear. Alcohol consumption is a serious matter and should not be taken lightly. “Alcohol causes blurred vision, slurred speech, slowed reaction times, memory problems and difficulty walking.” Even if impaired by alcohol, many people start driving. Approximately 30% of all road deaths are due to drunk driving, which represents approximately 35,000 deaths. There are many reasons why the law states that you must be 21 years old to purchase and drink alcohol. The first and most common reason is that the drinking age is set at 21 for health reasons. The second most common reason is violent behavior. The third most common reason is that when the drinking age was 18, there were more traffic deaths. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Alcohol has a short- and long-term effect on health. In the short term, one may experience blurred vision, speech difficulties, slowed reaction times, memory problems and difficulty walking. These terrible side effects aren't even the worst that can happen. In the long term, one may face nerve and brain damage, liver inflammation, liver scarring, and heart muscle damage. The legal drinking age should not be lowered to 18 because we are not mentally capable enough to make conscientious decisions. To society, at 18 you are considered an adult, but to science you are still considered an underdeveloped teenager. The rational part of our brain is not fully developed until the age of 25. “Adults think with the prefrontal cortex, the rational part of the brain. It is the part of the brain that responds to situations with good judgment and an awareness of long-term consequences. Adolescents process information using the amygdala. That’s the emotional part.” Drinking alcohol at an earlier age will only strain our liver more. Our body must be cared for and protected from damage for as long as possible. “The liver breaks down and filters harmful substances from the body. It also converts vitamins, nutrients and medications into substances our bodies can use. The liver is also responsible for cleaning our blood, producing bile for digestion, and storing energy (alcohol and the liver). Alcohol not processed by our liver ends up circulating in our blood. This problem affects our heart and brain. Over time, this can lead to scarring of the liver and, in even more severe cases, liver cancer. An 18 year old should worry about his education and school rather than worrying about liver cancer. Long-term alcohol consumption can also lead to heart disease. Drinking increases your blood pressure and puts you at risk of heart attack. Drinking weakens your heart muscle, causing it to pump blood less efficiently. If the drinking age was lowered to 18, it would mean you would lose four years of healthy life. For the most part, at age 18, you are at a point of optimal health. Lowering the drinking age means young adults arevulnerable to high health risks. Starting to drink before the age of 21 causes significant difficulties with cognitive and learning abilities. Everyone needs to understand that we still need rules and guidelines at the age of 18 to become responsible adults. The drinking age should not be lowered to 18, as drinking earlier can have serious health consequences. Not only can alcohol be harmful to our health, but it can also be the cause of violent behavior. Under influence, our brain is disrupted in its natural functioning. The natural activity of the brain is disrupted and completely derailed. Alcohol weakens the brain, which leads to incompetence. If our brain is upset, our behaviors and emotions are bound to discard as well. Alcohol can motivate a person to respond to their aggression, which can be extremely violent towards themselves and others. The brains of adolescents, including those 24 and younger, are still developing its emotional and rational parts. This explains why adults act on their emotions rather than processing and managing them accordingly. It's completely normal to feel overwhelmed by your own thoughts and feelings, but adding alcohol to the mix will make it a disaster. If the law set the drinking age at 18, it would mean alcohol would take control of mentally insatiable teenagers. Alcohol “may lead to an inaccurate assessment of future risks associated with an action motivated by an immediate violent impulse. Being under the influence reduces self-control and the ability to manage emotions. This allows you to find yourself in dangerous and dangerous situations. “On average, approximately 40 percent of inmates incarcerated for violent offenses were under the influence of alcohol at the time of their crime.” The combination of alcohol, violence and instability produces a total result. Science proves that we are not mentally capable of withstanding all of the side effects of alcohol. Short-term decisions, like having a few drinks, can lead to long-term consequences, like being involved in a violent crime. If the law was lowered to 18 for legal alcohol consumption, we would not be looking after our own and allowing them to be involved in situations of provoked violence. Already in this world there are so many predators, horrible crimes and terrible accidents. In the United States, nearly 30 people die every day due to drunk driving. In the United States, nearly 11,000 people die each year due to drunk driving. Both of these numbers are extremely high, but nothing compared to what they were in the mid-1970s. The United States once had the legal drinking age at 18, but raised it to 21 years in 1984. The age of 21 was chosen because, under English common law, that was when one could vote or become a knight. The age of 21 seemed perfect to lawmakers because you could also drink. When the drinking age was 18, “…alcohol was a factor in 60% of traffic deaths” (Alcohol-Related Traffic Deaths). The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 stipulated that all states must comply with this law or risk losing ten percent of their federal highway funding. There were so many car accidents that it was starting to take a toll on society. Eventually, all states followed this act. Today, alcohol is responsible for 30% of road deaths. By increasing the age limit for drinking alcohol by four years, the percentage of accidents./.