The use of alcohol should be illegal. Teenagers all over the country are taking advantage of this so-called “privilege.” In Louisiana, the legal age to drink alcohol is 18. Yet, the legal age to buy alcohol is 21. That is only a 3-year difference. What I want to know is, who could possibly mature in that given time to be trusted with alcohol? Although others would disagree, we should think about the problems alcohol abuse can cause.

According to a statistics article, (Alcohol Facts and Statistics)“88,000 deaths are annually attributed to excessive alcohol use.” That is an outrageous amount. I can bet that drinking while driving causes most of these deaths. When listening to my fellow peers, I hear stories of “being too drunk to call for a ride.” Instead of taking the time to call someone, they put their lives and others at risk. Another statistic listed is “teen alcohol use kills 4,700 people each year -- that's more than all illegal drugs combined,” but yet drugs are illegal. I assume that others push aside this nation wide issue.

On June 26, 2015, 4 teenagers were in a fatal car crash in Maryland. “We found beverage containers that were still chilled to the touch at the collision scene,” says a detective. The effect that alcohol has on people, I find unbelievable. When drinking at a party, you are influenced to do what others are doing. Say if someone asks to leave this party for another one, everyone who decides to get in the car is in danger. When intoxicated, there is a higher risk of an accident happening.

How many people drive while intoxicated and get away with it? How many people have been injured by a drunk driver? Besides car accidents, many of families undergo serious issues with alcohol. There’s the people who can’t control their drinking, who are abusive, and who say what’s on their mind. It’s sad to think of the parents who would choose alcohol over their own children. But then again, in their eyes what is more important?

This isn’t an easy problem to fix. Alcohol earns the United States money and that is an important factor here in the states. As a citizen, I know that banning alcohol in all will be nearly impossible. For now, there should be limits on the amount of alcohol one can buy or consume. There’s always a source to the problem, whether a teenager or adult. Pay attention to surroundings and see for yourself about the use of alcohol.