Beverages+Group

**__STATISTICS-__** On an average day, [|11,318 American youth] ages 12 to 20 years old try alcohol for the first time. This number is compared with 6,488 for marijuana; 2,786 for cocaine; and 386 for heroin. Also, alcohol is by far the most used and abused drug among America’s teenagers. According to a national survey, nearly 31.5% of all high school students reported hazardous drinking (5+ drinks in one setting) during the 30 days preceding the survey.

[|In 2005], underage drinkers consumed 15.0% of all alcohol sold in the United States. This totaled **__$19.8 billion in sales__**, and these sales __**provided profits of $3.6 billion to the alcohol industry**__. The United States currently has an estimated [|population of 303,824,640]; meaning that close to 76,000,000 underage drinkers got their hands on some form of alcohol in 2005. If the age were to be lowered to 18 years old, the sales numbers would increase drastically, meaning more money for these companies. In turn, that would mean more money for our government due to taxes.
 * __UNDERAGE DRUNKERS ARE WORTH BILLIONS-__**

__**GROUP THOUGHTS-**__ My group and I believe that there is no way for law enforcement officials to control what underage drinkers decide to do. We also believe that if we can trust 18 year olds to: protect our country, allow them to vote for elected officials, and even allow them to take part in a jury box at a trial, these same 18 year old adults should be able to enjoy a beer. How can you make an argument that 18 years old aren’t mature enough for alcohol, when we send them to a foreign country with the intent to kill?

Finally, [|drinking and driving] effects drivers the same regardless of the age. You cannot make a convincing argument defending the fact that drunk driving is less deadly for legal drinkers than it is for underage drinkers.
 * __IN CONCLUSION-__**





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