The drinking, smoking, and working age laws of America have always been subjects for controversy. Many people have tried to lower the ages for these laws, but they have mostly been unaware of the risks younger people have while doing these things. Cigarettes, alcohol, and working laws are there for a reason and should be kept the same for the health and well-being of our country's children.
The alcohol laws currently are: you have to be 21 years of age to purchase, possess, or consume alcohol, except for religious purposes under a legal guardian's supervision. Cigarette laws are you have to be 18 years of age to purchase, possess, or use cigarettes. Working laws vary by state, but are basically that children of a lesser age cannot work with heavy machinery, vehicles, construction, or in assembly lines. Exceptions include family jobs or jobs under government approval.
Alcohol is very dangerous for small children to intake. They are much more prone to alcohol poisoning and other dangers from alcohol. One danger is that people under 21 years old do not know their drinking limits. They think that they won't ever get hurt, that they are invincible to the dangers of alcohol, while the truth is that children's enzyme systems are not fully developed. The enzyme system is the part in the body that transforms alcohol into a harmless substance. A child's body is not ready for alcohol, which makes them more prone to get poisoned. Another danger is that when teens are drunk, they make very bad decisions. 30% of teens who died in car crashes had been drinking. If these age laws are lowered, this percentage will undoubtedly increase.
Smoking laws are very important to children's health. First of all, small children's lungs and hearts are not developed enough to take cigarette smoke. If people started smoking at a young age, their lung growth would slow down and make it hard to do energetic activities such as sports, running, and even walking.
