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Here is a video on "What is Drugs and Alcohol Abuse"

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We created this video on the definition of drug/alcohol abuse, effects and how/why it starts:)

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https://ed.ted.com/lessons/is-marijuana-bad-for-your-brain-anees-bahji

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While cannabis may be used by some people for their health conditions, deciding whether cannabis is appropriate to treat an individual's symptoms is best made through discussion with a health care practitioner. Unregulated cannabis use can lead to various mental, emotional and physical effects including hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, and fear and changes in thinking or ability to make decisions. Using cannabis before the age of 18 increases the risk for long-term effects. In some cases, unregulated cannabis use may lead to Cannabis Use Disorder, which can go largely untreated. Cannabis Use Disorder is a medical term for cannabis use resulting in distress and distress. This can include failure to meet responsibilities at school, work or home. Cannabis Use Disorder ranges differently. For more on the addictive property of cannabis and its effects, click here!

Driving after cannabis consumption is illegal, and raises the risk of a crash. Cannabis may impact a driver's reaction time, attention, and judgement. According to the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, many youth believe that driving under the influence of cannabis is safer or less dangerous than alcohol-impaired driving. This is partly due to the fact that youth didn't associate the positive feeling of being high with the potential risk of impaired driving. To learn more about Cannabis use and its driving-related impacts, click here. Or for more on the impact of cannabis on consumers, click here!

While cannabis use varies, smoking cannabis through joints or bongs is the most harmful way of consuming cannabis because of the negative effects it has on the lungs. Some believe deep inhaling, holding their breath, increases their high when smoking. However, there is mixed evidence on whether this is true. It is clear, however, that this method increases the absorption of toxic materials in your lungs, which negatively impacts the lung. Consuming cannabis through vaping can be less harmful. Edibles are also another less harmful option. However, the delayed effect poses a different risk. Remember, there is no method that is entirely risk-free. Click here to learn 10 ways to reduce the risk of cannabis when using!

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Is marijuana bad for your brain? - Anees Bahji

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In 1970, marijuana was classified as a schedule 1 drug in the United States: the strictest designation possible, meaning it was completely illegal and had no recognized medical uses. Today, marijuana's therapeutic benefits are widely acknowledged, but a growing recognition for its medical value doesn't answer the question: is recreational marijuana use bad for your brain?

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https://auth.orc.scoolaid.net/bin/login?sysCode=swb&redirectUrl=galeapps-gale-swb.orc.scoolaid.net/apps/auth?userGroupName=nysl_me_swboces&origURL=https%3A%2F%2Fgo-gale-swb.orc.scoolaid.net%2Fps%2Fretrieve.do%3FtabID%3DT004%26resultListType%3DRESULT_LIST%26searchResultsType%3DSingleTab%26searchType%3DBasicSearchForm%26currentPosition%3D4%26docId%3DGALE%257CA160143838%26docType%3DArticle%26sort%3DRelevance%26contentSegment%3DZPTV-MOD1%26prodId%3DITKE%26contentSet%3DGALE%257CA160143838%26searchId%3DR2%26userGroupName%3Dnysl_me_swboces%26inPS%3Dtrue&prodId=ITKE

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https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/addiction-substance-use-disorders/what-is-a-substance-use-disorder

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https://auth.orc.scoolaid.net/bin/login?sysCode=swb&redirectUrl=galeapps-gale-swb.orc.scoolaid.net/apps/auth?userGroupName=nysl_me_swboces&origURL=https%3A%2F%2Fgo-gale-swb.orc.scoolaid.net%2Fps%2Fretrieve.do%3FtabID%3DT004%26resultListType%3DRESULT_LIST%26searchResultsType%3DMultiTab%26searchType%3DBasicSearchForm%26currentPosition%3D1%26docId%3DGALE%257CA163364818%26docType%3DBrief%2Barticle%252C%2BLetter%2Bto%2Bthe%2Beditor%26sort%3DRelevance%26contentSegment%3DZPTV-MOD1%26prodId%3DITKE%26contentSet%3DGALE%257CA163364818%26searchId%3DR1%26userGroupName%3Dnysl_me_swboces%26inPS%3Dtrue&prodId=ITKE

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If you’re having trouble to log into your school list of databases, please contact the school librarian/library staff

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https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/alcohol.html

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Getting the Right Message

"Hey, who wants a drink?"

"Oh, come on, just one drink won't hurt you. It's fun."

"It's cool. Everybody drinks, right?"
Wrong.
Drinking alcohol is dangerous for kids and teens and sometimes for adults, too. Alcohol is a drug, and it is the drug most abused by teens. Many kids have their first drink at an early age, as young as 10 or 11 or even younger.

It's easy for kids to get the wrong message about alcohol. They might see their parents drink or watch TV commercials that make drinking look like a lot of fun. You might see people drinking and watching sports together or having a big party.

But alcohol is actually a depressant. That means it's a drug that slows down or depresses the brain. Like many drugs, alcohol changes a person's ability to think, speak, and see things as they really are. A person might lose his or her balance and have trouble walking properly. The person might feel relaxed and happy and later start crying or get in an argument.

What Happens When People Drink?

When people drink too much, they might do or say things they don't mean. They might hurt themselves or other people, especially if they drive a car. Someone who drinks too much also might throw up and could wake up the next day feeling awful - that's called a hangover.

Drinking too much alcohol can lead to alcohol poisoning, which can kill a person. Over time, people who abuse alcohol can do serious damage to their bodies. The liver, which removes poisons from the blood, is especially at risk.

Because alcohol can cause such problems, the citizens and government leaders in the United States decided that kids shouldn't be allowed to buy or use alcohol. By setting the drinking age at 21, they hope older people will be able to make good decisions about alcohol. For instance, they don't want people to drink alcohol and drive cars because that's how many accidents occur.

Page 1

What Is Alcoholism?

What can be confusing about alcohol is that some grown-ups seem to be able to enjoy it occasionally with no problems. Other people, though, can develop a problem with it. Sometimes, that's called alcoholism (say: al-kuh-HOL-ism) or being an alcoholic (say: al-kuh-HOL- ik). Someone who has alcoholism craves alcohol. The person has little control over his or her drinking and can't stop without help. A person who starts drinking alcohol at a young age is more likely to develop alcoholism.

Alcoholism is chronic, which means it continues over time. It often gets worse, too, because the person may start experiencing health problems related to drinking. In addition to causing liver problems, long-term drinking can damage the pancreas, heart, and brain.

Say No

It can be tempting to try alcohol. It's normal to be curious about new things, especially if it seems like everyone is doing it. But everyone is not drinking alcohol. Don't believe it if someone says you're immature for not drinking. You're actually more mature (which means grown up) because you're being strong and smart.

Still, it can be hard if you feel unpopular because of your decision. Good friends won't stop being your friend just because you don't want to drink alcohol. If you feel this kind of pressure, talk to someone you trust.

And if you're concerned about a friend who's drinking, you should tell one of your parents, a school counselor, or another trusted adult. That way, someone can talk with your friend before the alcohol causes a big problem. Unfortunately, some kids who drink may also drop out of school, get in car accidents, start fights, or join in crimes.

But with help, anyone who has a problem with alcohol can be successful at stopping. And if you're still a kid, help yourself by not starting in the first place!

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"Hey, who wants a drink?" "Oh, come on, just one drink won't hurt you. It's fun." "It's cool. Everybody drinks, right?" Wrong. Drinking alcohol is dangerous for kids and teens and sometimes for adults, too. Alcohol is a drug, and it is the drug most abused by teens.

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https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-just-say-no-doesnt-work/

Here is why...

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"Just say no." In 1982 First Lady Nancy Reagan uttered those three words in response to a schoolgirl who wanted to know what she should say if someone offered her drugs. The first lady's suggestion soon became the clarion call for the adolescent drug prevention movement in the 1980s and beyond. Since then, schools around the country have instituted programs designed to discourage alcohol and drug use among youth-most of them targeting older elementary schoolchildren and a few addressing adolescents.

There is good reason for concern about youth substance abuse. A large U.S. survey conducted in 2012 by psychologist Lloyd D. Johnston and his colleagues at the University of Michigan revealed that fully 24 percent of 12th graders had engaged in binge drinking (defined as five or more drinks on one occasion) in the past two weeks. Moreover, 42 percent had consumed at least some alcohol in the past month, as had 11 percent of eighth graders and 28 percent of high school sophomores. In addition, 1 percent of 12th graders had tried methamphetamine, and almost 3 percent had used cocaine in the past year.

In an attempt to reduce these figures, substance abuse prevention programs often educate pupils regarding the perils of drug use, teach students social skills to resist peer pressure to experiment, and help young people feel that saying no is socially acceptable. All the approaches seem sensible on the surface, so policy makers, teachers and parents typically assume they work. Yet it turns out that approaches involving social interaction work better than the ones emphasizing education. That finding may explain why the most popular prevention program has been found to be ineffective-and may even heighten the use of some substances among teens.

Rehearsing Refusal
The most widely publicized teen substance abuse prevention program is Drug Abuse Resistance Education, better known by the acronym D.A.R.E. Created in 1983 by the Los Angeles Police Department, D.A.R.E. asks uniformed police officers to go into schools to warn students about the dangers of drug use and underscore the pluses of a drug-free way of life. In most cases, the officers do so once a week, typically for 45 to 60 minutes, for several months. D.A.R.E. is immensely popular; according to the program Web site, it has been put in place in 75 percent of U.S. school districts and 43 countries. D.A.R.E. bumper stickers, D.A.R.E. T-shirts, and police cars emblazoned with the word D.A.R.E. are familiar fixtures in many U.S. communities.

Despite this fanfare, data indicate that the program does little or nothing to combat substance use in youth. A meta-analysis (mathematical review) in 2009 of 20 controlled studies by statisticians Wei Pan, then at the University of Cincinnati, and Haiyan Bai of the University of Central Florida revealed that teens enrolled in the program were just as likely to use drugs as were those who received no intervention.

A few clues to D.A.R.E.'s deficiencies come from psychologist Pim Cuijpers of the Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction in Utrecht. In a review of 30 studies published in 2002, she attempted to pinpoint the common elements of successful programs. Cuijpers reported that the most effective ones involve substantial amounts of interaction between instructors and students. They teach students the social skills they need to refuse drugs and give them opportunities to practice these skills with other students-for example, by asking students to play roles on both sides of a conversation about drugs, while instructors coach them about what to say and do. In addition, programs that work take into account the importance of behavioral norms: they emphasize to students that substance use is not especially common and thereby attempt to counteract the misconception that abstaining from drugs makes a person an oddball.

In a 2011 review of various substance abuse prevention programs, epidemiologist Melissa Stigler of the University of Texas School of Public Health and her colleagues buttressed these conclusions. They further observed that programs that unfold during many sessions-ideally, over several years-garner especially strong results, probably because they provide students with lessons that are reinforced over time, as children mature and encounter different environments.

D.A.R.E. lacks some of these key elements. It typically lasts only months rather than years. Moreover, it affords students few opportunities to practice how to refuse offers of drugs. Indeed, Cuijpers noted that purely educational programs that involve minimal or no direct social interaction with other students are usually ineffective. Merely telling participants to "just say no" to drugs is unlikely to produce lasting effects because many may lack the needed interpersonal skills. Programs led exclusively by adults, with little or no involvement of students as peer leaders-another common feature of D.A.R.E.-seem relatively unsuccessful, again probably because students get little practice saying no to other kids.

Good Intentions That Backfire
Worse, D.A.R.E. programs might occasionally backfire when it comes to the use of milder substances, such as alcohol and cigarettes. In a 2002 review psychologist Chudley Werch, now president of PreventionPLUSWellness in Jacksonville, Fla., and health educator Deborah Owen of the University of North Florida reported a slight tendency for teens who went through D.A.R.E. to be more likely to drink and smoke than adolescents not exposed to the program. Small negative effects for D.A.R.E.-like programs on drinking and smoking were also reported in a 2009 study by public health professor Zili Sloboda of the University of Akron and her colleagues. The reasons for these potential boomerang effects are unclear. Yet by emphasizing the hazards of severe drug abuse, D.A.R.E. may inadvertently convey the impression that alcohol and tobacco are innocuous by comparison.

These scientific findings stand in stark contrast to the belief, held by scores of schoolteachers and parents, that D.A.R.E. works. One reason for this discrepancy, clinical psychologist Donald R. Lynam, now at Purdue University, and his colleagues wrote in a 1999 article, is that teachers and parents may overestimate the prevalence of substance use among children. As a consequence, they may assume a decline in use when students of D.A.R.E. abstain from alcohol and drugs. But that conclusion is erroneous if children who did not receive drug prevention education display levels of drug use that are just as low, if not lower. In addition, as Lynam and his colleagues observe, D.A.R.E. makes intuitive sense: it seems plausible that most children exposed to authority figures who warn that drug use is dangerous would hesitate to disobey those admonitions.

The good news is that some proponents of D.A.R.E. are now heeding the negative research findings and incorporating potentially effective elements, such as role playing with peers, into the intervention. Research on these revised programs should soon tell us whether they will make a dent in the considerable problem of substance abuse among vulnerable youth.

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"Just say no." In 1982 First Lady Nancy Reagan uttered those three words in response to a schoolgirl who wanted to know what she should say if someone offered her drugs. The first lady's suggestion soon became the clarion call for the adolescent drug prevention movement in the 1980s and beyond.

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https://kidshelpline.com.au/teens/issues/drugs-and-alcohol

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You might see your friends experimenting with drugs and alcohol and it's got you curious. It's important to know that drugs can be harmful. Learn how they can impact your body and mind and who can help.

Why do people use drugs?

There are lots of reasons why someone might use drugs and alcohol. Some people use drugs to:

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What are the risks of using drugs and alcohol? Kids Helpline can help you learn how drugs impact your body and mind and who can help.

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https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/know-drugs.htm

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https://www.britannica.com/story/pro-and-con-lower-the-drinking-age

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© VTT Studio/stock.adobe.com
To access extended pro and con arguments, sources, and discussion questions about whether the drinking age should be lowered in the United States, go to ProCon.org.
All 50 US states have set their minimum drinking age to 21 although exceptions do exist on a state-by-state basis for consumption at home, under adult supervision, for medical necessity, and other reasons.

The repeal of alcohol prohibition by the 21st Amendment on Dec. 5, 1933 allowed each state to set its own alcohol consumption laws. At that time, most states established the MLDA for alcohol at 21 years of age, although two states set an MLDA of 21 for men and 18 for women: Illinois (1933-1961) and Oklahoma (1933-1976). The 1976 US Supreme Court case Craig v. Boren ruled 7-2 that this age difference violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. Following the July 1, 1971 passage of the 26th Amendment, which lowered the legal voting age from 21 to 18 years of age, 30 US states lowered their MLDA to 18, 19, or 20; by 1982, only 14 states still had an MLDA of 21

Reports in the 1970's showing that teenage car accidents increased in states where the MLDA had been lowered from 21 prompted Congress to pass the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984.

Although the Act did not require a national MLDA of 21, it effectively mandated it by stipulating that some federal transportation funds would be withheld from states that failed to make 21 their minimum age for purchasing and publicly possessing alcohol. Since 1984, all states that had previously lowered their MLDA from 21 have all raised their MLDA back to 21. South Dakota and Wyoming were the last states to do so in 1988.

While the MLDA is 21 in all 50 states, in 47 of 50 states age 18 is the "age of majority," which entails having the rights and responsibilities of adulthood. Every state sets its own age of majority that often corresponds with the age at which one can vote, join the military, serve in jury duty, sign contracts, marry, apply for loans, make decisions regarding medical treatments, and be prosecuted as an adult. Alabama (age 19), Mississippi (21), and Nebraska (age 19) are three states that have an "age of majority" above 18, although certain rights such as the right to vote remain at 18 in these states.

136 college and university presidents have signed a pledge stating that the drinking age of 21 is "not working," citing binge drinking, fake IDs, and the fact that adults age 18-20 are able to vote, serve on juries, and enlist in the military. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), three million deaths annually (5.3% of all deaths) result from the harmful use of alcohol. WHO also reports that 13.5% of all deaths among people ages 20-39 are attributable to alcohol.

The discrepancy between the MLDA and the age of majority-and its many responsibilities and authorities-along with continued incidents of alcohol abuse reported on college campuses have fueled debate on whether or not setting the MLDA at 21 is fair, smart, and effective.

18 is the age of adulthood in the United States, and adults should have the right to make their own decisions about alcohol consumption.

Allowing 18- to 20-year-olds to drink alcohol in regulated environments with supervision would decrease unsafe drinking activity.

There are fewer drunk driving traffic accidents and fatalities in many countries with MLDA of 18.

The decrease in drunk driving fatalities as a percentage of total traffic fatalities in the United States does not correlate to the MLDA.

Lowering MLDA from 21 to 18 would diminish the thrill of breaking the law to get a drink.

MLDA 21 is largely ineffective because teens consume regardless.

High non-compliance with MLDA 21 promotes general disrespect and non-compliance with other areas of US law.

MLDA 21 enforcement is not a priority for many law enforcement agencies.

MLDA 21 is not statistically associated with lower rates of suicide, homicide, or vandalism.

Drinking alcohol is an enjoyable activity.

Lowering MLDA 21 would reduce the number of underage people who are hurt from alcohol-related injuries or accidents due to fear of legal consequences if they sought medical attention.

State governments should have the right to establish a lower legal drinking age that reflects their unique demographics, legal context, and history.

Lowering MLDA 21 would be good for the economy.

Lowering MLDA 21 would be medically irresponsible.

Lowering MLDA 21 to 18 will irresponsibly allow a greater segment of the population to drink alcohol in bars and nightclubs, which are not safe environments.

The right to drink should have a higher age of initiation because of the dangers posed by drinking.

MLDA 21 reduces traffic accidents and fatalities.

MLDA 21 reduces alcohol consumption and the number of underage drinkers.

MLDA 21 should not be lowered to mirror European drinking age limits because the rate of drinking among US teenagers is lower than most European countries.

MLDA 18 is not a right.

The American public overwhelmingly supports MLDA 21.

Lowering MLDA 21 would give high schoolers and even middle schoolers easier access to alcohol.

MLDA 21 helps prevent underage binge drinking.

MLDA 21 exerts valuable social pressure on potential underage drinkers and those who may serve them.

The MLDA should stay at 21 because people tend to be more mature and responsible at 21 than 18.

Lowering the drinking age will invite more use of illicit drugs among 18-21 year olds.

This article was published on April 2, 2019, at Britannica's ProCon.org, a nonpartisan issue-information source.

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Some argue that keeping the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) at 21 in the United States has not stopped teen drinking, but has instead pushed underage binge drinking into private and less controlled environments, leading to more health and life-endangering behavior by teens, while others argue that the MLDA should not be lowered because teens have not yet reached an age where they can handle alcohol responsibly, and thus are more likely to harm or even kill themselves and others by drinking prior to 21.

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https://blog.stephens.edu/compblog/why-the-drinking-age-should-be-lowered-to-18-in-the-united-states/

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Why the Drinking Age Should Be Lowered to 18 in the United States | Comp Blog

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Danny Santulli’s new home is a rehabilitation hospital in Colorado. He cannot walk, speak, or respond to any commands.

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https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/drugs-marijuana.html

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Marijuana is used differently and is much stronger than it was a generation ago. Marijuana is legal for adult recreational use in many U.S. states, so it's easier to get and more socially acceptable in some situations. Many teens and young adults use marijuana in some form.

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https://dare.org/drug-legalization-and-student-drug-use/

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At a time when more than 30 states and the District of Columbia have legalized the use of marijuana for either medical or recreational use, the U.S. surgeon general says no amount of the drug is safe for teens, young adults and pregnant women.

"While the perceived harm of marijuana is decreasing, the scary truth is that the actual potential for harm is increasing," Surgeon General Jerome Adams said...

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At a time when more than 30 states and the District of Columbia have legalized the use of marijuana for either medical or recreational use, the U.S. surgeon general says no amount of the drug is safe for teens, young adults and pregnant women.

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https://abovetheinfluence.com/drugs/marijuana/

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Marijuana is at the center of a lot of debate, and there's often exaggerated and even false claims made by those on each of the opposing sides. What matters is understanding how it can impact you as a teen, and that information can be hard to find in the middle of so much hype. Laws are changing, and there's potential for new medical treatments, but these don't erase the risks.

AKA

Blunt, dope, ganja, grass, herb, joint, bud, Mary Jane, pot, reefer, green, trees, smoke, skunk, weed, hash, tea, chronic, loud

What is it?

A green and brown mix of dried flowers, stems, seeds and leaves from the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. 1 The main active chemical is THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which moves quickly through the bloodstream to the brain and other organs throughout the body. 2

The Risks

THC acts on specific targets in the brain, called cannabinoid receptors. Ordinarily, these receptors are activated by brain chemicals similar to THC that are part of a neural communication system, and play an important role in brain development and function. Marijuana over activates this system, causing impaired coordination, difficulty with thinking and problem solving, and disrupted learning and memory. 3

Anything that impairs coordination and judgment, which marijuana does, increases a driver's risk of being in an accident. And when used in conjunction with alcohol, the combined result is worse than either substance alone. 4

Your brain goes through significant development during your teen and young adult years, and marijuana's effects on the developing brain create risks unique to that time period. Following marijuana use, a teen's decrease in cognitive abilities can last much longer than an adult's, as long as several weeks since last use. With regular use (daily or nearly daily), the alterations to the brain caused by marijuana become prolonged by frequent recurrences, which can in-turn lead to lowered learning capabilities, a shortened attention span, and weakened verbal communication skills. 5

There is also an association between regular and prolonged marijuana use and mental illness. A link has been demonstrated with later development of psychosis, and rates increase for those who start young. Associations have also been found with other mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts among adolescents. 6 It's important to note that the nature of these links is still unclear. More research is needed to better understand whether there is only correlation, or whether causality may exist as well.

Long-Term Effects

Marijuana, just like any other drug, can be addictive. It affects the brain's reward system in the same way as all other drugs of addiction 7 - and the likelihood of addiction increases considerably for those who start young. 8 When marijuana use becomes daily, or nearly daily, alterations to the brain can actually lead to an inability to perceive any negative impact. 9

In addition to the possible effects on your cognitive development, marijuana smoke is an irritant to the lungs, and frequent marijuana smokers can develop many of the same respiratory problems as tobacco smokers, such as daily cough and phlegm production, more frequent acute chest illness, and a greater risk of chest infections. 10

The Bottom Line

Marijuana has the potential to cause problems in your daily life, or make existing problems worse. It limits your brain's effectiveness, slows down thinking, and impairs coordination and judgment. And while you're young and still maturing, marijuana could have a long-lasting, negative impact on your developing brain.

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Marijuana is at the center of a lot of debate, and there's often exaggerated and even false claims made by those on each of the opposing sides. What matters is understanding how it can impact you as a teen, and that information can be hard to find in the middle of so much hype.

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https://drinkingage.procon.org/

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All 50 US states have set their minimum drinking age to 21 although exceptions do exist on a state-by-state basis for consumption at home, under adult supervision, for medical necessity, and other reasons.

Proponents of lowering the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) from 21 argue that it has not stopped teen drinking, and has instead pushed underage binge drinking into private and less controlled environments, leading to more health and life-endangering behavior by teens.

Opponents of lowering the MLDA argue that teens have not yet reached an age where they can handle alcohol responsibly, and thus are more likely to harm or even kill themselves and others by drinking prior to 21. They contend that traffic fatalities decreased when the MLDA increased. Read more background...

Pro & Con Arguments

Pro 1

18 is the age of legal majority (adulthood) in the United States.

Americans enjoy a range of new rights, responsibilities, and freedoms when they turn 18 and become an adult in the eyes of the law.

18-year-olds may vote in local, state, and federal elections; may serve on juries; and may be charged as an adult if accused of a crime. 18-year-olds are responsible for any legally binding contracts they enter; are liable for negligence; and may be sued.

18-year-olds must register with the Selective Service if male and may be drafted into service at times of war. However, 17-year-olds may enter US military service.

18-year-olds may get married without parental consent; buy a house; and enjoy new privacy rights including the shielding of medical, academic, and financial information from parents.

However, drinking alcohol remains regulated under a legal age of license. An 18-year-old may legally be responsible children and legally allowed to make life decisions with years of impact, but may not legally drink a beer.

Todd Rutherford, South Carolina State Representative and Democrat House Minority Leader, who filed a bill on Nov. 10, 2021 to lower South Carolina's MLDA to 18, stated: "This is a personal freedom issue. If you are old enough to fight for our country, if you're old enough to vote, if you're old enough to sign on thousands of dollars of students loans for a college education, then you are old enough to have a[n alcoholic] drink."
Read More

Pro 3

MLDA creates a mindset of non-compliance with the law among young adults.

Lowering MLDA from 21 to 18 would diminish the thrill of breaking the law to get a drink. Normalizing alcohol consumption as something to be done responsibly and in moderation will make drinking alcohol less of a taboo for young adults entering college and the workforce.

High non-compliance with MLDA 21 promotes general disrespect and non-compliance with other areas of US law. MLDA 21 encourages young adults to acquire and use false identification documents to procure alcohol. It would be better to have fewer fake IDs in circulation and more respect for the law.

Further, MLDA 21 enforcement is not a priority for many law enforcement agencies. Police are inclined to ignore or under-enforce MLDA 21 because of resource limitations, statutory obstacles, perceptions that punishments are inadequate, and the time and effort required for processing and paperwork. An estimated two of every 1,000 occasions of illegal drinking by youth under 21 results in an arrest.

Combine a lack of consequences with the thrill of breaking the law, and MLDA 21 actually encourages underage drinking and potentially other illegal activities, such as driving while intoxicated and illicit drug use. Lowering the MLDA would make 18- to 20-year-olds subject to the same laws enforced for those 21 and over.
Read More

1. Underage drinking is allowed in some US states if done on private premises with parental consent, for religious purposes, or for educational purposes.

2. Between 1970 and 1976, 30 states lowered their Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA) from 21 to 18, 19, or 20.

3. The enactment of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 prompted states to raise their legal age for purchase or public possession of alcohol to 21 or risk losing millions in federal highway funds.

4. After the repeal of alcohol prohibition by the 21st Amendment on Dec. 5, 1933, Illinois (1933-1961) and Oklahoma (1933-1976) set their state drinking age at 21 for men and 18 for women. The 1976 US Supreme Court case Craig v. Boren ruled 7-2 that this age difference violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

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Should the Drinking Age Be Lowered in the US? 13 Pros and Cons

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Proponents of a lower drinking age say 18 is the US age of adulthood. Opponents say lowering the age would be medically irresponsible. Research both sides.

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"What educated can do to help prevent underage drinking and other drug use":

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"What educated can do to help prevent underage drinking and other drug use":

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https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/factsheet_educator_what_educators_can_do.pdf

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https://drugfree.org/article/how-to-help-a-friend-with-addiction/

Read this article to learn about how to help a friend/family member with a drug/alcohol addiction.

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Partnership Staff Associate Vice President, Consumer Clinical Content Development

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How to help a friend with addiction | If you are noticing problems in a friend’s life, you are not overreacting