Discussion on The Alcoholism and Why Alcohol Should Be Illegal

In most cultures, partying and drinking is a social norm, and most believe they need alcohol in order to enjoy themselves when going out or hanging out with peers. Alcohol causes a lapse in judgment and alters your character and personality. This short argumentative essay argues why we shouldn’t have access to alcohol and why it should be banned in all countries, regardless of anyone’s age, gender, or reasoning as to why they need it.

The consumption of Alcohol can be traced even back to biblical times, and one of the most monumental moments is the last supper, when Jesus took communion with his disciples, before he was crucified. They broke bread and drank wine, but wine didn’t have the same effects as it does now. It was more of a grape juice substance, not as fermented. As time has gone on, and we have developed and found new drinks to invent, the amount of alcohol can be measured by the ABV within the drink (or the alcohol by volume). In most alcoholic drinks, there is a chemical compound call ethanol, which is a type of alcohol produced by grapes, fruits or other sugars fermented in long periods of time.

Most common reasons as to why people consume alcohol in general are mostly for recreational purposes, to become numb to the problems they may be experiencing, and for most teens, they feel pressured to do it by their peers. The legal age to drink alcohol in the United States is 21 years; in other countries its 18. The human brain isn’t even fully developed until the ages of 21-27. Most teenagers decide that that’s too old for them and drink illegally at parties and social gatherings. Most parents, who consumed alcohol at a young age as well, turn a blind eye to their children and let them make the same mistakes they did when they were young.

The outcome of drinking can cause nausea, liver failure, dehydration, lapse in judgment, and even car accidents, which lead to death, if you drink while driving. People usually drink to get away from the troubles and concerns of daily life, they may be facing. It can cause tears and emotional distress within families and their relationships in life. Along with it being a reason why couples break up, alcoholism is an epidemic most know all too well, with it being capable to tear up marriages and communities, right alongside drugs and infidelity.

Some benefits of drinking alcohol would to let someone let loose for once. Some are stuck to the rigid ways of their daily lives, and need alcohol to enjoy life in another personality. Some need it like caffeine, to keep their energy and social lives up and going. It also lowers your chance of getting dementia, yet you can still forget things when you drink it, ironically. It also prevents the common cold, and lets people enjoy you more, which can also be considered bipolar disorder.

In conclusion to this short argumentative essay, alcohol shouldn’t dictate your everyday life. You could spend your whole life, not knowing what alcohol even smells like, and live a full life. I’ve never personally experienced how alcohol breaks up families, but have seen it and heard stories from it. If you have a generational curse of alcoholism in your family, you can break the chain by deciding to not go down that road, even if it’s just a taste. It doesn’t make you cooler, or funnier, by any means, but it changes your whole life, and not in a beneficial way.