Americans. How do you cope not drinking until 21?

[Rushview]

The bit that makes me giggle is the fact that in most states you can drive when you're 16 but can't get pissed (legally) for another 5 years.

But still not as cool as the fact that you can legally own a Crossbow in the UK at 17, a full year before you can legally drink.

 

[MrNixon21]

The bit that makes me giggle is the fact that in most states you can drive when you're 16 but can't get pissed (legally) for another 5 years.

But still not as cool as the fact that you can legally own a Crossbow in the UK at 17, a full year before you can legally drink.

Along the lines of that logic, here in the US, you can enlist in the armed forces and fight and die for your country three years before you can drink. Hell if a draft is instituted, the GOVERNMENT can force you to fight for them before they let you drink . . .

Really, the whole thing is pretty stupid. If you wonder why alcoholism and general irresponsible behavior related to booze is fairly widespread in the US, the drinking age is probably why. The majority of us grow out of the childish "drinkinz iz teh awesomez!" attitude by the time we hit 23. If the age were lowered to even 18, I'd bet there would be more responsibility with it than what you see now.

 

[PureChaos]

i live in the UK and even though i've been able to drink legally for 5 years i don't that much. wouldn't have bothered me not being able to drink legally until 21

 

[the cornflake]

Explain to me what the rush to get smashed is again? I have never seen the great awsomeness to putting yourself in a state where your unable to do anything, or even think straight...

EDIT: also it's damn expensive

apparantly youve never played a drinking game. quite fun after everyone has had at least 3 shots of vodka. PS: best night ever

 

[Airbear101]

Now im a Brit so we can drink from pritty much any age as long as are parents say its ok, then 18 is the legal age to get boose. As far as i know in america drinking is prohibited until your the age of 21...How on earth do you cope/did you cope with that? it sounds regiculus.

This also goes for any other people from contries with simular drinking rules, I am only really aware of america not being able to drink till 21 sure there are more out there.

You need to go to a good ol american highschool/college party

 

[Ninonybox_v1legacy]

We drink before 21. It just isn't legal.

very true

 

[axia777]

Our alcohol sucks.
Editarn buttons. Anyway our stuff is just terrible, watered down piss. Plus we drink illegally before that.

Bite your tounge. Okay, your beer is horsepiss, but you gave the world Jack Daniels!

Your ignorance of American brew is astounding.

 

[GrandAm]

Actually in America the States control drinking age. The reason they are now in line with 21 years has to do with federal highway money. States that want federal funds for their roads have to follow federal highway regulation. At some time some federal organization said 21 years of age drunk driving is safer than under 21 years of age drunk driving. They used drunk driving for highway safety to allow the 21 mandate. If they can tie in the regulation some how to funding it gives the fed the right to deny that specific funding, if that state refuses to fall in line.

Stupid, I know.

So it's ok to drink drive over 21 but not under? I'd like to see that 'study'...

OT: I think they'd only need to 'cope' if they were raging alcoholics...

I didn't use the word "ok" regarding over 21 years of age drunk driving. I said the powers that be in the fedgov. claim it was necessary to have all states follow the 21 year law. Constitutionally they can't. So they tied it into federal funds that can be denied. They tied it to drunk DRIVING and HIGHWAY funds. If a state wanted to keep it at 18, they would be denied the highway money. Instead of losing the money, they fell in line.

It happend in the 70s with the 55MPH law. Then the fed stated if you want fed highway money, then enforce the 55MPH mandate. The idea then is it would save fuel during the oil crisis.

Of course any form of drunk driving is unsafe ragardless of age. I am saying it is stupid reasoning that now in the US everywhere is 21 or older to drink.

 

[AWC Viper]

Australia 18 in public 16 and lower in private dwellings with parental supervision.

 

[OniSuika]

Quite easily, actually.
Having no social life and a disdain for people who do drink early due to said people usually being obnoxious about it definitely helps, too.

Man speaks the truth.

I live in Britain as well, but I could easily last out until 21 without drinking. Seeing the kind of idiots that drink too much helps that disdain a lot.

 

[baseracer]

Yea, we drink at parties. until we are 21. But, damn those parties are fun.

The reason why the drinking age is 21 here in the US is because the government gets more off tickets.

 

[rampantcreature]

I've never had a problem with this. I didn't even have to hide drinking before I turned 21 from my parents...because they were the ones offering me alcohol. Then again, my family is very "European" (read: Czech) and we're all dirty immigrants who disregard American culture and laws in favor of booze.

And when I visit my family back in the motherland of CZ, alcohol is everywhere and "free" thanks to winecellars and people fermenting/distilling whatever kind of fruit they may happen to have laying around.

 

[historybuff]

We drink before 21. It just isn't legal.

Obviously this.

We all just do it anyway. By the time we hit 21, it's lost most of its novelty.


Especially in certain parts of the country where people still brew their own.

 

[VanityGirl]

I don't need alcohol to have fun. Parties CAN exist without booze. And if you need to get drunk to get girls than I feel sorry for you.

You won't be getting the RIGHT girls with beer goggles on.
A 459 pound girl may look like she's only 120 with beer goggles.
*shudders*

 

[Haliwali]

By joining the military and killing anything I see move for the 3 yeaers between now and when I can actually get myself a beer.

Old enough to die for my country, just as long as I do it sober.

 

[Sexy Street]

Killing all hope for humanity.

 

[Clashero]

We drink before 21. It just isn't legal.

This, seems pretty obvious doesnt it. Its really not that big of a deal.

True. The age for purchasing and drinking here is 18, but people start drinking way before that. Hell, my parents were the ones who got me into drinking (very sensible of them, actually. They let me try out stuff in the house so I wouldn't go overboard when I went out with friends)