Legal Drinking Age
Purpose: To persuade my audience that the drinking age should be lowered to the age of 18.
Thesis: To have the ability to lower the drinking age we must first look at new ways to educate our young adults, realize the role of our parents, and we must also look at the effects of a lower drinking age in other countries.
I. Introduction A. Attention Getter: Can you honestly say that you never drank alcohol during high school? If so, you are in a distinct minority: nearly 80% of high school seniors admit to at least trying a drink. I found this statistic on alcoholnews.org B. Relevance: This topic is very relevant to us as a whole because we are either 18 or somewhere between 18 and 21, and we are pressured everyday to break the law by “illegally” drinking alcohol. C. Credibility: I am credible to speak about this topic because as a college student that goes to parties I constantly have the pressure put onto me to drink. I would be lying to you if I said that I do not drink, but there is a difference between getting drunk and drinking responsibly. When I do drink I try to drink responsibly and I find that it creates a more comfortable setting, and as a 19 year old I always have the feeling that what I am doing is wrong just because it is illegal.
D. Thesis: To have the ability to lower the drinking age we must first look at new ways to educate our young adults, realize the role of our parents, and we must also look at the effects of a lower drinking age in other countries. E. Preview: First, I will speak about ways that we can educate young adults to make the correct decisions about drinking alcohol. Next, I will show you that our parents have a greater impact on us than we may think, and lastly I will speak about why we have different laws set in place in America that are no where else in the world.
A. As it stands now 1. Some of you might be saying, “If we are going to lower the drinking age then we are going to have more deaths from drinking.” I
I. Introduction A. Attention Getter: Can you honestly say that you never drank alcohol during high school? If so, you are in a distinct minority: nearly 80% of high school seniors admit to at least trying a drink. I found this statistic on alcoholnews.org B. Relevance: This topic is very relevant to us as a whole because we are either 18 or somewhere between 18 and 21, and we are pressured everyday to break the law by “illegally” drinking alcohol. C. Credibility: I am credible to speak about this topic because as a college student that goes to parties I constantly have the pressure put onto me to drink. I would be lying to you if I said that I do not drink, but there is a difference between getting drunk and drinking responsibly. When I do drink I try to drink responsibly and I find that it creates a more comfortable setting, and as a 19 year old I always have the feeling that what I am doing is wrong just because it is illegal.
D. Thesis: To have the ability to lower the drinking age we must first look at new ways to educate our young adults, realize the role of our parents, and we must also look at the effects of a lower drinking age in other countries. E. Preview: First, I will speak about ways that we can educate young adults to make the correct decisions about drinking alcohol. Next, I will show you that our parents have a greater impact on us than we may think, and lastly I will speak about why we have different laws set in place in America that are no where else in the world.
A. As it stands now 1. Some of you might be saying, “If we are going to lower the drinking age then we are going to have more deaths from drinking.” I
References: Hanson, D. (2007). The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984. Retrieved Oct 18, 2011, from http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/YouthIssues/1092767630.html N/A.(2008). You’ll be a man, my son. Economist Newspaper, 368, 64-65. Retrieved Oct 18, 2011, from Academic Search Premiere database. N/A.(2008). Legal Drinking Age. Retrieved Oct 18, 2011, from http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/LegalDrinkingAge.html Baldauf, S.(2007, April 23).Setting the Bar at 18.U.S. News and World Report,142,28 Szalavitz, M.(2005).Underage Drinking. Retrieved Oct 18, 2011, from http://www.alcoholnews.org/underage_drink.html Dulaney, M.(2006, January 30). Younger Drinking Age would Increase Parential Oversight. U.S.A. Today, A10