Do you think they should lower the drinking age to 18 here in the US? At 18, men can be sent off to fight for our country, but we do not think they are mature enough to have a beer....What do you think?

21 and not a day younger.

deffinately 18.you can drive,vote,get married,die for your country but not drink?what is so magical about 21?i belive if alcohol wasnt such the forbidden thing that it is made to be to teenagers there would not be so many deaths related to alcohol.i think it would be awesome if our society was one where kids were introduced to alcohol by their parents in social settings,such as being allowed to have some wine with dinner or something.then kids wouldnt associate drinking so much with parties and craziness and associate it more with relaxed good times.most kids in the us drink cause its cool and its forbidden therefore you are being rebellious and need to prove yourself to your peers or what have you.that is just stupid.

Should be 18. If not, all other "rights" that come with age should be pushed back to 21 as well.

The current legal age in the states is nothing more than a carryover from the sad old days of prohibition.

That's a tough one for me.

The legal drinking age here is 19 but I see a lot of irresponsible drinking by young people who haven't yet learned their limit.

On the other hand I see the same thing in some 50 year olds!:(

Originally posted by colonel
That's a tough one for me.

The legal drinking age here is 19 but I see a lot of irresponsible drinking by young people who haven't yet learned their limit.

On the other hand I see the same thing in some 50 year olds!:(

That's my problem too.

I dunno, I think we should repeal the law that says that any state with a drinking age under 21 won't receive federal highway funds and let the states decide for themselves.

about 18... kids already have enough distractions around that time in their lives; high school, sports, parties, the opposite sex, driving... why add legalized alcohol to that volatile mix? being a relatively n00bie driver at that age is a pretty darn good reason alone to keep the drinking age at 21... afterall, insurance is so fricken expensive for n00bie drivers because they are more prone to accidents at that young age.

18 definatly. It would have saved me some court costs.

And if Im old enough to be drafted and killed, I should be able to get plastered.

Originally posted by Nick
18 definatly. It would have saved me some court costs.


if you waited to drink until you were 21, you might not have had those court costs ;)

Originally posted by Red Rocket
if you waited to drink until you were 21, you might not have had those court costs ;)
Well that's maybe the problem. I started drinking at 14 or 15 if I remember correctly. Part of the allure was that it was so taboo and we weren't supposed to do it. If kids want to drink, they will. From what I hear, countries like Ireland that pretty much let kids start drinking whenever they want to have a much lower rate of alcohol abuse in younger people.

That said, I'm sort of on the fence on this issue.

Meh, it's been 18 here for donkey's years, and the country's not exactly a hellhole of degenerate teenage criminality yet. Then again, we don't all start demanding cars from the moment we draw breath. :|

Originally posted by jonnyofthedead
Meh, it's been 18 here for donkey's years, and the country's not exactly a hellhole of degenerate teenage criminality yet. Then again, we don't all start demanding cars from the moment we draw breath. :|

bingo :)

teenagers in America these days want one thing around that age, a car... and chances are, they get one.

(ok, they probably want to get laid too at that age, but we're talking about cars here :p).

i think it's just a little dangerous to expose kids to driving and alcohol at the same time.

I'm already 19. I would be pissed if they changed the age to 18...everyone should have to wait!:mad:

Originally posted by igofast

Well that's maybe the problem. I started drinking at 14 or 15 if I remember correctly. Part of the allure was that it was so taboo and we weren't supposed to do it. If kids want to drink, they will. From what I hear, countries like Ireland that pretty much let kids start drinking whenever they want to have a much lower rate of alcohol abuse in younger people.

That said, I'm sort of on the fence on this issue.

Therein lies the rub Jed. If alchohol consumption wasn't treated as such a taboo in North America would all those teenagers feel the need to go out and get mindlessly drunk or would they have developed a healthy respect for alchohol and their tolerance to it?

I honestly believe the taboo aspect of alchohol not only makes it more attractive to teens, it also starts a mindset that stays with some drinkers all their lives.

But Doug, the problem is, by law, and by any other means, at 18, you're not a kid.

1. You can stand trial as an adult (sure sometimes younger)
2. You can vote
3. You are responsible enough to be shipped off for war

To me that doesn't sound like a child. So, like Miscreant said, either push back the 'other' adulthood things or you gotta move the drinking age up.

Basically, you're saying fighting for your country (you being supports of the 21 law) and voting are 'less serious' in the actions, ramifications, and implications than drinking.

Thats just wrong.

Originally posted by Manu
But Doug, the problem is, by law, and by any other means, at 18, you're not a kid.

1. You can stand trial as an adult (sure sometimes younger)
2. You can vote
3. You are responsible enough to be shipped off for war

To me that doesn't sound like a child. So, like Miscreant said, either push back the 'other' adulthood things or you gotta move the drinking age up.

Basically, you're saying fighting for your country (you being supports of the 21 law) and voting are 'less serious' in the actions, ramifications, and implications than drinking.

Thats just wrong.

those things do not effect the way you drive a motor vehicle. all i'm saying is new drivers should have some time behind the wheel to gain some experience (more than a year) before they are legally introduced to alcohol.

Or perhaps it should be the other way around.

But Doug, won't the ones who are stupid enough to drink and drive probably be the ones who drink anyways?

Or rather, shouldn't we leave it up to personal responsability?

And have conseuqences FOR bad actions and not what we have no, trying to outlaw bad actions?

I agree with Manu. Consistency is the key here. It's unfair for our gov't to deny liberties to some while demanding an equal contribution of them to the system.

Originally posted by Manu
Or rather, shouldn't we leave it up to personal responsability?

chances are your average 21 yr old will possess a bit more expereience and personal responcibility with things like alcohol than say your average 17-18 yr old.

personal responcibility aside, insurance rates would SOAR if the legal drinking age was lowered again. it's already incrediably high for new drivers as is.

I just think it is dumb that we will give a loaded gun to an 18 year old and say go defend our country, but yet we say you are not old enough or mature enough to trust you to have a beer....that is kinda stupid imo. I can see your reason about the driving thing, but if it wasn't so taboo then I do not see most of the 18 year olds drinking and driving, and if they do drink and drive, then I am sure they would do it if the legal drinking age stays at 21. Like Manu said, they are old enough to be trialed as an adult. But we do not consider them to be an adult until 21????? I think the reason most kids drink at such a young age is because it is illegal, so that makes them feel cool to be consuming it. If we lowered the drinking age, then I think that would take alot of that away.

Originally posted by Red Rocket


chances are your average 21 yr old will possess a bit more expereience and personal responcibility with things like alcohol than say your average 17-18 yr old.

personal responcibility aside, insurance rates would SOAR if the legal drinking age was lowered again. it's already incrediably high for new drivers as is.

So, they have the personal responsability to go buy a shotgun or rifle (even in california gun nazi state) but not the responsability to buy a beer?

So, they have the responsability to decide who runs the country, but not to have a glass of wine at dinner?

They can make the choice to comit a crime, to go to war, or anything, but they can't make the choice to get blasted if they want?

I, at 18, owe income taxes, social security taxes, can be drafted, yet...I can't buy booze.

definetly 18... they can put a gun in your hands when you turn 18.. you can vote and all that.. people wonder why kids binge to death in college? well they don't know how to drink , so as soon as they are on their own... guess what happens..
in germany, you can drink before you get your drivers license.. seems like they have it right

I think it should be lowered

if i were to go on holiday to the US (unlikely)between now and the next 19 months, it would be against the law for me to drink. While if i wanted to, i could go drinking every weekend (i don't)

let's put this in an economic stance,

1: the drinking age turnss me off from going to the US
2: Therefor ethe US gets less tourists
3: Therefore the get less money from tourists
4: Therefore the country/state lose out on revenue through taxes onb company profits (pubs/hotels/restaurants) and vat from what i would spend

if this is the case for me, it would be the case for many other europeans and canadians

Its 18 here - Ive heard no complaints :shrug: But like Jed said, kids will drink whenever they want to if they can get their hands on booze. I was drinking before the legal age and I was Nerdy McNerd.

For the longest time, state governments could pick their own age limits.

The only reason it was changed to 21 is because the federal government told the states that it would cut off all highway funding if the age was not raised to 21 in all states.

within 5 years they all complied.

and there you have it,

federal government strongarming. nothing to do with morality, biology, or anything.

it was about money and extortion, and denial of states rights.

Ok...

What about an 18 drinking age for those enlisted in a branch of the armed forces, and 21 for civilians?

:shrug:

Originally posted by Johnson
For the longest time, state governments could pick their own age limits.

The only reason it was changed to 21 is because the federal government told the states that it would cut off all highway funding if the age was not raised to 21 in all states.

within 5 years they all complied.

and there you have it,

federal government strongarming. nothing to do with morality, biology, or anything.

it was about money and extortion, and denial of states rights.
The states still have the rights, they're just choosing not to exercise them because of economic pressures.

It's an unfair system, but I doubt that it will be changed.

Zach-

Why? Why does a job in the military entitle me to drink, but a job as a janitor, school teacher, police officer, student, would not?

Originally posted by Manu
Zach-

Why? Why does a job in the military entitle me to drink, but a job as a janitor, school teacher, police officer, student, would not?
I agree. In theory, we're all being exposed to the possibility of a draft at the very least, regardless of whether we willingly join the military.

I don't know if it's still the case but back when the legal age in Canada was 21 a soldier could be served alchohol in a Mess Hall even if he was under age.

Originally posted by Red Rocket


those things do not effect the way you drive a motor vehicle. all i'm saying is new drivers should have some time behind the wheel to gain some experience (more than a year) before they are legally introduced to alcohol.

Where are you figuring that they've only been driving a year? In Washington state they can start driving at 15 1/2, so that would 2 1/2 years, and in Idaho and Cali (if I'm not mistaken, could be wrong about Cali) they start driving at 14 1/2, so that's 3 1/2 years, they have more experience than you might think, but then again, I don't think it has to do with the age, but the attitude that we have about alcohol. My brother is underage and he drinks and he's already lost his license before he had it for a year. If they were to lower the age, I think it would only give him more of an incentive to act irresponsible.

the age is only 21 because of the highway funding.

everything else is a pathetic excuse at other reasons it should be raised.

it was a joke, folks. Everyone was saying that we can drive (which we can do at 16), buy tobacco products (which we can usually obtain regardless of age), and die for our country, so I figure that those who can die for our country be given the reduced drinking age.

:p

I think you can drink at 18 with a military ID. I Had friends that did it



I say raise it to 25, and the voting age, enlistment age etc etc

Originally posted by LittleMissGM
My brother is underage and he drinks and he's already lost his license before he had it for a year. If they were to lower the age, I think it would only give him more of an incentive to act irresponsible.

bingo :nice:

making the legal drinking age 18 will only allow underaged kids to get their hands on alcohol easier... and i'm sorry if i offend some, but i think a majority of kids at that age are already a little irresponsible. no need to let them buy alcohol.

btw, how old is your brother if i might ask? and when did he get his licence?

Let's look at a continent with civility and culture. Europe.

Most of their drinking ages vary from 15-18.

Let's compare some crime stats and such, shall we?

Originally posted by Johnson
Let's look at a continent with civility and culture. Europe.

Most of their drinking ages vary from 15-18.

Let's compare some crime stats and such, shall we?


crime stat's per capita right?

If it were up to me they'd make the drinking age 16 and the driving age 18. That way, you have a few years to get it out of your system before you can drive. Seriously, what would it hurt to drink when your 16 (people do it anyway)?

Originally posted by Red Rocket
btw, how old is your brother if i might ask? and when did he get his licence?

My brother is 18 now, he had his license when he was a little over 16 (took him a few tries to get it) He lost it just after he was 17, from a DUI, go figure. He hasn't gotten it back, although he can now, but 1. He can't afford to pay the 150 dollars he CLAIMS it costs to get it back, and 2. My mom refuses to insure him, since he's a lazy ass who won't work, he can't afford to insure himself either.