English 2 - IP 5 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

English 2 - IP 5 - Research Paper Example Teenagers who are 18 years old are still studying and are therefore highly involved in academic work. At this age, they should be studying rather than engaging in vices. Legalizing alcohol at this stage will distract the teenager from his or her academic life. That instead of focusing on their studies, teenagers will turn into vices and will instead end up losing direction in their academic work because of alcohol (Vick, 2010). Prohibiting alcohol at this age ensures that teenagers will remain focus on their studies and graduate school. It is not advisable for teenagers to drink alcohol at an early age because alcoholism is an expensive habit which may be unaffordable to many teenagers. If teenagers will be allowed to drink at age 18 and get hooked with the habit, they may look for other ways to finance their habit. Thus, legalizing alcoholism at the age of 18 will lead young adults looking to illicit activities as they look for money to sustain their vice (Vick, 2010). This is a dangerous path for teenagers who are still in school because this could lead to bigger crimes just to fund their vice and therefore alcohol should be banned among 18 year olds. Alcohol does not only ruin teenagers study and future through crime but also has a negative effect on this health. Alcohol exposes the drinker to diseases such as cirrhosis (OMalley, & Wagenaar, 1991) and other diseases such liver cancer. These diseases reduce the life expectancy period of a person if the allowable drinking will be reduced to 18 years. Allowing teenagers to start drinking early also runs the danger of making them alcoholics who are addicted to the substance of alcohol that ruins every aspect of their lives ranging from their studies, their personal life, their health and ultimately, their future. Sources 1: OMalley, P. M., & Wagenaar, A. C. (1991). Effects of minimum drinking age laws on alcohol use, related behaviors and traffic crash involvement