Arguments Against Lowering the Legal Drinking Age in Canada

The legal drinking age and its variations around the world

The legal drinking age can be defined as the age at which someone can buy and consume alcohol drinks. The age limit set is widely different around the world. Every country sets a different age limit of purchasing and consuming alcohol beverages. But it is important to note that the legal age of drinking limit mostly cover consuming alcohol at public places since it is very difficult to monitor behavior of people there. It is a well-known fact that most of the European countries have set their legal drinking age at 16 while in Canada most of the provinces have set the legal drinking age at 19. This paper will discuss the reasons why the Canadian government should not lower the legal drinking age in Provinces.

Negative effects of lowering the drinking age in Canada

The drinking age limit should not be lowered in Canada. It should be so because lowering the legal drinking age will not bring any benefits to the society but more of negative effects. For example, the study conducted in Canada using the national Canadian death data of 1980 to 2009 showed an increase in the number of male deaths. The results of them were injuries or motor vehicle accidents. There was also an increase in the mortality rate. It is clear that most of those accidents or deaths resulted from alcohol drinking. The people involved in such accidents must have been under alcohol influence (considering the legal drinking age in the provinces). Therefore, lowering the legal drinking age limit will do more harm since more accidents, injuries and deaths will be witnessed. The young people come with a lot of rationales in a country, for instance, serving the country. And it is notable that they cannot serve the country after having one or two beers.

Increase in cases of drunk driving

Lowering the legal drinking age will also lead to many cases of drunk driving. Most of young people are always involved in problems of driving while they are drunk, and if the age limit is lowered, the country will experience more such cases. For example, a case which illustrates us that the legal drinking age is lowered to 16, if the cases of drunk driving were mostly reported for ages after 19 then more such cases will also be witnessed for persons under 19. This will harm the society, therefore, the drinking age should not be lowered.

Medical concerns associated with lowering the drinking age

Furthermore, there are also some medical concerns of lowering the drinking age. The young adults are still vulnerable when it comes to emotional regulation, organization and planning their activities compared to the old adults. Thus, lowering the legal drinking age including the young adults will interfere with the growth of their brain, especially the frontal lobe. This can lead to problems associated with emotional regulations as well as death.

Increase in crimes and addictions among the youth

It is a matter of common knowledge it is not safe for the young people to go out in night clubs and bars. Lowering the legal drinking age will give them a chance to go out to such places. This will only lead to more cases of crimes and assaults in the neighbourhoods and will also increase the number of addictions among the younger people. This will in turn lead to binge drinking, alcohol poisoning and uncontrolled sexual activities among the younger population.

Connection between alcohol drinking and illegal drug abuse

Alcohol drinking and illegal drug abuse are connected between each other. Most of the young people who start drinking early in their lives are more probable to get involved in the usage of illegal drugs. Therefore, lowering the drinking age will increase the chances of consuming illegal substances and number of deaths among young people. The reason for it is the desire of young people to get high fast.

Protection of society and youth

Another purpose for not to lower the drinking age in Canada is to help protect the society. If the drinking age is lowered to 16, it will expose even a 10 year old person to get drunk. It comes with the carelessness of the younger people. A 16 year old person would drink and leave the alcohol in his or her room. In such a way, he or she will give access to alcohol to their younger siblings. Lowering the drinking age will also lead to many cases of misbehavior and violence in high schools. Most of the high school students are of the restricted drinking age. Therefore, lowering the legal drinking age will increase the number of messed schools in the provinces.

Rise in fake IDs and criminal activities

Lowering the legal drinking age will also rise the cases of fake IDs in the country. For example, most of the teenagers at the age of 16 or even 15 will look for the fake IDs so that they can join their peers who are drinking and partying. This will in turn lead to a lot of criminal activities associated with fake identifications and messed generation. With fake identifications, chances of killings will increase among the youth. They will believe that if there is no camera captured the incidence, the identification cannot easily trace back to them.

Long-term effects of excessive drinking

Moreover, it is also important not to lower the legal drinking age in Canada to help protect the youth from long-term effects of excessive drinking. For example, if someone starts drinking excessively at the age of 16, his or her chances of experiencing effects of alcohol drinking will be increased in three years compared to the 19-year-old person. An example of a long-term effect is cancer.

The importance of maintaining the legal drinking age in Canada

To sum up the above mentioned, the Canadian government should not lower the legal drinking age at the provinces. According to the information provided by this essay, the age limit will prevent the society from associated deaths at the age of 16-18 involving drunk driving cases, deaths associated with depression/emotion regulations, illegal substance abuse, misbehavior resulting from binge drinking among the youth and also indiscipline cases reported from high schools.