A comparative Review of Drinking age laws and behaviors in Canada and Research Paper - 1

A comparative Review of Drinking age laws and behaviors in Canada and the U.S - Research Paper Example That is why the governments of the USA and Canada have implemented certain regulations in order to avoid negative consequences of alcohol abuse: age restrictions for alcohol consumption, strict penalties for drunk driving, and liability for serving alcohol to the intoxicated people. This essay looks at different approaches of governments and nations to the act of drinking from historical, social, and economic perspectives. Drinking alcohol is not only individual`s act but also a tradition, and a behavioral pattern of society. Since people socialize within different social layers, the meaning of drinking can be different from one group to another (Houghton & Roche, 2001). Alcohol consumption may greatly depend on traditions, ideologies, and customs (Houghton & Roche, 2001). Alcohol drinking is a common social experience in most human cultures and societies; nevertheless, the motives and functions for every separate individual are different. The ways in which individuals consume alcohol vary as much as cultural traditions of drinking. Alcohol has played important role in the life of the American society from the very first days of the republic. In Europe of the 16th century, drinking alcohol beverages was a daily routine due to high risk of water contamination. The first colonists brought alcohol on ships because it was easier to preserve it unspoiled. The beverages varied from rum received from West Indian sugar and homemade beer to wine brought from Europe (Tracy, 2005). However, drinking attracted public attention in the end of the 18th century due to numerous reasons. Firstly, alcohol consumption was connected to the salon culture, involving such additional negative social issues as gambling, fighting, and prostitution. Moreover, huge manufactures and factories wanted their workers to remain sober in the working