The Legal Drinking Age Of The United States - 1345 Words

With food, there comes a variety of cultural differences with beverages. One of the most popular drink markets in the United States is energy drinks. This industry has grown significantly in the past ten years, and many of the companies are household names, such as Red Bull, Monster, and Rockstar Energy. While they have mainstream success in the United States, many countries look down on these products because of their use of certain supplements, such as excess amounts of caffeine of taurine. Some countries have done things such as banning the sale of these products to minors, or even outlawing them completely. These products vary from culture to culture, with some countries introducing their own product lines, ones that are only available†¦show more content†¦This is a common practice among college level students, particularly those in a fraternity. Another factor that plays into American culture is the large amount of alcohol users that are considered alcohol dependent. Of all of these alcohol users, 4.7% are considered to be alcohol dependent, meaning they must drink a certain amount of alcohol to feel as if they can function properly (World Health Organization, 2014). In comparison, the legal drinking age in Russia is 18, and there is an average alcohol consumption of 11.5 liters per capita. This alcohol consumption is made up of 51% spirits, 38% beer, and 11% wine. When it comes to alcohol dependency, Russia is much higher than the United States, with 9.3% of their total drinking population considered alcohol dependent. Though there is more alcohol consumed, and a more relaxed policy on who can drink in Russia, they are a lot more strict on drinking and operating a vehicle. The United States blood alcohol content considered to be legal when driving is .08, whereas in Russia there is a zero tolerance policy on drinking and driving. This strict policy has lead to fewer alcohol related accidents and deaths, even though there is a much higher amount o f alcohol consumed (World Health Organization, 2014). One surprising fact is that many countries practice abstaining from alcohol altogether.