University Drinking Problems: Why Drinking Age should be Raised

Medaited Speech Outline (Template)
COM380 Public Speaking


I. Main Point One: Why is it critical to raise the legal drinking age? Sub-point A/Pro: (w/source citation, if applicable) A pro of raising the legal drinking age is that it reduces the number of people who are alcoholics while still in university. It is a practical approach that also minimizes other issues. According to Ha (2010), countries with increased legal drinking age tend to have fewer accidents involving younger people. People’s brains are still developing until they are 30 years (Ha, 2010). In this regard, younger people are affected more. The legal drinking age should be higher to reduce cases of drinking among college students. The admission rates in universities and colleges have been rising over the years.  Over 47.1% of students ages 18-21 have been drinking, and this consists of a majority of university students who are drinking, and they do it often, especially on Friday through Sunday. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), a student can drink, on average, over two bottles of beer per night. 22% of adults between 18 and 22 reported binge drinking in the previous month. This also means that the number of students drinking has increased. University students with drinking problems also face other issues such as substance use and drug involvement in university and college (Ha, 2010). Students often drink for positive and negative reasons. However, this also leads to other alcohol-related problems. Stress is a common issue where academic life can be very stressful for students. This can force them to drink alcohol, leading to additional stress rather than solving the problem. Various issues related to alcohol are common among university students. Over 50% of the treatment in hospitals involves injuries associated with alcohol abuse. Sexual assault is also prevalent. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (2022), 1-5 women in college have experienced sexual assault. Other problems include fetal alcohol syndrome, which is very common among young mothers who are heavy drinkers while at university. These women do not have control over their use of alcohol. In some cases, peer pressure worsens since they are forced to attend parties like their peers to fit in.The legal restriction also prevents outlets from selling to underage students who can be impacted. Self-esteem issues and depression are prevalent since students can easily purchase alcohol and use it frequently. The higher age limits mean people have to look for ot...