Cons of Underage Drinking Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cons of Underage Drinking - Research Paper Example As such, the position of this researcher is not to advocate that drinking laws be abolished or that law enforcement entirely ignores such an issue, it is to say that the laws regarding its treatment should be seriously reworked and rethought as a function of the greater good for society at large (Reboussin et al 891). Due to the overall loss and manpower of the authorities that are wasted on what can otherwise be considered a nominal crime, it is the recommendation of this author that the United States pursue drinking laws that more effectively mirror the successful and widely implemented drinking laws that Europe enjoys. With respect to the actual age of being able to buy and imbibe alcoholic beverages, this too should be a function of similar laws which define when an individual can vote, can engage in sexual relations, and can join the military in service of their country. Having an outdated law which requires young people to be 3 years older than his necessary to volunteer to fig ht and die for one’s own country as well as to vote is the epitome of a short-sighted and irresponsible law that should be changed to reflect a more thoughtful and reasonable society. Furthermore, as a way to ensure that individuals will take the responsibility they have been granted with a degree of seriousness, some of the money that will doubtless be saved as a result of the fact that law enforcement entities no longer need to police such actions for individuals over the age of 18, programs should be instituted within health classes nationwide to educate students as to the power of responsibility with relation to the choices they will be... This essay approves that the drinking laws which are currently in place within the judicial system do little if anything to actually deter the practice. Instead, it could be argued that they merely provide a means by which individuals circumvent the law in a manner that drives the activity underground where the requisite authorities cannot hope to regulate it in any way shape or form. Although the purpose of this brief essay is not to claim that a number of laws should be disregarded merely due to the fact that by placing legal constraints on individuals they will find alternate means to the activity in question; rather, due to the fact that underage drinking is an infraction that takes place both inside and outside of the law, it is of little moral worth to criminalize it to such an extent and bog the legal system down with frivolous cases that are oftentimes victimless crimes. This report makes a conclusion that merely changing the law is not enough to effect real and lasting change with relation to the issue. However, changing the law while at the same time educating individuals as to their new rights and the corresponding responsibilities that come with them while at the same time having the prospect to save the criminal justice system tens of thousands of man hours ever year is highly desirable in terms of cost which will be saved while affecting little change in the drinking habits of those individuals affected. Additionally, it is noteworthy to point out that the prescriptions that have been denoted within this brief essay point strongly and convincingly towards the model of moral responsibility that should be adopted by the individual as opposed to being forced on society in the form of a plethora of laws governing such behavior.