The legal age for consuming alcohol in the United States is 21 years old . In as recent as twenty years ago, the drinking ages varied from state to state and were typically set at the age of 18 . Once lawmakers felt that the combination of alcohol and people under the age of 21 mixed together, it usually resulted in horrifying results . Sometimes those life changing consequences required the help of Cincinnati DUI lawyers or a Cincinnati DUI lawyer to represent a young driver arrested for drinking while intoxicated .
There are several reasons that can attribute to becoming an alcoholic or lead to one having a drinking problem. One fact that is a huge contributor is your genes . People that have substance abuse and alcohol abuse problems often have a particular gene that makes them more likely to become addicted to a substance . This addiction, unfortunately is usually passed from a parent to a child in families. The addiction may not be to the same thing though. For example, a father is a social drinker but rarely drinks much alcohol but has been a chain smoker for decades despite two bouts of lung cancer . The father’s addiction is completely to tobacco and smoking. This addictive gene then is passed onto his daughter who can not stand the smell of cigarette smoke but becomes addicted to alcohol and the effect it has on her . This addictive personality is likely to be passed on and on in this family and shows itself through different types of addiction.
Another component to becoming an alcoholic is the kind of personality the person has and how well they deal with stress in their lives. A lot of people handle stress in various ways and usually drinkers enjoy the mellowing effects that alcohol has on them. The bigger the stress, the bigger the alcohol intake . A lot of people do not want to face their stress head on and would rather drink their troubles away to escape their own reality . This dangerous pattern usually leads to an alcohol problem.
Some people become dependent on alcohol at a young age and give in to social pressures. A lot of teenagers and college age students feel pressured to fit in by drinking alcohol at parties. A lot of socially awkward and shy young adults realize that when they consume alcohol they become a lot more outgoing and think that they are more fun and confident to be around. Because of this feeling at this still maturing and growing age, several become dependent on alcohol well before they are even at the legal drinking age .
Whether it is to escape something painful or stressful or their body is genetically disposed to an addiction to something like alcohol, many Americans suffer from this disease. Recognizing this problem is frequently discussed and accepted now and people are admitting themselves to rehab programs at a consistent rate these days. The more aware people are of the devastating effects alcoholism has on individuals and families, the greater number of people will get assistance .