In her essay "Peril of Prohibition," Elizabeth M. Whelan speaks of the flaws in the current drinking age law. She argues many important issues, but they are not what make her essay a strong one. Whelan uses her experience as a public-health scientist and a mother to show her readers her credentials. The way Whelan uses certain phrases that allow her reader to relate to her views also helps her get her points across. Whelan also assists her essay by using both intellectual words and "down-to-earth" words. Elizabeth M. Whelan provides a strong argument for lowering the drinking age in her essay "Perils of Prohibition" by her use of credibility, her use imagery, and her use of diverse language.
             Whelan uses her credibility to show her "professional and personal" knowledge of underage drinking. As the president of the American Council on Science and Health, Whelan has been working with the science of drinking. The company has been studying a broad range of teenagers all over the world. They have researched European teens, which learned "alcohol safety" early; and they have studied American teens that have not been educated on alcohol. So her company has viewed both types of teens and their drinking habits after they leave the house. They continue to research the reasons for teen alcohol abuse at the Harvard School of Health (83). Not only does Whelan have a professional view on teenagers, but as a mother, she also has a personal experience. Her daughter, Christine, is a senior in high school preparing for college. Whelan's credibility
             is strengthened by educating her daughter the way she believes all teens should. Whelan has observed her own daughter and believes her early education will lead to a better college experience when faced with drinking. Elizabeth M. Whelan refers to both her work and family to help her argument.
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