According to the Centers for Disease Control and Protection, approximately 4,700 people under the age of twenty-one die each year from injuries related to underage drinking. Illegal alcohol consumption is a major problem among high school students across the country. Lowering the drinking age by twenty-one would have major consequences for American teenagers. By lowering the drinking age, alcohol would be more accessible to those who choose to consume alcohol under the legal age. The urge to drink in adolescents and young adults aged fourteen to twenty may be brought on by peer pressure or an act of rebellion. One beer may not seem like a big deal at the time, but it can lead to a life of addiction and alcoholism. Lowering the legal drinking age would create problems such as harming the mental and physical development of the young drinker. As Matt Nagin, a respected author, says: “The late teens and early twenties are formative years when the focus should be on building character, leadership in the community, and academic excellence. . Alcohol harms all of this. In other words, Nagin believes that adolescence is an imperative period of growth in a person's life. Scientists have proven that the brain is not fully developed until the age of twenty-five. If Nagin's argument is correct, and I believe it is, then people should understand that scientists have proven the negative effects of alcohol on brain development. Alcohol has the power to kill brain cells and damage growth hormones. By making alcohol legally available to an eighteen-year-old, we are literally poisoning his brain. Eighteen year olds just aren't responsible enough to handle the freedom of being able to drink legally. S...... middle of paper ......country. By lowering the legal drinking age, we are only making alcohol more accessible. Lowering the drinking age would make alcohol accessible to a lower demographic, leading to disastrous consequences. From delayed brain development to increased alcohol-related deaths, lowering the legal drinking age is an impractical idea. Works Cited Minton, Michelle. “Lower the drinking age for everyone.” National Review Online. National Review, nd Web. November 24, 2013.Nagin, Matt. “Top 3 reasons why the drinking age should not be lowered to 18.” PoliticsMic. PolicyMic, September 14, 2012. Web. November 24, 2013. “Negative Consequences of Underage Drinking.” » Negative consequences of underage drinking. US Department of Health and Human Resources, Web. November 24, 2013. Roan, Shari. “Storm in a bottle.” Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, September 1, 2008. Web. November 24. 2013.