Source 10

Bray, Kelsey. "Program targets underage drinking." Wyoming Tribune-Eagle (Cheyenne, WY) 19 May 2013: Points of View Reference Center. Web. 21 Oct. 2013.

In Cheyenne, Wyoming the local PD as well as several volunteers have helped in the effort to curb underaged drinking. They use programs such as alcohol compliance checks. This program attempts to make sure that underaged drinkinrs don't get their hands on the alcohol in the first place. They have several volunteers as well as police officers in disguise going into places that serve alcohol and if they see alcohol being sold to underaged drinkers the employee may be cited. Businesses can get their licenses suspended if they have multiple citations so the program gives incentive to the sellers to prevent minors from getting their hands on alcohol.

I feel like this method of prevention of underaged drinking may be effective in the short term. However, the main issue that needs to be fixed is the adolescents' want to go to these stores and buy liquor in the first place. Although I for one think that the drinking age should be lowered, I do believe that if that is not an option, then it would be a much more cost effective to go to the source of the problem which is why do kids want to drink in the first place. Perhaps the issue of drinking is brought up by parents too late. Or maybe schools need to do a better job teaching about alcohol awareness. Whatever the issue is it likely won't be fixed by attempting to make alcohol less accessible.

Source 9

Whitehead, Travis M. "Power of Parents: They can make a difference in deterring underage drinking." Valley Morning Star (Harlingen, TX) 01 Sept. 2013: Points of View Reference Center. Web. 21 Oct. 2013.

So many times today we hear the excuse from kids when it comes to underaged drinking that everyone is doing it. However studies show that only 60 percent of people under the age of 21 consume alcohol. So why have those 30 percent of adolescents been able to resist the peer pressure? Of course this is not true in a few cases, but according to  Miryam Anderson of the Harlingen Police Department underage drinking can many times be prevented or made much less dangerous if the parent is involved in the adolescent's life. Too many times parents get overly occupied with their work and paying the bills and don't find enough time for their kids and to teach them about the dangers of drinking. 

This article makes a good point in saying that if parents were more involved in their kids' lives they would learn more responsibility. Unresponsible underaged drinking is obviously an issue that needs to be dealt with and there definitely need to be more conversations between parents and their kids about underaged drinking. Too many times parents shy away from "having the talk" because it isn't the most comfortable topic to talk about. I for one do believe, however, that if a kid will not learn something through their parents, then they will learn a much harsher lesson in real life. Unfortunately these consequences are the ones that make up all those terrible statistics on underaged drinking. I think parents should definitely try their best to help their children avoid drinking issues by being more involved then they are right now in their kids lives because many times parents naively believe in their child's innocence. 

Rogerian Rhetoric

  Rogerian Rhetoric is a useful tool for solving a conflict by finding a "common ground" instead of creating two poles of opinion. Using Rogerian Rhetoric works by considering the opposing viewpoint and  collaborating to find an area of shared experience. According to the author there are four steps to be taken in order to properly use this method of debate. First, the problem is introduced and two opposing sides emerge. Second, a discussion about when the opposing viewpoint may be valid must arise. Third, you introduce your own viewpoint and finally you try to figure out how the opposing viewpoint can be made more valid by using your own viewpoint.

This can be a good way to resolve a conflict provided that the two sides of the argument are open for compromise. I think this can be an effective tool for debate, however its effectiveness is definitely dependent on the situation and how far apart the two sides are.

Source 8

Bristow, Jennie. "Binge Drinking Is a Normal Impulse." Alcohol Abuse. Ed. Ronnie D. Lankford. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2007. At Issue. Rpt. from "A Bit of Bingeing Can Be Good for You." Spiked. 2005. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 16 Oct. 2013.

This viewpoint does a good job at pointing out the reason why people binge drink and the benefits or rather lack of negative effects of having a liberal drinking society. Britain's citizens, according to this article, are living a longer and healthier lifestyle than ever under the liberal thinking system for drinking that the country uses. This points to the idea that a lowering of the drinking age here in the US would likely have no adverse effects on the young men and women of the United States.

This article brings a good argument to the table on why drinking, wether underage or not, is not something that's going to be affected by any laws. People are going to drink no matter what and the idea of a more liberal drinking society where young adults can drink like the one in Britain can be a good direction to head towards as it will allow for more opportunities for adults to teach adolescents how to drink properly.

Source 7

English, Erin M., Sara B. Oswalt, and Michael D. Shutt. "College Alcohol Use Is on the Decline." Student Life. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2010. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Decreasing Use of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs on a College Campus: Exploring Potential Factors Related to Change." Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice 46 (2009): 163-182.Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 16 Oct. 2013.

This viewpoint aims to point out the reduced consumption of alcohol by young adults in the millennial generation. However, this shift has not necessarily been due to the legal age minimum for drinking being at 21, it very well may be because of the shift in social behavior that comes with a new generation of young adults entering the time in their life where many of the young adults in the previous generation started using alcohol or other substances. 

This viewpoint can be useful in making the case that the age minimum for drinking has no real effect on the use of alcohol among teens. The article can help support the claim that the lesser amount of underaged drinkers is the result of a shift in social culture rather than not the result of a minimum drinking age.

Source 6

Responsibility, Choose. "The Minimum Legal Drinking Age Should Be Lowered." Teens at Risk. Ed. Christine Watkins. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2009. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Debating the Issues." chooseresponsibility.org. 2007. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 16 Oct. 2013.

This article does a good job at pointing out the many flaws with having the minimum drinking age at 21. He points out a few good arguments against the policy such as the fact that young men can go to war at 18 but cannot drink, the ineffectiveness of the minimum drinking age law, and the healthier attitudes European adolescents have towards alcohol use then those adolescents in the US.

This article is one that gives a number of sound arguments for lowering the drinking age minimum. This source can be useful when making a case against the zero tolerance policy for people under the age of 21. 

Source 5

Eastman, Donald R. "Lowering the Drinking Age: Let's Keep the Dialogue Open." St. Petersburg Times 25 Aug. 2008. Rpt. in Should the Legal Drinking Age Be Lowered? Ed. Stefan Kiesbye. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2013. At Issue. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 16 Oct. 2013.

This article uses a story of an 18 year old that got killed while in a car with her friend who was also under the influence. He points out that had the drinking age been lower, the student would not have had to resort to driving while intoxicated and he also goes over a few other ways the situation would have turned out differently if the drinking age was lower.

This article can be one that truly grabs a readers attention as a very sad story is involved and the theme of it is that had the drinking age been lower the situation where the two girls had to get in a car would not have happened in the first place. 

Source 4

"The Legal Drinking Age Policy Has Been Effective." Should the Legal Drinking Age Be Lowered? Ed. Stefan Kiesbye. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2013. At Issue. Rpt. from "Key Results: Mimimim Legal Drinking Age Policy." SAPRP.org. 2009. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 16 Oct. 2013.

This article goes through the reasons and data behind why many think that the law that prohibits underaged drinking is effective. It provides some important statistics including the 11% reduction in alcohol related motor vehicle fatalities for drivers under the age of twenty one because of the zero tolerance policy. The article also goes on to provide information the dangers of underaged drinking and the self destructive habit it can develop. 

Although this article makes a very sound argument against changing the policy on underaged drinking, I feel like it fails to consider how much more effective an alternate solution would be. Rather than simply banning underaged drinking, a good solution in my opinion would be to allow young adults to drink under the supervision of adults where the adult can legally teach the adolescent how to responsibly consume alcohol and through experience perhaps the adolescent will be less likely to end up in the hospital because of alcoholism. 

Under the Influence of the Legal Drinking Age

       In recent discussion about underaged drinking, a issue of controversy has been wether the current system, where drinking under the age of 21 is illegal, is effective at reducing the dangerous amount of underaged drinking out there. From the viewpoint of  the many who criticize the law on underaged drinking, making it illegal to drink under the age of twenty one makes it impossible for mature adults to teach people how to drink at the age they want to start drinking which is often under the legal age limit. On the other hand, however, the people who support the law claim that it has done a great job at reducing the number of alcohol related car crashes and fatalities. In the words of John McCardell Jr., one of the main supporters of a change in the drinking policy in the U.S., "The problem today is reckless, goal-oriented alcohol consumption that all too often takes place in clandestine locations, where enforcement has proven frustratingly difficult." According to this view, it is not the consumption of alcohol that is an issue rather it is the excessive use alcohol that is the issue. In sum then, the issue is wether the law should be kept in place or replaced by a new system that tries to educate young adults how to drink through controlled experience. 

        My own view is that in fact the system is flawed, and that it should be replaced by a system that is more aimed towards reducing the amount of dangerous and fatal type of drinking rather than the casual and harmless type. Although the law against drinking has helped in reducing the number of car accidents due to alcohol, the real issue to be solved is to not allow young adults to be in that situation in the first place because they were responsible drinkers and had a designated driver. This issue is an important one because as a student in his first year of college I have seen way too many people that are my age plus or minus two years that have no idea what they're doing when it comes to drinking the right way. I feel had they had adults around them that are allowed to teach them how to drink properly through experience they would be much better off then if they all of a sudden decide they'll have a drink or two and end up on the bathroom floor. 

Source 3

Listfield, Emily. "Binge Drinking Is a Serious Problem for Underage Drinkers." Alcohol Abuse. Ed. Christine Watkins. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. At Issue. Rpt. from "The Underage Drinking Epidemic." www.Parade.com (12 June 2011). Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 16 Oct. 2013.

The main idea of this article is to provide some knowledge through examples on why extreme binge drinking is very bad. The author goes on throughout the article describing all the very dangerous ways young men and women in college under the age of 21 drink. She goes through the entire article talking about the "shocking" amount of underaged drinkers and how the number of adolescents binge drinking has  risen over the past few decades. Cheap drinks consumed at a rapid pace in the form of jungle juice, drinking games, alcoholic energy drinks are just a few of the ways these underaged drinkers try to give their night an extra kick. As shocking as it may be to people like the author of this article that the legal drinking age doesn't make much of a difference in how many adolescents binge drink, it isn't shocking when you consider that if young adults aren't allowed to drink legally, how can they possibly know how to drink properly under the age of twenty one. This article can be very useful in pointing out the flawed ideas people have on the effects of the legal drinking age on the number of binge drinkers under the age of twenty- one.

Source 2

Tamburello, Friar Dennis. "The Legal Drinking Age Exacerbates Underage Drinking." Should the Legal Drinking Age Be Lowered? Ed. Stefan Kiesbye. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2008. At Issue. Rpt. from "Clean and Sober." Timesunion.com 15 July 2006. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 15 Oct. 2013.

Friar Tamburello points out that underaged drinking, as much of an issue as it is, is not something that a legal drinking age has made less of an issue. The problem is in the drinking culture of the many who do drink excessively over the legal drinking age. Responsible drinking is something that needs to be taught through example over time. This is not helped by the legal drinking age which has caused nothing but rebellion from young adults. If young adults cannot drink then how could they possibly learn to drink responsibly? Damaging your body is a moral issue according to Friar Tamburello, who points out that is has been shown that excessive drinking over time can have seriously damaging effects on the body. He says it is evil to do such a thing to your own body. Although there is a bit of bias in this article, the author does give a sound argument against the way underaged drinking is handled. This article can be useful in making a case against the law prohibiting drinking under the age of 21.

Source 1

 Hanson, David J., Joel S. Rudy, and Dwight B. Heath. "A Drinking Permit Should Replace the Minimum Legal Drinking Age." Should the Legal Drinking Age Be Lowered? Ed. Stefan Kiesbye. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2008. At Issue. Rpt. from "What About the Drinking Age?" Alcohol: Problems and Solutions. 2007. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 15 Oct. 2013.
According to Mr. Hanson,  a legal drinking age limit provokes binge drinking rather that prevent it. Rather than outlawing underaged drinking, a drinking permit or license should be given out to adolescents after completing a course on how to drink safely. The loss of young life due to the effects of alcohol has shocked many of us over the years as we hear news articles time and time again about horrific stories of underaged drinking. As we see these tragic stories pan out we have to wonder how effective having a law prohibiting underaged drinking really is, since it has caused nothing but rebellion and further adolescents reaching for the bottle. A proper way of drinking can be taught and learned and, according to Mr. Hanson, that is the direction this country should shift towards. This can be a useful article when researching the topic of underaged drinking since it provides a hypothetical solution to a growing issue that's not necessarily adolescents drinking, but adolescents drinking irresponsibly.