Drinking Age Essay Example for Free

Drinking Age Essay The drinking age was moved from 18 to 21 for a reason. The higher drinking age of 21 has saved many lives, helped reduce the amount of underage drinking, and therefore should not be lowered. Many studies from a large variety of sources have proven higher drinking ages have a positive effect on society. Alcohol is harmful to the development of younger people. Research has shown that an adult is less likely to binge drink (have five or more drinks in a row). According to statistics from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, teens become intoxicated twice as fast as adults. Because the teens get drunk faster they are less likely to know when to stop and to go past their limit, causing harm to themselves and others. The Human brain continues to develop after adolescence and into our 20’s. According to a study on the neurocognitive effects of alcohol on adolescents and college students, drinking is harmful to the brain. Since the brains of all people under 21 are still developing, and most are in college, alcohol can prove very detrimental to the development of their brain and can harm their studies, and thus their futures. Underage drinking also largely contributes to many social problems include those such as: impaired driving, fighting, sexual activity, and smoking (Pediatrics 2006; 119:76-85). People have proposed that a 40 hour educational course should entitle people under 21 to drink. Research shows that educating youth drivers does not prevent youth crashes, however restrictions such as a limitation on the amount of passengers a youth driver can have, and curfews do help restrict the amount of youth crashes. The same philosophy applies to drinking. Educating young people about drinking responsibly, and the damage that drinking can do will not prevent alcohol related incidents, or underage â€Å"binge† drinking, but restrictions like the current laws will help prevent these (National Institutes of Health , â€Å"Fact Sheet: Underage Drinking†). Alcohol has a direct effect on the amount of car crashes and crime levels around the world. Studies show that since the legal age was change from 18 to 21 the number of vehicle related accidents has  dropped 16 percent (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). Other studies have shown that since the legal drinking age was raised over 25,000 live were saved (European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs). Many European countries have lower drinking ages, and many people say that their system is better. Since alcohol is more readily available in these nations there are more underage drinkers than other countries where alcohol is more limited. Studies have also shown that alcohol cause more problems in Europe than America (DiClemente, Ralph J.:Pediatrics 107). These issues include underage drunkenness, injury, rape, and school problems. â€Å"The concept that a person becomes a full adult at age 21 dates back centuries in English common law; 21 was the age at which a person could, among other things, vote and become a knight. Since a person was an official adult at age 21, it seemed to make sense that they could drink then, too† (Ethan Trex: http://www.mentalfloss.com /article/19437/why-drinking-age-21). Certain European nations and states allow drinking with a parent’s consent or drinking in the privacy of the home. Many people claim that this helps reduce underage binge drinking by introducing youths to alcohol at an earlier age in a controlled environment. Research has shown that this is not true (Fell, James: Debating Reform), because the youths feel they have their parent’s permission to drink they are more likely to believe it is okay for them to drink in situations outside the home, which can lead to intoxicated driving, and other harmful acts. Some argument for lowering the drinking age claim that alcohol is more enticing to youths when they can’t have it, and if the legal age was lowered there would be less underage drinking problems. Studies and history have proven this wrong (Fell, James: Debating Reform). Before the drinking age was raised in the U.S. there was a larger underage drinking problem, and over twice as many fatal alcohol related accidents as today. Sources: European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs. DiClemente, Ralph J. et al â€Å"Parental Monitoring: Association With Adolescents Risk Behaviors† Pediatrics 107: 6 June 2001, 1363-1368 Fell, James. From â€Å"Chapter 2: Federalism: Resolved, the Federal Government should restore each State’s freedom to set its drinking age.† in Ellis, Richard and Nelson, Michael (eds.) Debating Reform. CQPress Publishers, Fall 2009. Fell, J.; â€Å"Minimum Legal Drinking Age Policy Knowledge Asset,† website created by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundations Substance Abuse Policy Research Program; March 2009. Fell, James C. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Oct. 2008 â€Å"An Examination of the Criticisms of the Minimum Legal Drinking Age 21 Laws in the United States from a Traffic-Safety Perspective† National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, National Center for Statistics and Analysis â€Å"Lives Saved in 2007 by Restraint Use and Minimum Drinking Age Laws† DOT HS 811 049 A Brief Statistical Summary November 2008. National Institutes of Health, â€Å"Fact Sh eet: Underage Drinking† National Institutes of Health, â€Å"Fact Sheet: Alcohol-related Traffic Deaths† National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Statistics on Underage Drinking National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, â€Å"Research Findings on Underage Drinking and the Minimum Legal Drinking Age† National Institutes of Health, Alcohol Policy Information System â€Å"The 1984 National Minimum Drinking Age Act† Shults, Ruth A., Elder, Randy W., Sleet, David A., Nichols, James L., Alao, Mary O. Carande-Kulis, Vilma G., Zaza, Stephanie, Sosin, Daniel M., Thompson, Robert S., and the Task Force on Community Preventive Services. â€Å"Reviews of Evidence Regarding Interventions to Reduce Alcohol-Impaired Driving.† Am J Prev Med 2001;21(4S). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking 20 07. Zeigler DW, Wang CC, Yoast RA, Dickinson BD, Mccaffree MA, Robinowitz CB, et al. The Neurocognitive Effects of Alcohol on Adolescents and College Students. Prev Med 2005 Jan;40(1):23-32. http://www.indiana.edu/~engs/articles/cqoped.html

The Environment and Environmental Hysteria :: Environment Environmental Research

The Environment and Environmental Hysteria missing Works Cited Fanatics see everything in absolutes. Perspective means nothing to them(425). In this essay I will focus on the events surrounding the regulation of Alar (diaminozide) up to and including 1985, as a case-study of knowledge and decision-making amidst uncertainty (418-19). I pick this time period in particular, because it is when the NRDC and other public interest groups began their campaign in protest against the EPA's decision to not ban Alar. My analysis of the events surrounding Alar will take shape around a critique of Michael Fumento's article "Environmental Hysteria: The Alar Scare," in which he paints the NRDC as "fanatics" launching a "smear campaign" not founded in any rational decision-making. This is an important argument to counter, because it has not only been taken up by many to condemn citizen-group action in the case of Alar, but to criticize their activities in many other regulatory processes. The chief framework used to devalue public action in these cases is the technocratic model, wherein it is believed that decisions can be best made by obj ective, rational experts acting based upon scientific knowledge. In this case, we can see a perfect example of when a decision was decided by scientific experts, in accordance with the technocratic model. Fumento and other supporters of the technocratic mode privilege the scientific knowledge of bodies such as the Scientific Advisory Panel in this case over other forms of knowledge. He denounces NRDC as fanatics based on his claim that they acted in spite of, and in contradiction to scientific declarations and reports which indicated that their "Alar alarm" did not correspond to the evidence at hand (423). However, the Alar saga is typical of many regulatory decision-making processes in that the scientists and administrators were forced to act before scientific opinion has solidified around a certain determination of the dangers of the chemical. In this case, the scientists cannot simply rely on the accepted scientific verdict, but they need to make value judgements about what evidence and opinion to include in their decision-making and what to ex clude. In this type of scenario, I will first argue, the technocratic model is imperfect for our democratic country, as it privileges the value judgements of scientists over those of the populace. I further suggest that scientists themselves should not be considered above subjectivity nor fanaticism, but rather in some cases their rigorous abidance to objectivity can be seen as a certain type of blind"fanaticism.

Importance of Education Essay

Generally, at a young age, children learn to develop and use their mental, moral and physical powers, which they acquire through various types of education. Education is commonly referred to as the process of learning and obtaining knowledge at school, in a form of formal education. However, the process of education does not only start when a child first attends school, education begins at home. A person does not only acquire knowledge from a teacher, they can learn and receive knowledge from a parent, family member and even a friend. In almost all societies, attending school and receiving an education is extremely vital and necessary if anyone wants to achieve their goal. On the other side of the coin, we have places in the world where not everyone has an opportunity to receive this formal type of education. The opportunities that are offered are greatly limited as they do not meet the academic requirements. Everyone who has a job needs to use their brain which is why the importance of education is so great. In some instances, children cannot attend school because parents need their children to help them with their work. Since it is not traditional in some places to receive a formal education, the one who receives an education is usually envied, praised and even admired by members of the community. They are the ones that go on to be businessmen and work in the city. Children sometimes look at other children with awe; just the same way as one child might envy another because he got a new pair of sneakers, and wishes that he could have one too. There is a sense of admiration but at the same time there is a sense of jealousy as well. Seeing your classmate doing better than yourself causes tension and jealousy as a result of the scarce opportunities available. Listening to your teacher is one of the most important things to do in school. In Australia, education is free. Children are very lucky to live in Australia and do not recognise the importance of education. How hard you study in your early life makes a huge difference. Depending on how much you  value education, you may be the next Steve Jobs or the next cleaner of Luna Park. In conclusion, there are many reasons why education is valuable to young children. One of the main reasons is to secure your income. Having a career in sport is rare and is dangerous. You can break your leg and be scarred for life. However, if you aim to be good in the business world academically, you can’t exactly have a â€Å"work-related accident.† If you’re a child, I suggest you work hard so that your brain is overflowing of knowledge.

The Assassination Of Abraham Lincoln - 1456 Words

The United States would not be the same today if Abraham Lincoln was never assassinated on the unfortunate night of April 14, 1865. His killer, John Wilkes Booth, had a strong resent for the Union that subsequently caused a dramatic shift in history. This hatred was caused by many factors, such as his background and where he grew up, his lust for power and fame, and his mental illness. John Wilkes Booth, a master assassinator and conspirator, hoped to strengthen the confederacy by killing Abraham Lincoln. However, this murder created an even stronger opposition to the South than ever before. John Wilkes Booth was born on May 10, 1838 in Maryland. Raised on a small family farm, his family owned slaves and he received very little education. Although, as he grew up, he soon became one of America s most beloved actors. He was very famous, and appeared in famous plays in Philadelphia and Richmond (Pritchard, John Wilkes Booth). Although he never received the attention he hoped for (John W ilkes Booth), he had a good reputation all over America; this was questioned when he became emotionally unstable (Pierpaoli, John Wilkes Booth). He experienced his first tragedy at a young age, when his father died because of alcoholism and insanity. Because Wilkes grew up with slaves and having to deal with so much tragedy, it is easy to see how he grew up to be such a strong advocate of the Confederacy (Pritchard, John Wilkes Booth). By the time Booth was 20 years old, the NorthShow MoreRelatedThe Assassination Of Abraham Lincoln861 Words   |  4 PagesAppomattox Courthouse, one of America s greatest presidents, Abraham Lincoln, was shot and killed by a man named John Wilkes Booth. Specifically, John Wilkes Booth was an American play actor and a big sympathiser for the Confederacy. Booth was well known for his hatred towards the President and his crazy ideas and motives, which lead to the killing of Lincoln. Many conspiracies and theories today believed the assassination of Ab raham Lincoln was handled by John Wilkes alone, but other conspiracies believedRead MoreThe Assassination Of Abraham Lincoln1064 Words   |  5 PagesColin Shafer Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination President Abraham Lincoln was the first United States president ever to be assassinated while in office. He was president during the Civil War and had many people that did not like him. John Wilkes Booth did not like Abraham Lincoln and was responsible for the President’s death. Abraham Lincoln was born in Harden County, Kentucky on February 12, 1809. His parents were Thomas and Nancy Hanks Lincoln. In 1818, his mother died while he was just nine yearsRead MoreThe Assassination Of Abraham Lincoln1535 Words   |  7 PagesMichael Cardenas Ritmann History 2B October 16, 2015 The Assassination Of Abraham Lincoln On April 14, 1865 at twelve o’ clock midnight John Wilkes Booth lay in his bed at the National Hotel. Three days earlier he had attended a speech given by President Abraham Lincoln at the White House. The civil war had commenced just two days earlier and the crowd was jubilant. When Lincoln concluded his speech with the the acknowledgment of black suffrage, Booth became incensed and declared that â€Å"Now byRead MoreThe Assassination of Abraham Lincoln511 Words   |  2 PagesThe Assassination of Abraham Lincoln The assassination of President Abraham Lincoln occurred on April 15, 1865, Washington, D.C. Lincoln was watching the play â€Å"Our American Cousin† at Ford’s Theatre located in Washington D.C. John Wilkes Booth entered the theatre during the play and shot and killed President Lincoln. This tragic event changed history. President Lincoln was the President of the United States during the time of slavery. He was also the president during the Civil War. 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On April 20, 1999 in Littleton, Colorado, Booth’s words became a part of another American tragedy; Columbine high school was the setting for arguably one of the most infamous school shootingsRead MoreThe Assassination Of President Abraham Lincoln Essay983 Words   |  4 PagesOne of the most tragic moments throughout all American history in my opinion is the Assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. With no surprise I am writing about certain event that oc curred leading up to, during, and after this unfortunate event. This historical event is clouded with conspiracy but I will try to avoid specifics of that particular view. Abraham Lincoln was born in a little town located within Hardin Country, Kentucky on February 12, 1809 (www.whitehouse.gov/abrahamlincoln). HeRead MoreThe Assassination of Abraham Lincoln Essay913 Words   |  4 PagesAbraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States of America. He was elected into presidency on November 6, 1860. Many of the southern states were unsupportive of Lincoln becoming president because he had run on an anti-slavery platform. Lincoln being elected into presidency caused states such as South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas to split from the Union. In his inaugural address Lincoln proclaimed it was his duty to maintain the Union; a month laterRead MoreThe Assassination of Abraham Lincoln Essay1646 Words   |  7 Pagesorphaned child-to do all which may be achieved and cherished a just and a lasting peace among ourselves, and with all other nations†-Abraham Lincoln, Second Inaugural Address (Great Documen ts of America 19). Abraham Lincoln was the sixteenth president of the United States and perhaps one of the most hated presidents that ever served, this hatred for president Lincoln came from his options and actions regarding the nation’s conflict at the time; the Civil War, this came after the succession of fourteenRead MoreAbraham Lincoln s Assassination Of President1176 Words   |  5 PagesAbraham Lincoln’s Assassination President Abraham Lincoln was the first United States president ever to be assassinated while in office. He was president during the Civil War and had many people that did not like him. John Wilkes Booth was one of those people and was the man responsible for the Presidents death. The following is about Abraham Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth, Booth’s plan for Lincoln, the President’s assassination, Booth’s capture and how it affected history. Abraham Lincoln was born