21, stupid drinking age?

[Aardvark]

I used to deliver pizzas. Most popular destination for pizza delivery was the local uni, as they get a large number of American students. 18, 19 year olds, coming from a country where the legal drinking age is 21 to a country where the legal drinking age is 18, they drink like 16 year olds. Always bottom shelf rotgut, the cheapest, nastiest beer you can find, which I'm pretty sure, after tasting a budweiser, must remain a fond memory throughout their adult lives, or chateau de cardboarde. I drove through there after an exam week to see piles of broken glass everywhere, cardboard from cases strewn about the landscape and a few of them passed out on the roads.

America, you need to lower your drinking age for a simple reason. So your youth won't embarrass themselves and their country while overseas.

 

[Hawgh]

In Denmark, they've recently increased the legal drinking age from 15 to 16, and are considering raising it further to 18.
Moralistic control society, I say!
I'm in agreement that the american drinking age isn't entirely sensible. In my opinion, you should have experienced getting drunk a few years before you start driving a car, so that you are well aware what happens to your motor skills.

 

[MassiveGeek]

I heard that your body is fully grown at age 21. Maby thats why. Consuming alcohol is never safe, but maby its atleast easier to handle if you bodys full grown? I dunno. Even though here in sweden teenagers drink anyway becuse stupid assholes buys it for them.

No, body stops growing at age of 25.

In Poland, you must be 18 to drink alcohol. Any kind of it, beer or no beer.

And I think it's a test - if you can't endure (waiting to be able to poison yourself? Jesss...) till you are 21, then you don't deserve to drink.

Ok, I'll trust you on that one.

And I can only agree, there isnt any point in drinking at young age anyway.

Neither is smoking, which they also do, but thats just a major stupidity, it isnt better to smoke even if your allowed to, especially not in my face.

 

[Abedeus]

So you can die for your country, but not consume alcohol? Hrmm, justice indeed.

thats exactly my point

http://www.cdc.gov/Alcohol/quickstats/mlda.htm

"More than half of all active duty military personnel report binge drinking in the past month, and young adult service members exposed to combat are at significantly greater risk of binge drinking than older service members."

I would also like to point out that I am 29 years old and have only had two drinks of alcohol my entire life; Once mead at my grandfather's funeral when I was 21. A 2nd time when I was 28 when my grandmother died, same drink. Most of my closest friends also do not drink.

Woah, I envy you. You lost the last of your grandparents at age of 28? I lost my grandmothers at ages 5 and 8, never got to meet my grandfathers.

But the sad truth is - if your 18 friend drinks and forces you to drink too (which is pretty plausible) and you are under 18, you are breaking the law.

21 is a good age.

 

[BubbleGumSnareDrum]

The reason that it's above that is because if you allow 18 year olds to buy booze it makes it much easier still for their younger classmates to get it.

Also American mentally doesn't teach moderation in any way shape or form. SO younger people who have yet to learn this have a hard time drinking as a beverage and not as a drug.

The second part is the true issue. The first point is just the bullshit reason given by all the Americans who have no concept of moderation. In many other countries, parenting generations aren't retarded and thus understand the benefit of moderation and teaching it to young people. Why do you think there are still more drunk driving accidents and drinking-related injuries/fatalities in the US than most other places, despite the fact that our drinking age is higher?

It's because America doesn't even HAVE a unique regional culture. It's the just the culture of ignorance and hypocrisy. Americans refuse to admit to the great number of aspects of our system that are plainly broken, and thus we remain one of the biggest joke countries in the world.

I think it'd be an excellent idea to add education allowing young people to learn about the effects of alcohol and other drugs on the body in great and HONEST detail, as well as learning moderation guidelines. The "don't drink and drive" blurb they give in driver's ed is not nearly enough and D.A.R.E. is not enough either as the information is often erroneous or plainly dishonest.

 

[Oisnafas]

It's done in part to prevent brain damage. The brain hasn't truly finished developing until around 25 or so.

 

[ace_of_something]

Woah, I envy you. You lost the last of your grandparents at age of 28? I lost my grandmothers at ages 5 and 8, never got to meet my grandfathers.
But the sad truth is - if your 18 friend drinks and forces you to drink too (which is pretty plausible) and you are under 18, you are breaking the law.
21 is a good age.

Sorry to hear that.
Actually, I still have 2 of my grandparents. Though one is on her way out :-(. My grandfather is 85 and probably could kick most peoples' ass. He also does not drink.

 

[Trivun]

In the UK it's 18 to BUY any alcohol (16 for beer & wine with 18 for spirits in the majority of mainland europe).
The actual age to drink in a restaurant with a meal is 15 / 16 and it's 13 at private parties.

Edit: that last fact is from the nice policeman at new years

I don't know why it's 21 in America tbh. Although I personally say drinking should come a year or so before driving so you don't suddenly get alcohol while you're able to drive. Learn to manage alcohol before driving - much safer.

I just consider myself lucky to be able to pass as 18 and buy myself alcohol.

Yeah, that's what I've been told as well. Here in good old Blighty, I've been drinking alcohol since I was about 13/14 (I actually have a funny story about my brother drinking if anyone's interested...), although a few of my friends are teetotal (and they, like me, are 18 or over). America seems to be quite tolerant in most respects in terms of ages (I mean, you guys drive at 16, right? 17 over here.). However, most Americans I've seen and spoken to haven't waited until 21 to drink, so why have such a high limit...?

 

[fix-the-spade]

Oi! I'm a person. I am not a computer program address me like I can answer you back. Thanks.

Prove it!

 

[letsnoobtehpwns]

I wish there was no drinking age.

 

[Scizophrenic Llama]

The United States reason for having a higher drinking age is that your body doesn't stop fully developing until around the age of 21 or generally slightly higher. Or atleast that is what I have been told before. There are plenty of other reasons and most don't have a direct answer as to why, but you have to remember that there was completely prohibition in the US for some time as well-- which is came from both mass religious beliefs and other things. I wouldn't doubt that the reason is similar for that drinking age, so I did a bit of research.

We ended up with a national minimum age of 21 because of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984. This law basically told states that they had to enact a minimum drinking age of 21 or lose up to ten percent of their federal highway funding. Since that's quite a bit of money, the states agreed very quickly. However, the law doesn't prohibit underage drinking; it merely says that states are to outlaw purchase and public possession by people under 21. Some states amended it to just ban underage drinking altogether.

The age was put back to 18 when the military drafting age changed from 21 to 18 during World War II, just like all of you seem to be stating, "If you can die for your country you should be able to drink." However, the drinking age of 18 was optional for states to do and those that did it were generally surrounded by states with a drinking age of 21. Critics of the change decried rises in alcohol-related traffic fatalities among 18-20 year old drivers in areas where the drinking age had been lowered. One result of leaving states in charge of their own age was the creation of "blood borders" between states that allowed 18 year olds to drink and those that didn't.

Teenagers from the more restrictive state would drive into the one where they could buy beer, drink, and then drive home, which created massive chances for traffic fatalities. Even if teens weren't any more predisposed than older adults to drive after they had been drinking, all of this border hopping meant that those who did drive drunk had to drive further distances to get home than their older colleagues, whom could just drive down the block for a beer or six. More miles logged in a car meant more opportunities for a drunken accident.

So organizations like Mother's Against Drunk Driving fought to have it changed back nationally and it eventually passed.

 

[GRoXERs]

My way, the legal drinking age is 19, and yet, kids were drinking through high school. Kids aren't stupid, so they'll get booze either way.

Ironically, we can start driving at 16; I'd rather kids drink at 16, and start driving at 19 because by then they'll know how much booze is too much, and there'll be less 'stupid' on the roads.

This is honestly the easiest way to fix it, although drinking at 15 and driving at 17 would be better IMHO. The US does allow drinking at any age as long as the child is given the drink by a parent in most states, and in many states there are also exceptions to the rule in certain locations (i.e. in a private residence), so it's really the fault of the parents if their children don't know how to deal with alcohol when they do reach the unrestricted drinking age.

 

[Soulx]

The join the army and die piont is also valid in Britian, but since you shouldnt be deployed till your 18 its not so much of an issue.
If your old enough to go to war you should be able to drink.

Yes but that is wrong. Completly wrong. Jus because you can die for your country doesn't mean you will. Your just making pointless comparisons if you don't even have the balls to join the army. And that doesn't even people will die in the army. Only 4000 people have died in iraq, and every year 1000 people die from underage drinkers who drive. So since the war started (2002) 6000 people have died from alcohol deaths which is more than how many people have died in the war assuming that all 4000 were 18-20.

 

[Fraught]

Yeah. I have always thought it's weird. I'd understand if EVERYTHING was like that, but only drinking.
Drinking is under 18 not allowed here, but nobody gives four, five and six shits about it.

 

[johnman]

If your old enough to go to war you should be able to drink.

Yes but that is wrong. Completly wrong. Jus because you can die for your country doesn't mean you will. Your just making pointless comparisons if you don't even have the balls to join the army. And that doesn't even people will die in the army. Only 4000 people have died in iraq, and every year 1000 people die from underage drinkers who drive. So since the war started (2002) 6000 people have died from alcohol deaths which is more than how many people have died in the war assuming that all 4000 were 18-20.[/quote]
Hey im jsut pionting out a point 3 other people made. And while you probly won t be killed, you are putting your life at risk, which is what i was saying all this time.
And also the amount of army personel in iraq is far outnumbered by the amount of drivers on americas roads, you comparing the two statisics proves nothing.
And its not that i dont have the balls to join the army, i would just rather see more of the world befoe i am confined to a training camp for 2 years of my life. I get samples of that life though cadets, and whiles its fun for a week or two ,it wears quickly

 

[Joselyn]

21 is far too old...it should be 18 like most countries...

 

[Davey Woo]

To be honest it doesn't matter wheere they set the drinking age because chances are the higher it goes, the more people are going to drink underage.