thesis statement about the legal drinking age

Drinking Age in the United States Essay

The United States legal drinking age of twenty one years has been the subject of discussion for a long time based on the fact that some people are for it, while others are against it. The act which was established in 1984 prohibits drinking below the age of twenty one as it states that any state which allows teenagers under the age of twenty one to purchase alcohol would not receive any revenue.

Before 1984, the minimum drinking age varied from state to state such that some states would allow teenagers to consume alcohol publicly while others would not allow it to happen. However, although it is believed that all states go by that law, some states still allow teenagers to drink in private settings.

Consequently, different agencies and scholars have come up with their proposals concerning the same issue. As much as both sides have got their own reasons, based on several factors, the legal drinking age should be lowered to eighteen years. In addition, since America recognizes an adult after attaining eighteen years, it is illogical to prevent such a person from enjoying rights being enjoyed by other adults.

Therefore, bent on that, this essay argues for the idea that the drinking age should be lowered to eighteen years since the current law does not make much sense.

Majority who propose the drinking age to remain at twenty one argue that teenagers drink irresponsibly and end up getting involved in irresponsible and risky behaviors like careless driving. However, in the same country, a person can be taken to court and be tried at the age of eighteen years and above.

Therefore, even if someone commits such a crime, there is usually a way to deal with such incidences. In addition, the court is supposed to maintain law and order and therefore, teenagers under the age of twenty one ought not to be prevented from drinking in order to prevents accidents and other unlawful behaviors (Engs, 1998).

In United States, a person is allowed to join the military after attaining eighteen years of age. Therefore, it means that in legal terms, a person aged eighteen years can be considered as an adult and more to that, such a person can be trusted with very sensitive and important responsibilities like protecting the country from military attacks.

On the same note, such a person is also allowed to make decisions that affect the future of a country like voting. Bent on that, it is clear that in legal terms, a person who has attained eighteen years is mature and should be allowed to enjoy other rights that are being enjoyed by the rest of the population (ICAP, 2002).

Before making major conclusions, it is important to compare the problems of alcohol that existed before the establishment of the law and after the establishment of the law. According to Engs (1998), even after the establishment of the alcohol law in the year 1987, teenagers below the age of twenty one were still involved in irresponsible drinking which is characterized by behaviors such as missing classes, poor performance and other forms of violence.

The same study illustrates that the main cause of such behaviors is as a result of prohibiting teenagers from drinking in the company of adults who can teach them responsible drinking behaviors. Therefore, even though consumption of alcohol has reduced, other problems that emanate from the same have increased.

Since the main aim of rising alcohol drinking age is to lower such problems, a critical evaluation indicates that that the law does not entirely serve the intended purpose. It would then be more logical to lower the drinking age and allow teenagers to drink in public places; together with the older members of the society so that they can be taught how to drink in a responsible manner.

A study conducted by ICAP (2002) indicated that although United States is among the countries that have the highest drinking age; it has more problems with alcohol than other countries which have a lower minimum drinking age. For instance, in a country like Netherlands, the minimum drinking age of teenagers is eighteen although at sixteen; one is still allowed to buy alcohol from premises which are licensed.

Nevertheless, any one below the age of eighteen is not allowed to purchase and consume spirits. Similarly, in a country like New Zealand, the minimum legal drinking age is eighteen years meaning that all teenagers above the age of eighteen can purchase and drink alcohol at all licensed premises like bars and restaurants.

In consequence, since more countries have a legal drinking age of eighteen years, the minimum drinking age of United states is not is only strange but also impractical. Although countries like Britain and United Kingdom still record deaths that result from road accidents caused by driving under the influence of alcohol, U.S still records higher death rates than such countries (Engs 1998).

United States is characterized by many violent activities that require the attention of police officers and other law enforcement agencies. With such a high minimum drinking age, the police officers usually have a lot of work in monitoring the drinking age of teenagers below the age of twenty one.

Worse still, research that has been conducted indicated that teenagers below the age of twenty one drink more than even the people above that age. If the minimum age was lowered, the police and other agencies that enforce law and order would concentrate on other activities instead of focusing on college and high school students.

As much as anyone may want to argue that increasing the drinking age is helpful, the available research and evidence illustrates otherwise. The main problem emanates from the fact that rising the drinking age has little if any impact on behavior. To confirm this, Hanson (n. d.) records that in a study which was conducted among teenagers aged sixteen to nineteen years, the daily intake of alcohol did not change even after minimum drinking age was raised.

In addition, in yet another study which was conducted in the District of Columbia, results illustrated that there were more accidents in states which had a high minimum drinking age. Studies conducted illustrated that once the drinking age was raised, teenagers below the drinking age developed a habit of borrowing alcoholic drinks form their older colleagues and that is the main reason why the consumption rate remained high.

A critical review of the alcoholic related issues prior to the increasing of the minimum drinking age and after clearly illustrates that the law does not solve the intended problem. The main reason is due to the fact that it targets a certain age group and not the alcohol problem at hand. Although no one negates the fact that alcohol is a major problem to teenagers, it is important to come up with a law that can solve the problem instead of aggravating it.

Even if alcohol abuse is serious since it carries serious consequences, it is possible to come up with a law that can mitigate the problem. For example, even without much struggle, studies have indicated that in societies where alcohol is not prohibited like in the Jewish society, young people have less problems than in a place like United States where there is a law prohibiting anyone below the age of twenty one from taking and buying alcohol.

Engs, R. C. (1998). Why the drinking age should be lowered: An opinion based upon research . Web.

Hanson, D. J. (n.d.). The Legal Drinking Age: Science vs. Ideology . Web.

Internartional Center For Alcohol Policies (ICAP). (2002). Drinking Age Limits . Web.

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9.1 Developing a Strong, Clear Thesis Statement

Learning objectives.

• Develop a strong, clear thesis statement with the proper elements.
• Revise your thesis statement.

Have you ever known a person who was not very good at telling stories? You probably had trouble following his train of thought as he jumped around from point to point, either being too brief in places that needed further explanation or providing too many details on a meaningless element. Maybe he told the end of the story first, then moved to the beginning and later added details to the middle. His ideas were probably scattered, and the story did not flow very well. When the story was over, you probably had many questions.

Just as a personal anecdote can be a disorganized mess, an essay can fall into the same trap of being out of order and confusing. That is why writers need a thesis statement to provide a specific focus for their essay and to organize what they are about to discuss in the body.

Just like a topic sentence summarizes a single paragraph, the thesis statement summarizes an entire essay. It tells the reader the point you want to make in your essay, while the essay itself supports that point. It is like a signpost that signals the essay’s destination. You should form your thesis before you begin to organize an essay, but you may find that it needs revision as the essay develops.

Elements of a Thesis Statement

For every essay you write, you must focus on a central idea. This idea stems from a topic you have chosen or been assigned or from a question your teacher has asked. It is not enough merely to discuss a general topic or simply answer a question with a yes or no. You have to form a specific opinion, and then articulate that into a controlling idea —the main idea upon which you build your thesis.

Remember that a thesis is not the topic itself, but rather your interpretation of the question or subject. For whatever topic your professor gives you, you must ask yourself, “What do I want to say about it?” Asking and then answering this question is vital to forming a thesis that is precise, forceful and confident.

A thesis is one sentence long and appears toward the end of your introduction. It is specific and focuses on one to three points of a single idea—points that are able to be demonstrated in the body. It forecasts the content of the essay and suggests how you will organize your information. Remember that a thesis statement does not summarize an issue but rather dissects it.

A Strong Thesis Statement

A strong thesis statement contains the following qualities.

Specificity. A thesis statement must concentrate on a specific area of a general topic. As you may recall, the creation of a thesis statement begins when you choose a broad subject and then narrow down its parts until you pinpoint a specific aspect of that topic. For example, health care is a broad topic, but a proper thesis statement would focus on a specific area of that topic, such as options for individuals without health care coverage.

Precision. A strong thesis statement must be precise enough to allow for a coherent argument and to remain focused on the topic. If the specific topic is options for individuals without health care coverage, then your precise thesis statement must make an exact claim about it, such as that limited options exist for those who are uninsured by their employers. You must further pinpoint what you are going to discuss regarding these limited effects, such as whom they affect and what the cause is.

Ability to be argued. A thesis statement must present a relevant and specific argument. A factual statement often is not considered arguable. Be sure your thesis statement contains a point of view that can be supported with evidence.

Ability to be demonstrated. For any claim you make in your thesis, you must be able to provide reasons and examples for your opinion. You can rely on personal observations in order to do this, or you can consult outside sources to demonstrate that what you assert is valid. A worthy argument is backed by examples and details.

Forcefulness. A thesis statement that is forceful shows readers that you are, in fact, making an argument. The tone is assertive and takes a stance that others might oppose.

Confidence. In addition to using force in your thesis statement, you must also use confidence in your claim. Phrases such as I feel or I believe actually weaken the readers’ sense of your confidence because these phrases imply that you are the only person who feels the way you do. In other words, your stance has insufficient backing. Taking an authoritative stance on the matter persuades your readers to have faith in your argument and open their minds to what you have to say.

Even in a personal essay that allows the use of first person, your thesis should not contain phrases such as in my opinion or I believe . These statements reduce your credibility and weaken your argument. Your opinion is more convincing when you use a firm attitude.

On a separate sheet of paper, write a thesis statement for each of the following topics. Remember to make each statement specific, precise, demonstrable, forceful and confident.

• Texting while driving
• The legal drinking age in the United States
• Steroid use among professional athletes

Examples of Appropriate Thesis Statements

Each of the following thesis statements meets several of the following requirements:

• Specificity
• Ability to be argued
• Ability to be demonstrated
• Forcefulness
• The societal and personal struggles of Troy Maxon in the play Fences symbolize the challenge of black males who lived through segregation and integration in the United States.
• Closing all American borders for a period of five years is one solution that will tackle illegal immigration.
• Shakespeare’s use of dramatic irony in Romeo and Juliet spoils the outcome for the audience and weakens the plot.
• J. D. Salinger’s character in Catcher in the Rye , Holden Caulfield, is a confused rebel who voices his disgust with phonies, yet in an effort to protect himself, he acts like a phony on many occasions.
• Compared to an absolute divorce, no-fault divorce is less expensive, promotes fairer settlements, and reflects a more realistic view of the causes for marital breakdown.
• Exposing children from an early age to the dangers of drug abuse is a sure method of preventing future drug addicts.
• In today’s crumbling job market, a high school diploma is not significant enough education to land a stable, lucrative job.

You can find thesis statements in many places, such as in the news; in the opinions of friends, coworkers or teachers; and even in songs you hear on the radio. Become aware of thesis statements in everyday life by paying attention to people’s opinions and their reasons for those opinions. Pay attention to your own everyday thesis statements as well, as these can become material for future essays.

Now that you have read about the contents of a good thesis statement and have seen examples, take a look at the pitfalls to avoid when composing your own thesis:

A thesis is weak when it is simply a declaration of your subject or a description of what you will discuss in your essay.

Weak thesis statement: My paper will explain why imagination is more important than knowledge.

A thesis is weak when it makes an unreasonable or outrageous claim or insults the opposing side.

Weak thesis statement: Religious radicals across America are trying to legislate their Puritanical beliefs by banning required high school books.

A thesis is weak when it contains an obvious fact or something that no one can disagree with or provides a dead end.

Weak thesis statement: Advertising companies use sex to sell their products.

A thesis is weak when the statement is too broad.

Weak thesis statement: The life of Abraham Lincoln was long and challenging.

Read the following thesis statements. On a separate piece of paper, identify each as weak or strong. For those that are weak, list the reasons why. Then revise the weak statements so that they conform to the requirements of a strong thesis.

• The subject of this paper is my experience with ferrets as pets.
• The government must expand its funding for research on renewable energy resources in order to prepare for the impending end of oil.
• Edgar Allan Poe was a poet who lived in Baltimore during the nineteenth century.
• In this essay, I will give you lots of reasons why slot machines should not be legalized in Baltimore.
• Despite his promises during his campaign, President Kennedy took few executive measures to support civil rights legislation.
• Because many children’s toys have potential safety hazards that could lead to injury, it is clear that not all children’s toys are safe.
• My experience with young children has taught me that I want to be a disciplinary parent because I believe that a child without discipline can be a parent’s worst nightmare.

Writing at Work

Often in your career, you will need to ask your boss for something through an e-mail. Just as a thesis statement organizes an essay, it can also organize your e-mail request. While your e-mail will be shorter than an essay, using a thesis statement in your first paragraph quickly lets your boss know what you are asking for, why it is necessary, and what the benefits are. In short body paragraphs, you can provide the essential information needed to expand upon your request.

Thesis Statement Revision

Your thesis will probably change as you write, so you will need to modify it to reflect exactly what you have discussed in your essay. Remember from Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” that your thesis statement begins as a working thesis statement , an indefinite statement that you make about your topic early in the writing process for the purpose of planning and guiding your writing.

Working thesis statements often become stronger as you gather information and form new opinions and reasons for those opinions. Revision helps you strengthen your thesis so that it matches what you have expressed in the body of the paper.

The best way to revise your thesis statement is to ask questions about it and then examine the answers to those questions. By challenging your own ideas and forming definite reasons for those ideas, you grow closer to a more precise point of view, which you can then incorporate into your thesis statement.

Ways to Revise Your Thesis

You can cut down on irrelevant aspects and revise your thesis by taking the following steps:

1. Pinpoint and replace all nonspecific words, such as people , everything , society , or life , with more precise words in order to reduce any vagueness.

Working thesis: Young people have to work hard to succeed in life.

Revised thesis: Recent college graduates must have discipline and persistence in order to find and maintain a stable job in which they can use and be appreciated for their talents.

The revised thesis makes a more specific statement about success and what it means to work hard. The original includes too broad a range of people and does not define exactly what success entails. By replacing those general words like people and work hard , the writer can better focus his or her research and gain more direction in his or her writing.

2. Clarify ideas that need explanation by asking yourself questions that narrow your thesis.

Working thesis: The welfare system is a joke.

Revised thesis: The welfare system keeps a socioeconomic class from gaining employment by alluring members of that class with unearned income, instead of programs to improve their education and skill sets.

A joke means many things to many people. Readers bring all sorts of backgrounds and perspectives to the reading process and would need clarification for a word so vague. This expression may also be too informal for the selected audience. By asking questions, the writer can devise a more precise and appropriate explanation for joke . The writer should ask himself or herself questions similar to the 5WH questions. (See Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” for more information on the 5WH questions.) By incorporating the answers to these questions into a thesis statement, the writer more accurately defines his or her stance, which will better guide the writing of the essay.

3. Replace any linking verbs with action verbs. Linking verbs are forms of the verb to be , a verb that simply states that a situation exists.

Working thesis: Kansas City schoolteachers are not paid enough.

Revised thesis: The Kansas City legislature cannot afford to pay its educators, resulting in job cuts and resignations in a district that sorely needs highly qualified and dedicated teachers.

The linking verb in this working thesis statement is the word are . Linking verbs often make thesis statements weak because they do not express action. Rather, they connect words and phrases to the second half of the sentence. Readers might wonder, “Why are they not paid enough?” But this statement does not compel them to ask many more questions. The writer should ask himself or herself questions in order to replace the linking verb with an action verb, thus forming a stronger thesis statement, one that takes a more definitive stance on the issue:

• Who is not paying the teachers enough?
• What is considered “enough”?
• What is the problem?
• What are the results

4. Omit any general claims that are hard to support.

Working thesis: Today’s teenage girls are too sexualized.

Revised thesis: Teenage girls who are captivated by the sexual images on MTV are conditioned to believe that a woman’s worth depends on her sensuality, a feeling that harms their self-esteem and behavior.

It is true that some young women in today’s society are more sexualized than in the past, but that is not true for all girls. Many girls have strict parents, dress appropriately, and do not engage in sexual activity while in middle school and high school. The writer of this thesis should ask the following questions:

• Which teenage girls?
• What constitutes “too” sexualized?
• Why are they behaving that way?
• Where does this behavior show up?
• What are the repercussions?

In the first section of Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” , you determined your purpose for writing and your audience. You then completed a freewriting exercise about an event you recently experienced and chose a general topic to write about. Using that general topic, you then narrowed it down by answering the 5WH questions. After you answered these questions, you chose one of the three methods of prewriting and gathered possible supporting points for your working thesis statement.

Now, on a separate sheet of paper, write down your working thesis statement. Identify any weaknesses in this sentence and revise the statement to reflect the elements of a strong thesis statement. Make sure it is specific, precise, arguable, demonstrable, forceful, and confident.

Collaboration

Please share with a classmate and compare your answers.

In your career you may have to write a project proposal that focuses on a particular problem in your company, such as reinforcing the tardiness policy. The proposal would aim to fix the problem; using a thesis statement would clearly state the boundaries of the problem and tell the goals of the project. After writing the proposal, you may find that the thesis needs revision to reflect exactly what is expressed in the body. Using the techniques from this chapter would apply to revising that thesis.

Key Takeaways

• Proper essays require a thesis statement to provide a specific focus and suggest how the essay will be organized.
• A thesis statement is your interpretation of the subject, not the topic itself.
• A strong thesis is specific, precise, forceful, confident, and is able to be demonstrated.
• A strong thesis challenges readers with a point of view that can be debated and can be supported with evidence.
• A weak thesis is simply a declaration of your topic or contains an obvious fact that cannot be argued.
• Depending on your topic, it may or may not be appropriate to use first person point of view.
• Revise your thesis by ensuring all words are specific, all ideas are exact, and all verbs express action.

Writing for Success Copyright © 2015 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Home — Essay Samples — Life — Alcohol — Persuasive Essay On Lowering The Drinking Age

Persuasive Essay on Lowering The Drinking Age

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Take the Quiz: Find the Best State for You »

What's the best state for you », study: the debate is over - higher drinking age saves lives.

In countries with lower drinking ages, rates of heavy alcohol use are higher, research says.

Age 21 Drinking Law Saves 900 Lives, Annually

Mark Peterson | Redux

Research supports the claim that a higher drinking age saves lives, according to a new study, but some say stricter enforcement of laws – and a lower drinking age – would work better.

The case is closed in the debate over whether the government should lower the legal drinking age, as research consistently reports the law helps save lives, rather than encourage underage drinking, according to a new study . 

William DeJong, a professor at Boston University's School of Public Health, conducted a literature review of research published since 2006, when the advocacy group Choose Responsibility made the controversial claim that the drinking age of 21 was counterproductive and pushed to lower it.

But DeJong says there is no such evidence to support that claim, and nearly all research conducted on drinking-age laws proves the opposite. According to his study, research has shown the higher drinking age saves an estimated 900 lives annually, due to fewer alcohol-related traffic fatalities among underage drivers.

[ READ : Lower Drinking Age May Raise Chances of Bingeing Later, Study Finds ]

"There is very extensive literature on the drinking motives of young people, and in many respects they’re not all that different from the motives of older drinkers," DeJong says. "It's to bond with a social group, it's to reduce anxiety, to make them more comfortable in a social situation. There are just lots of motives like that that drive the drinking, and sticking it to the man is not really something that shows up."

Choose Responsibility is a nonprofit organization founded in 2007, several years after its founder John McCardell, president emeritus of Middlebury College, penned a bold op-ed in The New York Times, in which he claimed, among other things, that the 21-year-old drinking age "is bad social policy and a terrible law." McCardell later received funding to create Choose Responsibility. 

But DeJong says other countries serve as tales of caution for what would happen if the United States was to reverse its stance on a higher drinking age. New Zealand, DeJong says, lowered the drinking age from 20 to 18 in 1999. 

"Once they did that they saw an immediate uptick in alcohol-related traffic crashes and other alcohol problems," DeJong says. Throughout the country, there were more alcohol-related driving incidents involving individuals aged 16 through 19, DeJong says. 

"In addition to our own national experience with the law at the state level going back and forth between 18 and 21, we have a very recent example of a country doing exactly what this group proposed and there were clear consequences," DeJong says. 

[ MORE : Same Genes May Cause Alcohol Abuse and Eating Disorders ]

Before 1984, the minimum legal drinking age varied from state to state. Many states lowered their drinking ages to 18, 19 or 20 during the Vietnam War era, and subsequently reversed them after they saw increases in alcohol-related traffic incidents. Still, some states had lower drinking ages and underage individuals often would cross state lines to drink legally, the report says. 

With strong support from Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the National Parent Teacher Association and other groups, Congress in 1984 passed a law that gave states a financial incentive to adopt a higher drinking age. Otherwise, they risked losing a percentage of highway funds. 

Still, McCardell and more than 100 other college presidents joined together in 2008 urging legislators to reconsider the drinking age.

"It is astonishing that college students have thus far acquiesced in so egregious an abridgment of the age of majority," McCardell wrote in his 2004 opinion piece. "Unfortunately, this acquiescence has taken the form of binge drinking. Campuses have become, depending on the enthusiasm of local law enforcement, either arms of the law or havens from the law." 

Should Congress repeal the 21-year-old drinking age provision, states that chose to lower their drinking ages, under the Choose Responsibility proposal, would have to require fulfillment of an educational course on alcohol that would then allow them to have a license to drink in that state. That provision would prevent individuals from crossing state borders to drink legally in another state, Barrett Seaman, president of Choose Responsibility, tells U.S. News in a statement.

The research reviewed in DeJong's study, he says, is "asking the wrong question, which is, has MLDA21 played a role in reducing drunken driving?"

[ RELATED : Excessive Alcohol Use Costs States Billions, CDC Says ]

"The answer to that is, of course; how could barring an entire cohort of young people from buying or consuming alcohol not work to suppress drunken driving by members of this age group?" Seaman says. 

Research should instead focus on answering the question of whether having a higher drinking age is an effective way to reduce drunken driving deaths and promote "a healthy approach to alcohol consumption."

"In most of the rest of the world, the answer to that question would be 'no;' what works is tougher enforcement of drunken driving laws for all ages of drivers," Seaman says. "It has certainly worked in Europe."

Seaman also points to a 2002 study that shows Canada saw a reduction in drunken driving fatalities similar to that of the United States after the 1984 law was passed, but without lowering drinking age, which is 18 or 19, depending on the province.

But the idea that alcohol is a "forbidden fruit" for underage individuals is not supported in research, DeJong says. He says research shows when college students are asked how more strictly enforced alcohol policies would affect their drinking habits, many more are likely to say they would drink less. 

"Yes, there's always going to be a small number of young people who will do something out of defiance, but there are a lot more who will make the more rational decision to obey the policy, knowing that it's tougher and more strictly enforced," DeJong says. 

[ SEE ALSO : Walking Drunk May Be Just as Dangerous as Driving Drunk ]

If it really were the case that a higher drinking age encourages more binge drinking among underage individuals, countries in Europe should serve as an example, DeJong argues. 

But according to the 2003 European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (EPAD), which DeJong cites in his study, most countries have a higher percentage of high school-aged students who report heavy alcohol use than the U.S. Other similar surveys have shown that lifetime prevalence rates are lower in the U.S. In 2011, for example, 36 percent of United States high school sophomores said they had been drunk in their lifetime, compared with 47 percent of European students of the same age.

"The fact is they have worse problems in Europe with a lower drinking age," DeJong says. "You increase the availability of alcohol to younger people through a younger drinking age, and you'll have more drinking. It's really just that simple."

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Legal Drinking Age in the United States

The legal drinking age in the world.

The alcohol minimum purchase age differs from country to country across the world. As Howard reports, research was carried out in 2016 by the World Health Organization to study the legal age to buy and consume alcohol in different countries. The results showed that there are different approaches, from the total ban for all citizens regardless of age to the complete absence of age limits. Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen have completely prohibited alcohol consumption, whereas Nigeria and several other African countries have no age limit at all (Howard). In Germany, the legal drinking age is that of 16, a year before the minimum driving age with supervision.

Similarly, the majority of other European states have a minimum of 17-18 years old, which is on average the same as legal driving and marriage age or precedes it by one year. Meanwhile, US citizens can only legally buy alcohol at the age of 21, three years after being legally enabled to join the military or get married. Such a difference suggests the connection between the cultural aspects of a county and laws that regulate alcohol consumption.

Factors of alcohol intake

The number of alcoholic beverages consumed and the frequency of intake are not similar around the world. The research by WHO implies that in economically wealthy countries, more alcohol is consumed and heavy episodic drinking happens more likely (Howard). Thus, more careful measures are to be taken by the government to prevent drunk driving and other negative consequences of alcohol intake. Political, economic, and social factors influence drinking habits, as well as the way that the government handles the issue of legal alcohol purchase.

At the same time, the abovementioned factors originate predominantly from the country’s culture, historical events, and national character. The Americans are known for valuing their individualism, independence, and privacy. Throughout history, these characteristics have determined their approach to different spheres of life, including drinking culture. Besides, the US economy is considered to be the largest in the world; it is highly developed and primarily consumer-based. As a result of an independent character and a prosperous economy, demand for alcohol is rather high in the country.

The historical and cultural aspects of alcohol consumption in the US

The legal drinking age in the US is currently among the highest in the world. The explanation for this can be found in the cultural aspects of the country. As it is known, the US culture was formed by the Founding Fathers, who were Puritans and followed the prohibitive Biblical approach to alcohol drinking. Later on, similar beliefs about the harmful effect of alcohol on the social good resulted in Prohibition in the 1920s, a surprising phenomenon for “one of the hardest drinking countries” at that time (Rorabaugh 2). The driving force of Prohibition was religious organizations, which believed that crime and abuse rates could be decreased by lowering the alcohol intake of the nation.

Even though Prohibition collapsed, it resulted in setting a legal drinking age of 21 for adolescents in nearly all states (Federal Trade Commission [FTC]). However, only after the National Minimum Drinking Age Act was adopted in 1984, the legal age of 21 for purchasing alcohol was determined on the national level (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]). Overall, the complex cultural background of the country should be considered when discussing the minimum legal drinking age.

Increasing the minimum drinking age has proved to be reasonably efficient. Ever since the adoption of the Act in 1984, drinking among high-schoolers has dropped significantly by almost 25%, while binge drinking has decreased by about 13% (FTC). Despite the favorable statistics, the problem of teenage drinking still exists, and reducing teen access to alcohol remains a national priority. However, whether children and teenagers can have alcoholic beverages also largely depends on parents and national upbringing traditions.

Child-rearing as part of national culture

Another cultural aspect of the United States that might have led to the current legal drinking age is child-rearing traditions. Americans tend to treat their children as independent individuals, and such a tendency can result in children being spoiled in some cases. Increased and uncontrolled freedoms for individuals that are not mature enough may sometimes have harmful consequences. According to Howard, about 28% of adolescents aged from 15 to 19 experience binge episodic drinking. In her article, Howard states that binge or heavy drinking occurs if a person consumes over 60 grams of pure alcohol in the past month. Nevertheless, the reason for uncontrollable drinking might be not only the high independence of teenagers but also the family’s attitude toward alcohol consumption.

For example, some parents believe that it is safer for their children if they are introduced to alcohol at home. Some might even provide beverages for parties, showing their children tolerance to drinks. Alternatively, in some families, alcohol is strictly prohibited, which might cause a damaging effect of the forbidden fruit, making teenagers go heavy on drinks once they reach the legal age. Therefore, a healthy and balanced approach is needed to avoid adverse effects for adolescents in the future.

Car culture and drunk driving in the US

Another cultural aspect to keep in mind when discussing the legal drinking age in the US is the country’s car culture. Americans are largely dependent on motor vehicles, and teenagers are expected to be able to drive at 16 and get a car as soon as possible. The independent nature of US citizens presupposes mobility in reaching different locations. Besides, there is access to rather cheap cars, gas, and insurance, compared to other countries. In other words, adolescents are enabled to drive when they are likely not so mature as adults, emotionally and mentally, and some of them might not responsibly approach such an opportunity.

Consequently, teenagers are more likely to get into alcohol-related automobile crashes. Motor vehicle accidents are the primary cause of death for children and adolescents, and lowering the legal drinking age in the last century by some states increased traffic crashes that involved teenagers (FTC). As a result, the countermeasure should have been raising either the drinking or driving age. Considering the need for mobility in the US, a higher legal drinking age seems a reasonable solution.

Overall, the cultural aspects that have likely resulted in the legal alcohol consumption regulation are discussed in this paper. The difference in the determined minimum drinking age in countries can be explained by their cultural, historical, and social backgrounds. In the US, the minimum is that of 21 years old, and it has been set to decrease drinking and lower the number of car accidents in the country. However, the attitude toward alcohol in the family also plays a significant role in forming the child’s future behavior and level of responsibility. The cultural aspects of the US history, the modern car culture, as well as family traditions and opinions on alcoholic beverages are likely the primary reasons for the high legal drinking age in the country.

Works Cited

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Minimum legal drinking age of 21 saves lives.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . 2020. Web.

Federal Trade Commission. “ 21 is the Legal Drinking Age. ” Federal Trade Commission: Consumer Information . 2018.

Howard, Jacqueline. “The Countries Where Drinking is Banned until 25 — or Allowed at 13.” CNN Health . 2019. Web.

Rorabaugh, William Joseph. Prohibition: A Very Short Introduction . Oxford University Press, 2019.

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Research affects public policy: the case of the legal drinking age in the United States

Affiliation.

• 1 Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55454-1015.
• PMID: 8453348
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.1993.tb02165.x

After receiving little attention from 1940 to 1970, minimum-age laws were a focus of debate and policy change in the United States from 1970 to 1985. In the 1970s, 29 states lowered the legal age, and in the late 1970s and early 1980s, all states with an age below 21 raised the legal age to 21 for all types of alcoholic beverages. Research on the effects of such policy changes were a central component in the political debates on minimum-age laws. The process by which research results influenced public policy deliberations is discussed. Characteristics that facilitated research results being taken into account in the policy debates included: (1) research of high interval validity that withstood challenge, (2) dissemination of the research results beyond networks of scientists, and (3) participation of bridging individuals who learned of the research results, and condensed and communicated key findings to policy-makers.

• Age Factors
• Alcohol Drinking / legislation & jurisprudence*
• Policy Making
• Public Policy*
• United States

The Legal Drinking Age

How it works

Are you 21? The debate over lowering the drinking age has become an ongoing discussion for many decades. “In 1984, Congress passed the Uniform Drinking Age Act, which required states to have a minimum drinking age of 21, for all types of alcohol consumption if they wanted to receive federal highway monies. The legal drinking age has remained at 21”, even though many have shown their disapproval. Alcohol is a dangerous drug that impairs the senses and should only be consumed responsibly. Therefore, underage drinking, should not be allowed in any country because of the immense number of health and safety concerns associated with it.

Alcohol is one of the oldest and most popular used drugs in the world. Many drinks it for celebrations or as a personal beverage. Alcohol has provided a variety of functions for people throughout all history. From the earliest times to the present, alcohol has played an important role in religion and worship.

The history of alcohol and drinking is a fascinating part of our past. Historically, alcoholic beverages have served as sources of needed nutrients. They have been widely used for their medicinal, antiseptic, and analgesic properties. The role of such beverages as a drink for personal pleasure has grew throughout the course of history. It has also played an important role in enhancing the enjoyment of life. They can be a social lubricant, facilitate relaxation, can provide pharmacological pleasure, and increase the pleasure of eating. Thus, while alcohol has always been misused by a minority of drinkers, it has been beneficial to most. Some individuals will agree with the statements above about alcohol when asked about whether the drinking age should be lowered. Yes, alcohol has its pros, but the cons are must worse. What people are not aware of are the consequences of such actions. First, alcohol is a depressant.

It slows down your body functions, such as your metabolism. The phrase “beer belly” references someone who has faced this effect of alcohol. Alcohol is also highly addictive, and it does not take long for one to become an alcoholic. Studies have shown that drinking often begins at very young ages. Exposing alcohol to underage teens, increases their risk of becoming an alcoholic in their adult years. Once they get a taste of this beverage they usually want more because they enjoy the way it makes them feel. Every state has set a legal drinking at the age of twenty-one, the legal. In the time between 1970 and 1975, twenty-nine states lowered their drinking age to eighteen. During the late seventies, studies showed that traffic crashes had drastically increased after lowering the drinking age. Once this was announced, many groups created a movement to increase the minimum drinking age, and sixteen states did so. The Uniform Drinking Act passed in 1984, this encouraged the remaining thirteen states who had lowered it to raise their drinking age back to twenty-one.

The government threatened to cut highway funding if the states did not agree to raise the age by 1987 (Guha). Supporters of the lower drinking age argue that when the drinking age is set at twenty-one, there is an unavoidably huge increase in alcohol use when youths, turning twenty-one, “make up for lost time.” However, a study done by Alexander Wagenaar and PM O’Malley found that when the minimum drinking age was twenty-one, there was a lower use of alcohol after they turn twenty-one. Additionally, supporters of the lower age also commonly compare the U.S. to Europe because they have lower drinking ages. However, the rate of alcohol-related diseases in European countries with an eighteen or lower drinking age, such as liver cirrhosis is higher than in the United States (Guha). Also, drunk driving among youth in Europe is lower, but only because the legal driving age in most European countries is higher. Furthermore, the use of public transportation is greater in Europe, where as in the United States fewer people take advantage of public transportation.

It is also argued that since the legal drinking age is at twenty-one, many youths can still easily obtain and drink alcohol, so it is evident that the current drinking age does not completely stop youth from indulging. It stands reason to conclude that if the drinking age were to be lowered to eighteen, even younger children would have access and be using alcohol. Therefore, this would have an adverse effect on our society, and definitely not a positive effect. A very popular question asked is, what are the effects of lowering the drinking age on society? Statistics from other countries with lower drinking ages can be used as a reference for this question. In 1999, New Zealand lowered its drinking age from 20 to 18. The result, according to the studies, was an enormous increase in automobile crashes. The rate of traffic crashes and injuries for 18-19-year-old males increased by 12 percent and increased 14 percent, for males aged 15-17.

For females, the effect was even greater as rates grew 51 percent for 18-19-year old and 24 percent for 15-17-year-old. If they lowered the minimum drinking age in the United States, there will be greater amounts of alcohol for kids that are under the age of 18. Minimum Legal Drinking Age laws save approximately 800-900 lives each year. Medical research even shows that excessive drinking by people 20 and younger may cause brain damage. Lowering the drinking age will increase deaths and cause a major impact on the younger generations. Researchers looked at data from 1990-2004 U.S. Multiple Cause of Death files and the U.S. Census and American Community Survey. They found that there were more than 200,000 suicides and 130,000 homicides among people who turned 18 between 1967 and 1989. These are the years during which the legal drinking age was still moving.

People were dying before they could even reach the age of 21. Researchers also found that the risks of suicide and homicide remained higher into adulthood for young people living in states that had lowered their drinking age. These numbers were very high for women. Women who grew up in states where the alcohol drinking age was under 21, had a 12% higher risk of suicide and 15% higher risk of homicide in adulthood, compared with those in states with a higher drinking age. Suicide and homicide are very different in devasting events. For homicide, females are victimized by acquaintances in 92% of the cases. If they lower drinking ages, the result will elevate rates of alcohol problems. This could contribute to alcohol-fueled domestic violence. Alcohol use by both women and their partners could contribute to domestic-violence situations. In cases of suicide, it may be that alcohol contributes to the severity of suicide attempts.

In general, women attempt suicide more often than men, but men complete or die from suicide more often than women. Alcohol problems may tip the balance by turning attempts into completions more often, and this would be extremely risky for women because they have a higher number of attempted suicides. The debate over legal drinking continues to be couched in terms of personal freedoms. “Alcohol-control policies are always controversial, as many people are generally in opposition to laws which seem to govern individual choices and behavior,” noted Carla Main. In 2008, in response to continued underage drinking and binge drinking on college campuses, college presidents and university chancellors launched the Amethyst Initiative to lower the drinking limit to 18 once more. The initiative also asks “elected officials to weigh all the consequences of current alcohol policies and to invite new ideas on how best to prepare young adults to make responsible decisions about alcohol use but lowering the drinking age isn’t the answer. My claim is further supported by the correlation between alcohol abuse and underage drinking. Scientists at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism claimed that teens who begin drinking prior to the age of fifteen are at four times the risk of becoming alcoholics.

That same institute also found that abuse of alcohol doubles in those who begin drinking before the age of fifteen in comparison to those who first drink at the age of twenty-one. In addition, it was found that twenty-five percent of people studied who began drinking before the age of seventeen went on to become alcoholics.” Alcohol use is reported in more than one-fifth of the following issues; assaults, drowning, suicides, vandalism, and teenage pregnancies. More than one-third of adolescent suicide victims have a detectable blood alcohol level. In a study of suicides occurring during 1970 to 1990, they found that the suicide rates of eighteen to twenty-year old living in states with a drinking age less than twenty-one was eight percent higher than in states where the drinking age was twenty-one.

Alcohol causes teens and young adults to go down the wrong path. For example, if the drinking age were to be lowered the actions of teens would not change. They would be reckless, and it would cause many casualties. “Alcohol should be forbidden to 18- to 20-year-olds precisely because they have a propensity to binge drink whether the stuff is illegal or not, especially males.” They have tendencies to think its “cool” and don’t know the harm that will follow. Drinking alcohol usually leads to the use of other illegal drugs too. “Youths who report drinking prior to the age of 15 are more likely to develop substance abuse problems, to engage in risky sexual behavior, and to experience other negative consequences in comparison to those who begin at a later time” (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). Alcohol can have a huge effect or your brain functions. Alcohol is known for slowing the reaction time, resulting in less control of the individual’s actions.

When someone is under the influence of alcohol, their speech changes and their vision blurs. This is the cause for most accidents that occur when people are drinking and driving. According to Carla Main, “on average 1,100 a year die from alcohol-related traffic crashes and another 300 die in non-traffic alcohol-related deaths. According to the CAS, among the 8 million college students in the United States surveyed in one study year, more than 2 million drove under the influence of alcohol and more than 3 million rode in cars with drivers who had been drinking”. Based on these statistics, we can infer that the safety of the general population will be in danger if alcohol was giving to high school seniors.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services even reported that “relative to adults, young people who drink and drive have an increased risk of alcohol-related crashes because of their relative inexperience behind the wheel and their increased impairment from alcohol.” Other accidents that can occur due to alcohol are “…poisonings, drownings, falls, burns.” Alcohol alters your judgment and allows the person to react to situations in ways that they would not normally do. This will increase the amount of sexual assault cases and incidents of people going missing. A girl was downtown the other week in Columbia and was murdered. She was under the influence of alcohol and couldn’t tell the difference in cars from her uber. This girl was above the age of 21, but her mind was still blurred.

For a person under the age of 21, the effects of alcohol would be a lot stronger which can be very dangerous. A young persons’ brain is very fragile during teenage and young adulthood. The brain is still forming at this time, so therefore when the brain is exposed to the chemicals that the alcohol contains. It can cause the person to be victim to unhealthy and permanent brain damage. Once alcohol is put into one’s system it is pushed throughout the body and cause multiple health problems that may result in permanent damage to the organ. Research backs up the claim that the legal drinking age should remain at 21. To sum it up, teenagers have not developed the cognitive, social, and psychological maturity that is needed to make thoughtful and logical decisions that arise from alcohol use; in addition, the teenage body has not yet finished its physical maturation process. Therefore, if the government lowers the legal drinking age from 21 it would be the equivalent of endorsing the hindrance of the maturation processes that are vital to human development that pave the way to adolescents being responsible adults in society. In short, we need to use research to form our stance around lowering the drinking age, not the general opinion. The most important reason to keep the legal drinking age at twenty-one is because of the effects it has on the health of the user.

Alcohol is very harmful to our bodies if consumed continuously in large amounts. Even when you consume little amounts at a time, it’s still a poison to the body. The consumption of alcoholic beverages, particularly in excessive amounts, before the body has undergone full maturity could stunt the body’s healthy development, in turn causing lifelong deficits. At 16 or even 18 years of age, a teenager is not as equipped to think ahead and make wise decisions, and this becomes even more apparent under the influence of alcohol. This is the reason the legal drinking age is in place to help reduce the potentially dangerous situations that can be found in the research of the (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services vi). The research behind the use of alcohol in teenagers is alarming. According to Guha, the minimum legal drinking age “has a statistically significant impact on youthful fatality rates”, and suggests that there would be a rise in almost every category of alcohol-related events such as dangerous sexual activities, car accidents, suicides etc. If someone were to binge drink the drinker has a very good chance of getting alcohol poisoning, which could lead to the death of that person or serious injury. Alcohol is very harmful to many, if not all, of the organs.

According to Albert S. Whiting “there is a great deal of evidence to show that even a small amount of alcohol can be quite harmful to the heart.” Whiting also stated that “alcohol has a direct effect on heart muscle cells” (“Alcohol Use Is Harmful”). When you drink alcohol, it speeds up the heart rate because you are then becoming dehydrated. The body is trying to get rid of the poison that the alcohol has in it. Speeding up the heart rate can be very bad for anyone. It can shorten your life expectancy and cause serious heart problems. A long-term effect that alcohol can have on the heart is that it “has an influence on the risk factors for coronary heart disease” (Whiting). The alcohol spreads through all of the blood stream it goes through in every organ. The reason that the drinker’s memory is blurred or they “black out” while using this substance would be because it is affecting the brain which controls all parts of the body. “The organ most sensitive to alcohol is the brain… Alcohol destroys brain cells which, unlike the blood cells it also destroys, are irreplaceable. The reaction times are slowed, and their muscle coordination is less efficient” (Whiting).

The future of the world is in the hands of the younger generations. Alcohol will not benefit society and increase the potential of the younger generations. Lowering the age is giving the kids of the world the wrong message. It’s promoting the use of a poison that will bring negative consequences in their future. Alcohol will hurt the economy as more people will lose their life due to improper usages. Alcohol can be a fun way to celebrate and have good time with friends. It’s a drink that comes with its pros and cons. Alcohol should always be drunk responsibly and by those who are of the legal age. Many will disagree with the rule, but its for their own safety. Alcohol misusage can change your whole life without you thinking about it.

The age of 21 is the right and smart age to consume this beverage. The age should never be changed. It has saved a lot of heartbreaks and lives and will continue to do so. These reasons, among many others, are why the legal drinking age should stay at 21. Although it would be unrealistic to think teenagers won’t experiment at younger ages, we as a society and our government cannot endorse adolescents’ use of alcohol. On top of maintaining the legal drinking age, those in close contact with teens such as parents, teachers, coaches, etc. should promote healthy lifestyle ideals and deter youth away from unsafe alcoholic consumption. There may be nothing we can do about alcohol becoming engrained in youth societal activities, but the least we can do is encourage responsible use. Adolescents’ cognitive and physical development must be protected. As adults, they will be prepared to, and hopefully will make responsible decisions surrounding the consumption of alcohol.

Works Cited

• “Arguments for Lowering the Legal Drinking Age Are Not Valid.” Should the Legal Drinking Age Be Lowered? Ed. Stefan Kiesbye. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2008.
• At Issue. Rpt. from “Addressing the Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA) in College Communities.” AlcoholPolicyMD.com. 2005.
• Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 21 Apr. 2013.
• Main, Carla T. “The Minimum Legal Drinking Age Should Not Be Lowered.” Teens at Risk. Ed. Stephen P. Thompson. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2013.
• Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from “Underage Drinking and the Drinking Age.” http://www.hoover.org155 (1 June 2009).
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Underage Drinking Is a Serious Problem.” A Comprehensive Plan for Preventing and Reducing Underage Drinking. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2006.
• Rpt. in Alcohol. Ed. Andrea C. Nakaya. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2008. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 21 Apr. 2013.
• Whiting, Albert S. “Alcohol Use Is Harmful.” Gateway Drugs. Ed. Noël Merino. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2008.
• Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from “Alcohol and the Body.” http://www.wctu.org/alcohol_and_the_body.html.
• Guha, Martin. “Encyclopedia of Drugs, Alcohol and Addictive Behavior (3rd Ed.).” Alcohol and Disease, McMillan Reference, www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/full/10.1108/09504120910978834.

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Volume 42 Issue 1 January 13, 2022

Age, Period, and Cohort Effects in Alcohol Use in the United States in the 20th and 21st Centuries: Implications for the Coming Decades

Part of the Topic Series: NIAAA 50th Anniversary Festschrift

Katherine M. Keyes

Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York

This article is part of a Festschrift commemorating the 50th anniversary of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Established in 1970, first as part of the National Institute of Mental Health and later as an independent institute of the National Institutes of Health, NIAAA today is the world’s largest funding agency for alcohol research. In addition to its own intramural research program, NIAAA supports the entire spectrum of innovative basic, translational, and clinical research to advance the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of alcohol use disorder and alcohol-related problems. To celebrate the anniversary, NIAAA hosted a 2-day symposium, “Alcohol Across the Lifespan: 50 Years of Evidence-Based Diagnosis, Prevention, and Treatment Research,” devoted to key topics within the field of alcohol research. This article is based on Dr. Keyes’ presentation at the event. NIAAA Director George F. Koob, Ph.D., serves as editor of the Festschrift.

Introduction

Alcohol consumption, including any alcohol use; patterns of high-risk use, including binge drinking; and alcohol use disorder (AUD) incidence and prevalence, differs substantially over time and by life stage. Variation also occurs across demographic groups, and such differences themselves vary across time and place. In the first quarter of the 21st century, changes in incidence and prevalence of alcohol use and alcohol-related health consequences have been accelerating. Understanding the magnitude and direction of these changes informs hypotheses regarding the reasons underlying alcohol consumption changes across time and development, including both long-term historical changes as well as abrupt shifts. It also permits determining the optimal focus of research and targets of services. Such surveillance is informed by science and statistical considerations of variation by age, period, and cohort effects.

Age-, period-, and cohort-effect estimation has proved to be an extraordinarily useful framework for organizing and interpreting data, uncovering patterns, and identifying causes of trends in incidence and prevalence of many health conditions and mortality over time. This article provides an overview of the conceptual basis of such effects as related to alcohol consumption, and reviews recent studies of age-period-cohort variation, especially regarding gender, social class, and specific beverage and drinking patterns.

Age, Period, and Cohort Effects and Their Importance

Age effects.

Age effects refer to the effects of a person’s age on their health. They may be caused by the accumulation of exposure or social experiences; critical and sensitive developmental windows; or immunological periods of vulnerability, such as infancy and end of life. Extensive evidence documents that alcohol use is most likely to begin during adolescence or young adulthood, peak during the transition to adulthood, and generally decrease thereafter. 1,2 However, these age patterns are not static; in the United States, for example, the onset and peak of alcohol use has been shifting in recent decades to a later point in development. 3 Because onset and persistence of alcohol use are in part social phenomena and are amenable to policy interventions (e.g., changes in minimum legal drinking age laws), 4 the specific structure and magnitude of age effects are historically variable. However, the general patterns of onset early in adult maturation, and desistence during adulthood, have been largely stable over historical time.

Period Effects

Period effects refer to changes in outcome that affect all individuals alive in a particular period—that is, a year or set of years. Reasons for period effects include changing environmental or social factors that affect incidence and persistence of certain behaviors or disorders, policy or law changes, or other environmental conditions that affect health. For alcohol use, numerous factors have been associated with substantial changes in consumption patterns, including major policy initiatives to restrict access to alcohol, such as U.S. Prohibition from 1920 to 1933, and broad economic factors, such as booms and recessions that affect spending on nonessential goods. The general social climate for heavy drinking has also changed over time as advocacy movements placed the dangers of heavy consumption into stark focus, followed by policies to increase criminal sanctions on impaired driving. 5 However, as detailed below, such policy changes are not simply period effects because they often impact age groups differently; therefore, their effects may manifest as cohort effects.

Cohort Effects

Against the backdrop of age and period effects, cohort effects have also proven to be powerfully predictive of a range of health behavior, including alcohol use. Cohort effects can perhaps be most efficiently conceptualized as age-by-period interactions. 6 For example, a cohort effect would be apparent if historical change across time in a health behavior such as alcohol consumption resulted in increasing overall prevalence (i.e., a period effect), but the increase in prevalence is faster or slower for people in different age groups (i.e., an age by period interaction). Cohort effects can also be conceptualized as a unique rate of an outcome for individuals depending on birth year. 7

Before reviewing the current literature on cohort effects in alcohol use, it is important to understand that cohort effects are powerfully predictive of many health outcomes, and critical to consider when evaluating trends. There are numerous historical examples of particular birth cohorts with increased rates of disease outcomes and mortality in the United States, including all-cause mortality, 8,9 tuberculosis, 10 peptic ulcer, 11 lung cancer, 12 and other diseases. More recently, the strong influence of generational cohort effects is apparent in the leading U.S. contributors to premature mortality, including obesity, hepatitis C, drug overdose, and suicide. 13–16 Similarly, numerous studies in recent decades have found that alcohol use and health outcomes related to heavy consumption cluster by birth cohort, as well as have exhibited age and period effects at various points in history. Cohort effects have long been documented in substance use, 17,18 including alcohol use and alcohol-related harms, 19 as described in more detail below.

Recent Alcohol Use Time Trends in the United States

Time trends in alcohol use and alcohol-related harms have been dynamic in the United States, especially over the last 2 decades. Among adolescents, the prevalence of alcohol use has declined. Data from two major nationally representative surveys—Monitoring the Future and the National Survey on Drug Use and Health—converge in demonstrating these reductions. Although the specific prevalence of any alcohol use and binge drinking differs between the two surveys, both document substantial, sustained reductions in adolescent drinking over the last 20 years. 20,21 The most recently published data from the Monitoring the Future Study, depicted in Figure 1, show the trend in past 2-week binge drinking among 12th grade adolescents through 2019; as the figure shows, binge drinking declined from a peak in approximately 1982 to less than 20% for both boys and girls in 2019. 22

In contrast, adult alcohol use and binge drinking has been increasing. A meta-analysis of six national surveys of alcohol use found (Figure 2) that from 2000 to 2016, the overall prevalence of binge drinking increased approximately 7.5% per decade across the 2 decades analyzed. 23 Importantly, however, these increases were primarily concentrated among women, as discussed further below.

The observation that changes over time in alcohol consumption differed by age immediately raises the possibility of cohort effects. Indeed, many studies using different data sources and analytical approaches have documented cohort effects for numerous alcohol-related outcomes. Generally, post-World War II U.S. birth cohorts had higher rates of consumption than earlier cohorts, 19,24 ,25 driving much of the increase in consumption in the 1970s and 1980s. For many of these studies, however, reliance on retrospective recall is a common limitation. Avoiding this limitation, Kerr et al. 24 , 26 used the National Alcohol Surveys, which reports current consumption patterns that are less subject to recall issues. These analyses documented that several birth cohorts had higher risks of alcohol consumption and binge drinking throughout the life course, especially men born in the late 1970s and women born in the early 1980s. In contrast, among cohorts born in the 1990s and later, alcohol use has consistently been declining during adolescence and early adulthood. However, those same cohorts have exhibited accelerating drinking after transition to adulthood. 27

In sum, the cohorts of today’s adults who are now in their 30s and 40s were part of the historical shift toward declining alcohol consumption in adolescence. This decline is explained in part by shifts in the minimum legal drinking age across states, especially in the 1980s, 27 yet declines continued thereafter, potentially aided by focused prevention efforts on reducing underage drinking. However, because drinking then accelerated during the transition to adulthood, adult rates of drinking did not benefit from these prevention efforts. Indeed, Patrick et al. (2019) have documented an overarching historical shift in the age effect on binge drinking among recently born cohorts; thus, the peak age of binge drinking in 1996 to 2004 was 2 years later than it was in 1976 to 1985. 3

In addition to these overall age, period, and cohort effects, additional variation across other levels of dynamic change have implications for prevention, policy, and causal etiology assessments. Three areas of variation that have received substantial attention are gender, socioeconomic status, and beverage type.

Effects of Gender

Men consume more alcohol and are more likely to have AUD compared with women, 1 but the gender gap has been closing for decades in the United States and elsewhere. 19,25 However, the manner in which the gender gap is closing differs by birth cohort. Among today’s birth cohorts of adolescents (i.e., those born in and around the same year), the gender gap is closing because for more than 30 years, alcohol consumption and binge drinking have declined among both boys and girls, but the decline is faster for boys than girls (see Figure 1). 28 Conversely, in adults, alcohol consumption and binge drinking have increased, especially in the past 10 years, and those increases have been greater for women than for men (see Figure 2). 23 The recent increases in drinking among women reflect the high-risk cohorts identified by Kerr et al. 26 as they age into middle-adulthood. Interestingly, compared to earlier generations, these cohorts of women progressed through adolescence with lower alcohol use and binge drinking, yet had a faster acceleration of their drinking during the transition to adulthood, resulting in high levels of alcohol use and strong cohort effects in adulthood. 27

Additional analyses have indicated that the increases in alcohol consumption and binge drinking among women in midlife are concentrated among those with high levels of education, 29 occupational prestige, 30 and income, 29 suggesting that traditional gender norms sanctioning alcohol consumption are shifting among women now occupying traditionally male statuses and spaces. The human costs of these increases in consumption are reflected in alcohol-related mortality rates. These rates have doubled between 1999 and 2016, 31 with the largest increases observed among women and adults emerging into midlife, consistent with alcohol consumption trends.

Effects of Socioeconomic Status

Historically, the role of socioeconomic status has been a critical axis for examining trends over time in alcohol consumption, as exemplified by the higher consumption rates in adult women, who are increasingly occupying high socioeconomic positions. Overall, individuals with a higher socioeconomic status are less likely to fully abstain from alcohol compared to those with a lower status. 32 The relationship between socioeconomic status and binge drinking or AUD, however, is more mixed and depends on the socioeconomic indicator, population, and time period analyzed. 33–35 Further, population distributions of socioeconomic status are an outcome of economic conditions (i.e., income and wealth are functions of times of economic expansions and recessions); therefore, trends in socioeconomic status, and who achieves and maintains high status positions, are important potential drivers of population trends.

Renewed attention to theories of the relationship between social class and health has been prompted by evidence that recent increases in U.S. mortality, including alcohol-related and other substance-related mortality, are concentrated among men with less than a high school education. 36 However, these findings run counter to available data on heavy drinking birth cohorts. The birth cohorts identified by Case and Deaton 36 are different than the birth cohorts emerging into adulthood in the 1970s and 1980s or those of college age in 2002 to 2012, suggesting that the dynamics of alcohol-related harm are likely to substantially change in the decades to come. Indeed, National Alcohol Survey data show that cohort trends in U.S. alcohol consumption are primarily driven by changes in education. 37 As more recent cohorts have entered college at higher rates, drinking and binge drinking have become concentrated in these college-attending young adults. The alcohol consumption cohort effect of those born in the late 1970s and early 1980s is attributable largely to their high rates of college attendance. Conversely, however, there may be signs of emerging socioeconomic differences when considered across gender (more on gendered trends in alcohol consumption below). For example, from 2002 to 2012, binge drinking was largely stable among college-attending young adults, but slightly increased among non-college enrolled women (from 29% to 33%) while decreasing among non-college-enrolled men. 38 Continued surveillance of the role of socioeconomic status within trends in alcohol consumption, and beyond education into other indicators, is warranted.

Effects of Beverage Type

Another important area for research is variation in alcohol consumption dynamics by type of alcoholic beverage. Although all alcoholic beverages are carcinogenic, beverage types vary in ethanol concentration and potential for harm, as well as in their prevalence and popularity across demographic groups. A growing literature indicates that the types of alcoholic beverages that individuals in the United States are consuming are dynamic and may depend on cohort. Kerr et al. (2004) 39 found that pre-1940s cohorts preferred spirits throughout the life course compared with later cohorts. In contrast, cohorts born in the 1940s through 1970s, especially men, tended to prefer beer, and wine has been gaining dominance in beverage preferences among younger cohorts. These changes may be related at least in part to marketing and sales efforts by the alcohol industry to increase profits. For example, the increase in wine consumption, which has been observed in alcohol sales surveillance, 40 is commensurate with the increases in income and education in the United States, as wine is marketed as a prestige product and is often sold at high price points. Additional analyses have found that the alcohol content of beverages is increasing in the United States, 41 ,42 portending potential further harm and greater rates of AUD.

The dynamics of cohort effects on beverage preferences are particularly salient for the role of alcohol policy and reduction of alcohol-related harms. Sales restrictions and alcohol taxes have a substantial, demonstrable overall impact on population-level consumption and alcohol-related harms, 43 although this varies to some extent by age of consumer, level of consumption, and beverage type. 44 For example, tax variations by beverage type can influence trends in the consumption of particular beverages. Spirit and wine consumption is typically most sensitive to price and tax policy changes, 45 and although consumption of spirits has been increasing in the United States in recent years, there has been little change in tax and price regulations. This suggests that one driver of the increase in spirits consumption is that they are becoming effectively less expensive over time. Beer and wine are also regulated differently in many states; thus, changing dynamics in the popularity of each beverage have implications for how effective beverage-specific alcohol taxes are in reducing sales and, consequently, harm. Regulations related to alcohol sales and consumption that can respond to market changes in beverage preferences (e.g., increased taxes on wine and spirits that reflect their growing share of the alcohol market) may be an important lever for promoting public health in the coming decades.

Differences in Drinking Patterns Among Cohorts

Taken together, the literature on age, period, and cohort effects in alcohol research indicates that different cohorts have different drinking patterns and that socioeconomic and demographic factors are critical to contextualizing the observed trends. Although it is possible to document time and cohort trends with the available data, understanding why alcohol consumption patterns are changing is more challenging.

Certainly, alcohol policies play a fundamental role in determining population-level patterns of consumption, and the way that policies target particular demographic groups (intentionally or unintentionally) creates opportunities for cohort effects to emerge. For example, the adoption of a minimum legal drinking age of 21 across states throughout the 1980s mediates a portion of the decline in alcohol consumption among U.S. adolescents since then. 27 However, consumption has continued to decline for decades after the increase in drinking age, suggesting that additional factors, such as the public health investment in underage drinking prevention, provided further benefits. Numerous other policies have shifted and impacted population-level alcohol consumption since the U.S. Prohibition, including restrictions on where and when alcohol can be sold, state monopolies on sales, criminal penalties for hazardous use, and others. 46,47 These policies likely have affected different age groups in different ways, depending on their developmental stage when exposed to newly restrictive or permissive alcohol policies.

Of course, alcohol policies are not the only determinant of alcohol consumption and, consequently, of age, period, and cohort effects. Substantial research has evaluated the impact of social norms and social roles, as well as community and societal norms and values on changes in alcohol use over time. 48,49 Social values have an inherent role in the use of alcohol, and the acceptability of drinking and drunkenness within and across social groups at different times and different life stages is potentially a powerful factor influencing population-level consumption. For example, heavy consumption on college campuses, especially within social institutions such as Greek life, 50 is often normative and expected, but norms and values around alcohol use swiftly change as young adults encounter the social norms of early adulthood. 51 Moreover, these normative trajectories and patterns become variable as societal roles and values themselves change. For example, religious attendance and the importance of religion have long been a robust predictor of decreased alcohol consumption. 52 However, the centrality of religion to U.S. adolescents and adults has been declining for more than a decade, 53 and this decline explains a portion of the cohort effects in binge drinking among today’s adults. 54 Monitoring these and other broader societal changes is critical to determining the influences that mediate shifts in alcohol consumption over time.

For example, the coming years will be critical to determining the effects of health knowledge regarding alcohol-related risks on population consumption. For decades, low levels of alcohol consumption were considered protective, especially for cardiovascular health. 55 The evidence supporting this hypothesis, however, was subject to substantial confounding, 56 and dissemination of the message of alcohol’s protective effects was well-funded by the alcohol industry, which had a clear financial incentive. 55 Recently, studies using large administrative databases and quasi-experimental designs, such as Mendelian randomization, have called into question and refuted the idea that a moderate level of alcohol consumption benefits health. 57,58 The extent to which public health messages shift to reflect this change in scientific consensus may be important in reducing population-level alcohol-related harms. These changes may further manifest as cohort effects, as the dissemination and implementation of health information and guidelines are likely to affect age groups differently as they progress through the life course.

Conclusions

Alcohol consumption continues to be a leading contributor to morbidity and mortality, both in the United States and worldwide. Although significant progress in reducing adolescent and young adult alcohol use has been achieved and sustained for decades, it is offset by increases in drinking during the transition to adulthood. The cohorts currently at midlife, especially women, are increasing alcohol consumption and binge drinking at greater levels than other cohorts, portending health consequences that may persist for decades. Understanding the motivations for consumption, destigmatizing the use of services to reduce consumption, and increasing the availability and accessibility of such services are necessary to improve population health. Moreover, age, period, and cohort effect estimations are critical surveillance tools for epidemiology and population health research. Such assessments have already answered critical questions and uncovered patterns in the data that specifically identify high-risk groups requiring prevention and intervention efforts.

Acknowledgments

Dr. Keyes would like to thank Dr. Deborah Hasin for insightful feedback and edits on this paper. This article was supported by National Institutes of Health grant R01AA026861.

Correspondence

Address correspondence concerning this article to Katherine M. Keyes, Ph.D., Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health, 722 West 168th Street, Room 724, New York, NY 10032. Email: [email protected]

Disclosures

The author declares no competing financial or nonfinancial interests.

Publisher's note

This article was based on a presentation by Dr. Keyes at the NIAAA 50th Anniversary Science Symposium, “Alcohol Across the Lifespan: 50 Years of Evidence-Based Diagnosis, Prevention, and Treatment Research,” held on November 30–December 1, 2020. Links to the videocast are available on the NIAAA 50th Anniversary Science Symposium agenda webpage. Opinions expressed in contributed articles do not necessarily reflect the views of the NIAAA, National Institutes of Health. The U.S. government does not endorse or favor any specific commercial product or commodity. Any trade or proprietary names appearing in Alcohol Research: Current Reviews are used only because they are considered essential in the context of the studies reported herein.

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Thesis Statements

What this handout is about.

This handout describes what a thesis statement is, how thesis statements work in your writing, and how you can craft or refine one for your draft.

Introduction

Writing in college often takes the form of persuasion—convincing others that you have an interesting, logical point of view on the subject you are studying. Persuasion is a skill you practice regularly in your daily life. You persuade your roommate to clean up, your parents to let you borrow the car, your friend to vote for your favorite candidate or policy. In college, course assignments often ask you to make a persuasive case in writing. You are asked to convince your reader of your point of view. This form of persuasion, often called academic argument, follows a predictable pattern in writing. After a brief introduction of your topic, you state your point of view on the topic directly and often in one sentence. This sentence is the thesis statement, and it serves as a summary of the argument you’ll make in the rest of your paper.

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement:

• tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion.
• is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.
• directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II or Moby Dick; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the war or the novel.
• makes a claim that others might dispute.
• is usually a single sentence near the beginning of your paper (most often, at the end of the first paragraph) that presents your argument to the reader. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation.

If your assignment asks you to take a position or develop a claim about a subject, you may need to convey that position or claim in a thesis statement near the beginning of your draft. The assignment may not explicitly state that you need a thesis statement because your instructor may assume you will include one. When in doubt, ask your instructor if the assignment requires a thesis statement. When an assignment asks you to analyze, to interpret, to compare and contrast, to demonstrate cause and effect, or to take a stand on an issue, it is likely that you are being asked to develop a thesis and to support it persuasively. (Check out our handout on understanding assignments for more information.)

How do I create a thesis?

A thesis is the result of a lengthy thinking process. Formulating a thesis is not the first thing you do after reading an essay assignment. Before you develop an argument on any topic, you have to collect and organize evidence, look for possible relationships between known facts (such as surprising contrasts or similarities), and think about the significance of these relationships. Once you do this thinking, you will probably have a “working thesis” that presents a basic or main idea and an argument that you think you can support with evidence. Both the argument and your thesis are likely to need adjustment along the way.

Writers use all kinds of techniques to stimulate their thinking and to help them clarify relationships or comprehend the broader significance of a topic and arrive at a thesis statement. For more ideas on how to get started, see our handout on brainstorming .

How do I know if my thesis is strong?

If there’s time, run it by your instructor or make an appointment at the Writing Center to get some feedback. Even if you do not have time to get advice elsewhere, you can do some thesis evaluation of your own. When reviewing your first draft and its working thesis, ask yourself the following :

• Do I answer the question? Re-reading the question prompt after constructing a working thesis can help you fix an argument that misses the focus of the question. If the prompt isn’t phrased as a question, try to rephrase it. For example, “Discuss the effect of X on Y” can be rephrased as “What is the effect of X on Y?”
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? If your thesis simply states facts that no one would, or even could, disagree with, it’s possible that you are simply providing a summary, rather than making an argument.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? Thesis statements that are too vague often do not have a strong argument. If your thesis contains words like “good” or “successful,” see if you could be more specific: why is something “good”; what specifically makes something “successful”?
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? If a reader’s first response is likely to  be “So what?” then you need to clarify, to forge a relationship, or to connect to a larger issue.
• Does my essay support my thesis specifically and without wandering? If your thesis and the body of your essay do not seem to go together, one of them has to change. It’s okay to change your working thesis to reflect things you have figured out in the course of writing your paper. Remember, always reassess and revise your writing as necessary.
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? If a reader’s first response is “how?” or “why?” your thesis may be too open-ended and lack guidance for the reader. See what you can add to give the reader a better take on your position right from the beginning.

Suppose you are taking a course on contemporary communication, and the instructor hands out the following essay assignment: “Discuss the impact of social media on public awareness.” Looking back at your notes, you might start with this working thesis:

Social media impacts public awareness in both positive and negative ways.

You can use the questions above to help you revise this general statement into a stronger thesis.

• Do I answer the question? You can analyze this if you rephrase “discuss the impact” as “what is the impact?” This way, you can see that you’ve answered the question only very generally with the vague “positive and negative ways.”
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Not likely. Only people who maintain that social media has a solely positive or solely negative impact could disagree.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? No. What are the positive effects? What are the negative effects?
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? No. Why are they positive? How are they positive? What are their causes? Why are they negative? How are they negative? What are their causes?
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? No. Why should anyone care about the positive and/or negative impact of social media?

After thinking about your answers to these questions, you decide to focus on the one impact you feel strongly about and have strong evidence for:

Because not every voice on social media is reliable, people have become much more critical consumers of information, and thus, more informed voters.

This version is a much stronger thesis! It answers the question, takes a specific position that others can challenge, and it gives a sense of why it matters.

Let’s try another. Suppose your literature professor hands out the following assignment in a class on the American novel: Write an analysis of some aspect of Mark Twain’s novel Huckleberry Finn. “This will be easy,” you think. “I loved Huckleberry Finn!” You grab a pad of paper and write:

Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is a great American novel.

You begin to analyze your thesis:

• Do I answer the question? No. The prompt asks you to analyze some aspect of the novel. Your working thesis is a statement of general appreciation for the entire novel.

Think about aspects of the novel that are important to its structure or meaning—for example, the role of storytelling, the contrasting scenes between the shore and the river, or the relationships between adults and children. Now you write:

In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain develops a contrast between life on the river and life on the shore.

• Do I answer the question? Yes!
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Not really. This contrast is well-known and accepted.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? It’s getting there–you have highlighted an important aspect of the novel for investigation. However, it’s still not clear what your analysis will reveal.
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? Not yet. Compare scenes from the book and see what you discover. Free write, make lists, jot down Huck’s actions and reactions and anything else that seems interesting.
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? What’s the point of this contrast? What does it signify?”

After examining the evidence and considering your own insights, you write:

Through its contrasting river and shore scenes, Twain’s Huckleberry Finn suggests that to find the true expression of American democratic ideals, one must leave “civilized” society and go back to nature.

This final thesis statement presents an interpretation of a literary work based on an analysis of its content. Of course, for the essay itself to be successful, you must now present evidence from the novel that will convince the reader of your interpretation.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Anson, Chris M., and Robert A. Schwegler. 2010. The Longman Handbook for Writers and Readers , 6th ed. New York: Longman.

Lunsford, Andrea A. 2015. The St. Martin’s Handbook , 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St Martin’s.

Ramage, John D., John C. Bean, and June Johnson. 2018. The Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writing , 8th ed. New York: Pearson.

Ruszkiewicz, John J., Christy Friend, Daniel Seward, and Maxine Hairston. 2010. The Scott, Foresman Handbook for Writers , 9th ed. Boston: Pearson Education.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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• Alcohol Use and Your Health
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• CDC Alcohol Program
• Alcohol Outlet Density Measurement Tools
• Resources to Prevent Excessive Alcohol Use
• Alcohol Applications and Online Tools
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• Check Your Drinking. Make a Plan to Drink Less.
• Controle su forma de beber. Haga un plan para beber menos.
• Deaths from Excessive Alcohol Use in the United States
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About Underage Drinking

• Alcohol is the most common drug used by younger than 21 in the United States.
• Young people who drink alcohol are more likely to develop certain physical and mental health conditions.

• These deaths, which could have been prevented, take the lives of young people too soon.
• Underage drinking cost the United States $24 billion in 2010 (the most recent year of data available). B 2

Effects of underage drinking

Alcohol is the most common drug that young people use in the United States. 3

Young people who drink alcohol are more likely to engage in risky behaviors that can lead to injuries and other health conditions. They're also more likely to experience social, academic, and legal issues.

Social, academic, and legal issues:

• More school absences.
• Lower grades.
• Drinking and driving, which puts the safety of those who drink—as well as those around them—at risk.
• Misusing prescription drugs or using illicit drugs—there can be serious health effects when using these drugs with alcohol .

Physical and mental conditions:

• Violence, including homicide, suicide, and sexual violence.
• Injuries including alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes , burns, falls, or drowning.
• Not growing as expected.
• Slower brain development—which may cause problems with memory.
• Protection includes using condoms or taking medicine to prevent STIs, HIV, or pregnancy.

Lastly, people who start drinking earlier in life have a higher risk of developing alcohol use disorder later in life.

What the data show

Adult alcohol use can increase underage drinking.

Adolescents tend to drink if the adults around them drink or binge drink alcohol.

For example, a study showed that adolescents whose parents drank 5 or more days in a month were significantly more likely to drink alcohol than adolescents whose parents didn't drink. 4

Alcohol is the most common drug young people use

Also, 11% of high school students reported binge drinking during the past month. 3

In recent years:

• Alcohol use and binge drinking among high school students have generally decreased in recent decades. 5
• This is a shift from previous years when boys drank more than girls. 5

Some young people also report drinking and driving

• More than 1 in 10 high school students reported riding in the past month with a driver who had been drinking alcohol. 3
• About 5% of high school students who had driven in the past month said they drove after drinking alcohol. 3

Learn more about:

• How proven alcohol policies can prevent alcohol-related harms.
• This includes strategies that can support young people's development by reducing underage drinking.
• The alcohol policies in your state .
• During 2020-2021.
• These costs have likely increased because of factors like inflation and increased health care and public safety costs. However, this cost estimate still provides an idea of the minimum costs of underage drinking.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Alcohol-Related Disease Impact application. Accessed March 21, 2024. www.cdc.gov/ardi
• Sacks JJ, Gonzales KR, Bouchery EE, Tomedi LE, Brewer RD. 2010 national and state costs of excessive alcohol consumption. Am J Prev Med 2015; 49:e73–e79. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2015.05.031
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data. Accessed September 13, 2023. http://yrbs-explorer.services.cdc.gov/
• Bohm MK, Esser MB. Associations between parental drinking and alcohol use among their adolescent children: findings from a national survey of United States parent-child dyads. J Adolesc Health . 2023;73(5):961–964. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2023.05.028
• Hoots BE, Li J, Hertz MF, et al. Alcohol and other substance use before and during the COVID-19 pandemic among high school students — Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2021. MMWR Suppl. 2023;72(Suppl 1):84–92. http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.su7201a10

Alcohol Use

Excessive alcohol use can harm people who drink and those around them. You and your community can take steps to improve everyone’s health and quality of life.

For Everyone

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