Alcoholic beverages are drinks that usually contain ethanol which is normally referred to as alcohol. These beverages are usually divided into three general classes which include beer, spirits, and also wines. Drinking alcoholic beverages is an important part of social events especially in European countries. Alcohol is usually taken for its relaxation effects and recreational purposes. Alcohol expectations vary across different cultures and this affects the mode of consumption and the age limit to which alcohol is taken. The consumption of these alcoholic beverages is usually regulated by almost all nations in matters related to production, sales, and also consumption. Most countries actually have set laws and regulations specifying the minimum ages to which these beverages should be sold. This eventually regulates who should actually buy or drink the beverages. The laws usually prohibit the sale of such drinks to minors. This age limit varies from country to country. In some parts of the European countries, children are normally allowed to take the drinks in the presence of their parents (Dodder, 2007, p16). This brings out the theme of the paper which will be addressing the topic of whether alcoholic drinks should be legalized for all ages.
Alcohol consumption should not be legalized for all ages as its effects differ depending on the age. In most cases, the prohibition is normally directed to minors and youths in society. One of the major reasons is that allowing minors to consume alcoholic beverages is a form of child abuse and also a sign of child neglect. Most cultures do not also accept the norm of children taking alcoholic substances. Religiously, it is wrong to bring up your child at the exposure of alcohol. Allowing the minors to consume alcohol at a very tender age may lead to dependence on alcohol later in life which may eventually lead to addiction and thus alcoholism. This is because the minors at the tender age will not be in a position to know when enough is enough. Studies have actually indicated that the minors who get engaged in alcoholic behaviors at a tender age end up being very heavy drinkers in their adulthood. This affects their social life as it leads to a lot of criminal offenses and also social exclusion from the rest of the society (Zylman, 2005, p18).
Alcoholic drinks should also not be legalized for all ages because this can lead to a lot of hazardous situations. Minors consuming alcohol do not have a sense of practicing self-control. This may lead to a lot of irresponsible behaviors and thus decreasing the morality of the younger generations. Consuming alcohol at a tender age exposes minors to irresponsible sexual behaviors, reckless driving which leads to accidents, teenage pregnancies among others. This is further clarified by the health World net studies which have conducted a case study on alcoholism at tender ages.
“Excessive alcohol intake among college students is associated with a variety of adverse consequences: fatal and nonfatal injuries; alcohol poisoning; blackouts; academic failure; violence, including rape and assault; unintended pregnancy; sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS; property damage; and vocational and criminal consequences that could jeopardize future job prospects.” (2009)
Alcoholism also affects the health of individuals differently according to their ages. Consuming alcohol at tender ages has more diverse and irreversible effects on minors. One of the effects is that it affects brain development. It causes the adolescents to have very poor memory and this affects their capability to learn the reason, and also their decisions making (Zylman, 2005, p24).
However, it can still be argued that the consumption of alcohol is allowed since the laws that are put in place have a lot of loopholes that allow minors to consume alcohol. For example, some states in the US prohibit minors from consuming alcohol but it does not prohibit them from purchasing alcohol. Some states also allow minors to consume alcohol under various circumstances which means they can be allowed to consume it if the conditions prevail. The law does also not prohibit all ages from being in social places that allow alcohol consumption. Prohibiting alcohol from certain ages only makes it very attractive to minors who are eager to learn why they are not allowed to consume it. Other studies have argued that drinking for minors is not solely intended for negative outcomes but they do it to socialize with their friends. Even with the prohibiting, most minors take advantage of the loopholes especially if the parents are alcoholics and the laws of prohibition only make it difficult for such minors to seek help for fear of facing arrest (Dodder, 2007, p22).
In conclusion, the effects of allowing minors to consume alcohol are more damaging than the theories supporting alcohol intake at all ages. Allowing alcohol intake for all ages will only lead to raising a society that is very irresponsible or with loose morals. This is because it not only affects the moral behaviors of the minors but it also affects the health and the process of development of the minors. Instead of allowing alcohol consumption for all ages, there should be age limits which should again be based on the alcohol content of the drinks (Dugan, 2005, p34). The loopholes in the law should also be amended to prevent any consumption of alcohol by minors.
References
Beth Dugan (2005).The Responsible Serving of Alcoholic Beverages. Atlantic Publishing Company
Health world net (2009). Should the Legal Drinking Age be Lower?
Hughes, S. P. and R. A. Dodder (2007). Changing the legal minimum drinking age. Journal of Studies on Alcohol. Alcohol Research Documentation.
Zylman (2005).The consequences of lower legal drinking ages on alcohol-related crash involvement of young people. Journal of Traffic Safety Education. Washington D.C.