To Drink or Not To Drink Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

To Drink or Not To Drink - Assignment Example A person should have the capability to express their independent choice to drink, as long as they are aware of all the consequences. Where a person is informed about the consequences of taking alcohol and weighs them against their need to feel peer and general social acceptance, they are in a position to make autonomous decisions (Abaunza 1). The decision to consume alcohol should be considered as an authentic choice, rather than an independent one or simply a competent one. Although making an authentic choice does not guarantee that there will be good consequences, it does at least hint at an increase in the chances that an individual will experience better outcomes. Therefore, with regards to drinking, the choice should be encouraged and informed by a deeper acknowledgement of the relationships and situations that an individual finds him or herself. An individual cannot simply purport to make an independent choice on whether to take alcohol because it is not an impulsive one, especially because they are under social and peer influence (Abaunza 1). Whatever choice is made, they are meant to consider its consequences, whether good or bad. If the individual is to make their choice based on peer or social pressure, this is the environment they will be in for the rest of their lives. Therefore, the values and beliefs that t hey follow to gain social and peer acceptance will also guide future choices (Abaunza 1). In this case, despite the fact that decision-making is influenced by many factors with regards to drinking, the individual will be reliant on the same values and beliefs for the rest of his/her life. Making the decision on whether to drink is rarely a competent choice because consuming alcohol impairs an individual’s neuro-cognitive functioning (Abaunza 1). However, even though alcohol negates an individual’s ability to make an autonomous choice, invoking