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The Drinking Age

Should David ignore the fact that he is under age and drink with his friends?

David was always a responsible young adult in high school. He worked hard for good grades. He participated in a number of extra curricular activities. He never drank or did drugs. It was his desire to attend a prestigious college that motivated all of this, and he didn鈥檛 want to do anything that would jeopardize his chance at admittance.

Even still, David鈥檚 friends would occasionally ask him why he didn鈥檛 party with them, and he always had the same response: It wasn鈥檛 a moral abstention, but a legal one. People under the age of 21 aren鈥檛 allowed to drink, and he didn鈥檛 want to do something he could wait a few years to experience.

However, now that David鈥檚 18-years-old and in college, he finds himself with a different opinion. He no longer has to worry about getting into his university. He finds himself less concerned with the dangers of high school drinking. He gives more consideration to the idea that he can vote and go to war, yet he鈥檚 not allowed to consume alcohol.

David doesn鈥檛 intend to do anything dangerous when drinking, just have a couple beers when he goes out with his new friends. He鈥檚 in a relatively safe environment. He plans to drink responsibly. Is there really a problem?

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