Reference no: EM133269077

Assignment:

The current legal drinking age in the United States is 21. After turning 21, people may lawfully consume alcohol. However, prior to 21, purchasing, possessing, or consuming alcohol is considered a criminal offense. Conversely, the legal voting age in the United States is 18; the legal driving age is 16.

Your reading this week introduced you to the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and the reticular activating system (RNS). These arousal systems, centered in the brain, influence our behavior. Medical science reports the brain does not fully develop until the age of 25. Specifically, "brain imaging studies show that in adolescents, the region of the brain implicated in decision making and risk assessment is still developmentally immature. At the same time, the part of the brain that plays a role in regulating pleasure and reward is relatively more active than in other periods of development."

CNN reporting suggests findings consistent with medical science: "Teenagers are much more likely to take serious risks, especially when they are with their peers. They're also less able to control their impulses in stressful or heated situations."

With this background information about adolescent brain development and the independent research you've conducted in mind, please respond to the following in a substantive post:

1. Determine whether the selection of the legal drinking age in the United States was an arbitrary decision or one based on facts.

2. Compare/contrast:

• The legal drinking age in the United States with that of other countries.
• Alcohol-related crimes in the United States with those of other countries.

3. Recommend what you think about the following and provide the rationale for your recommendations.

• What should be the legal drinking age in the United States?
• What constitutes an appropriate punishment for those who violate your recommended drinking age?