Poll: Should parents be allowed to buy their (18+) kids alcohol in public?

[Jacco]

Today, in my beautiful home state of Colorful Colorado, a REPUBLICAN state representative is planning on introducing legislation to allow parents to buy their children alcohol in public places (restaurants and bars) as long as they are 18 or over.


His argument is that we give our children wine and beer and stuff as they grow up in our homes, so this would be no different. Also, if they can vote and join the military etc why can't they drink?

On the other hand, the president of MADD is calling on him to refrain from introducing it since it will, as she says, encourage underage drinking and give the kids the message that it is okay to drink underage on their own.

I think this is a grand step toward lowering the drinking age. What say you? Is this a good proposal or not?

Edit: I forgot to mention that the drinking age in the US is 21.

 

[Marter]

18-year-olds can buy their own alcohol here, and have been able to do so as long as I've been alive. As a result, it seems foreign to see this type of thing just now being introduced in other places -- if only because it's far from what my norm is.

Now, do I agree with it? I dunno. The kids are going to drink anyway, and doing it under parent supervision might be better than not, so sure, I guess.

 

[Jacco]

18-year-olds can buy their own alcohol here, and have been able to do so as long as I've been alive. As a result, it seems foreign to see this type of thing just now being introduced in other places -- if only because it's far from what my norm is.

Now, do I agree with it? I dunno. The kids are going to drink anyway, and doing it under parent supervision might be better than not, so sure, I guess.

The drinking age here in the states was 18 for a long time and for some reason they raised it to 21 in the early 80s if I remember correctly. Now there's a push to bring it back down to 18 and this is one of the first steps in doing that.

 

[roushutsu]

Provided that the parent is present at all times while the 18 year old has alcohol in hand, I don't see the harm. This way, should anything go wrong, the parent can step in immediately.

 

[mechashiva77]

In public? I'd say no. I think if parents and the children are responsible enough, then sure they can drink all they want in my opinion. It's what my parents do for me, and I wouldn't call myself an alcoholic nor do I have any desire to binge drink. Then again, I'm not every teenager.

 

[Ryotknife]

For some reason this brings up memories when i was 13-14 going on fishing trips with my father and grandfather drinking alcoholic drinks in New York.

granted it was hard lemonade, but still.

I would actually prefer if the drinking age was 19 rather than making it 18. Course, being under 21 was never a problem as Canada is a scant few miles away from my home, and my college was next to the canadian border too some 400 miles away from my home city.

Also, the president of MADD should probably visit a college campus or two. Underage drinkers everywhere in those places.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

I still have no idea why the drinking age is 21 in the US...

You can drive a tonne of metal in public places at 16, but you can't purchase alcohol until 5 years after that? Crazy

 

[JaceArveduin]

I still have no idea why the drinking age is 21 in the US...

You can drive a tonne of metal in public places at 16, but you can't purchase alcohol until 5 years after that? Crazy

Well, you can get paid to shoot people/get killed, and to smoke cigarettes, when you turn 18. Oh, and you can buy a hunting rifle/shotgun at the same time, too.

 

[Kopikatsu]

I still have no idea why the drinking age is 21 in the US...

You can drive a tonne of metal in public places at 16, but you can't purchase alcohol until 5 years after that? Crazy

Probably because driving a car doesn't inherently cause brain damage or developmental disorders. There is such a thing as too much freedom, and this is something that is inherently understood, because very few (if any) rational people seriously advocate anarchy.

On the other hand, I never understood why anyone ever drank or smoked anyway, so whatever.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

I still have no idea why the drinking age is 21 in the US...

You can drive a tonne of metal in public places at 16, but you can't purchase alcohol until 5 years after that? Crazy

Probably because driving a car doesn't inherently cause brain damage or developmental disorders. There is such a thing as too much freedom, and this is something that is inherently understood, because very few (if any) rational people seriously advocate anarchy.

On the other hand, I never understood why anyone ever drank or smoked anyway, so whatever.

Neither does alcohol, in moderation.

And anarchy? Nobody else in the developed world has such a high drinking age, and they seem to get along just fine.

 

[WolfThomas]

You can drive a tonne of metal in public places at 16, but you can't purchase alcohol until 5 years after that? Crazy

To be fair that actually sounds like a smart idea keeping those separate, unlike Australia where you get both at 18.

 

[Xan Krieger]

I still have no idea why the drinking age is 21 in the US...

You can drive a tonne of metal in public places at 16, but you can't purchase alcohol until 5 years after that? Crazy

Probably because driving a car doesn't inherently cause brain damage or developmental disorders. There is such a thing as too much freedom, and this is something that is inherently understood, because very few (if any) rational people seriously advocate anarchy.

On the other hand, I never understood why anyone ever drank or smoked anyway, so whatever.

Because it feels really really good. Normally I'm really stressed but on New Year's Eve I drank half of a bottle of wine and you know what? I felt at peace with the world.

OP: Of course we should, if you can shoot at people because the government finds it funny then of course you should be able to drink.

 

[Kopikatsu]

Neither does alcohol, in moderation.

If you expect a teenager to even know the definition of that word, my friend, you have never been to America. That goes for parents too, come to think of it. There is a reason we have 24% of the world's criminal population but only 5% of the global population.

Nobody else in the developed world has such a high drinking age, and they seem to get along just fine.

I'm not seeing it.

 

[IamQ]

Oh you silly 'muricans and your 21 age gate. I'm suprised you still have that restriction. Maybe if it was on strong liquor only, I'd understand, but no, it's 21+ for all types of alcohol.

 

[Fat Hippo]

I've been legally getting drunk in public since I was 16 so...yeah.

 

[9thRequiem]

The problem with teenagers and drinking in moderation is that too often the first time they drink, it's unsupervised. Whether that's under the legal age or not, or what that age is. It's giving something new and "cool" to someone who's never had it before, and has no idea of their own limits or how to recognize when they should stop, in a peer-pressure heavy environment with no safeguards.

I think that having a parent present for someone when they just start drinking is a great idea.

 

[Talaris]

Why is the poll question different to the thread question? I vote no in the poll, but I believe parents should be able to buy alcohol for their 18+ sons/daughters. Perhaps this is because I'm from the UK where the legal drinking age is 18 anyway, but buying it should be fine so long as two factors are adhered to: a proper upbringing that teaches not to drink excessively, and only buy in moderation.

Hell when I turned 18, my Dad constantly offered me beer and other alcohol (probably to seem cool) which I constantly refused because I'm not an idiot unlike most people that age.

 

[ShinyCharizard]

Wait. Can't 18 year olds buy alcohol anyway? At least we can in Australia.

 

[MetalMagpie]

In the UK, young people can buy themselves alcohol at 18, and parents can buy their children alcohol in restaurants providing the child is at least 14.

Alcohol is not a deadly poison. Let parents decide when they start giving their children wine with meals.

 

[Ren_Li]

In the UK, young people can buy themselves alcohol at 18, and parents can buy their children alcohol in restaurants providing the child is at least 14.

Alcohol is not a deadly poison. Let parents decide when they start giving their children wine with meals.

Yeeaah, I think the law is one none-liquor drink as long as it's with a meal. Just clarification for anyone unfamiliar with the law.

I'm pretty anti-alcohol, but that's just my opinion, and it's based off personal experience rather than facts and figures. With that in mind... Will this step, even if it's a step towards permanently lowering the drinking age, be a terrible thing? Well... Probably not, if I'm honest.
And let's face it, not many teens are going to go to bars with their parents. It will likely mostly be family get-togethers, dinners etc. Given that I too was raised with the drinking age being 18, with parents able to buy their children drinks with meals at 14... It doesn't seem like a big deal to me. (Aforementioned dislike of alcohol aside.)