Persuasive writing - the drinking age

The Drinking age should be raised to 21

The drinking age in New Zealand should not be raised to twenty-one. Raising the drinking age will not result in the outcomes the government hopes for, on contrary in will result in a raise in the number of people who are underage buying alcohol and increasing the age will not reduce the amount of drunk drivers. The alcohol laws in New Zealand do not need to be changed, just enforced. However, increasing the legal age for buying alcohol may reduce the amount of teenage binge drinkers.

Raising the drinking age to twenty-one will not achieve the advantages that the government would desire, being less underage drinkers and less minors buying alcohol. Raising the drinking age will have the outcome of more underage people buying alcohol, especially from those eighteen and over that could buy it previously. Increasing the age will not decrease the amount of underage drinkers as many twenty-one-year-olds will buy alcohol for their friends who are twenty or even younger. Fake identification will also be an issue as shop owners will have trouble identifying those who are nineteen or twenty apart from those who are twenty-one, where as it is more simple to identify a sixteen-year-old to an eighteen-year-old.

Under age drinking is a major problem in New Zealand presently, however, changing the law will not resolve this problem. The majority of teenagers are aware of the many dangers of drinking but choose to consume it anyway as it is at many of the events they attend out of school, therefore raising the drinking age will result in more underage drinkers. To help to resolve this problem the laws need to be enforced and students need to be made more aware of them. If the drinking laws were enforced at school along side the dangers of drinking teens may be more aware of the consequences they will face if caught consuming alcohol. Not only do students need to learn the law, liquor store workers should have stricter security and harsher consequences if they sell alcohol to minors.

The government would hope that raising the drinking age will result in less drunk drivers however this is not the case. Raising the drinking age is unlikely to result in less underage drunk drivers as teenagers would still find a way of obtaining alcohol therefore it is unlikely that a change in law will result in a change of attitude towards drink driving. Raising the drinking age will not be able to decrease the large amount of people over twenty -one who drink and drive therefore by changing this law  it is unlikely there will a dramatic change in the amount of drink drivers.

 

Binge drinking has become popular with many teenagers today and therefore has become an issue in New Zealand society. Binge drinking is a serious issue among New Zealand teens that often leads to undesirable outcomes such as alcohol poisoning, liver failure and actions that will later be regretted. If raising the drinking age would effect this issue it would result in many positive outcomes for these teenagers and those in society who are affected because of their actions. However, it will be difficult to resolve this issue through raising the drinking age, as teenagers will still be able to find a way of acquiring alcohol whether it is through fake identification or elder friends buying it for them.

Raising the legal age to drink to twenty-one does not achieve any outcomes that will help New Zealand now and in years to come. The drinking age should not be raised as it will result in more minors buying alcohol and the amount of drunk drivers will not be depleted from this law, enforcing the law we have currently will help to solve some of the major alcohol issues in New Zealand. Raising the legal age may diminish the amount of teenage binge drinkers however these teens will still find a way of getting alcohol.