With an increasing number of accidents caused by drivers who are text-messaging while driving, you can write an argumentative paper that every state should ban drivers from using cell phones. This may seem like a drastic argument, but you can research and provide statistics that show that dialing or talking on a cell phone, even with a Bluetooth device, contributes to distracted driving and accidents. Look for surveys and polls that show a majority of drivers support cell phone usage restrictions.
An argumentative essay on sex education could take the position that sex education should be mandatory in all high schools to help prevent teenage pregnancy. To support this position, you will need to research and present statistics from reputable organizations that demonstrate a decline in teen pregnancy occurs in schools that offer sex education classes. For example, the Washington Post reported that in 2002, researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle conducted a national survey of 1,700 heterosexual teens between the ages of 15 to 19 and found that students who attended sex education classes were 60 percent less likely to become pregnant or impregnate someone than students who didn't participate in sex education.
One of the most controversial subjects in medicine is the right of terminally-ill patients to decide their own fate, and a doctor's participation in their death. Write an argumentative paper taking a stand that doctors should be able to help terminally-ill patients commit suicide without facing legal charges, or that doctors should be prosecuted for helping a terminally-ill patient commit suicide. If your paper is in favor of doctor's assisting a patient's suicide, provide evidence that demonstrates why this isn't a criminal act by citing state, federal or Supreme Court case law that determined the legality of such acts. If your paper argues the opposite, provide case law that has determined such acts to violate state and federal statutes.
The treatment of animals has been a hot-button issue for decades, and an argumentative essay could tackle the question "Is it morally wrong to use animals for research?" If you take the position that it is morally wrong, support your assertion with evidence regarding the treatment animals in experiments and the number of animals maimed or killed during research studies. If you take the opposite position, provide documentation of medical breakthroughs that have directly resulted from research on animals. You might also look for statistics that demonstrate that the number of animals harmed or killed during research is relatively low compared to the number who survive.