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

[SacremPyrobolum]

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.

I live in Germany where you can drink beer at 16, wine at 17 and spirits at 18. Legally, you can even go younger than that as long as you have adult supervision and unofficially the drinking age is 10. Despite this, Munich is a very nice place and Germany as a whole seems to be doing just fine despite the Euro Crisis so yes, I would say countries with more lax drinking laws are doing rather well despite the "anarchy."

Plus my cousin who lives and when to collage in Birmingham UK has stories of Americans coming from over seas and getting completely wasted almost immediately because they can drink there. If you forbid something your only encouraging it's abuse.

 

[dvd_72]

So this way the parents can essentially teach their children how to drink responsibly? I see no problem with this. Well not quite...

Lowering of the drinking age, while I think a good thing, may have some transitional troubles. The cultural mindset is going to have to adjust and that may not go smoothly. Then again it may go smoothly, but change usually doesn't come easily does it?

 

[Mikeyfell]

Parents should be allowed to buy their kids of any age alcohol as long as they take responsibility.

If you want to put an arbitrary age limit on it 18 is as good as any, but really what's the difference between an 18 year old and a 17 year old? or a 14 year old? And if you get young enough you'll get to a point where the kid won't want any alcohol or they'll take 1 sip and go "EWWWWW!"
And honestly that's a good thing. Certainly better than making boose this forbidden fruit, because then they'll want it even more and get it in a less controlled environment.

And what would you rather have the parents saying "Sure little Timmy, you can have a little beer, or a sip of wine."
or little Timmy sneaking off to pay some hobo to buy him the cheapest strongest thing on the shelf?
Or alternately have Timmy not know anything about alcohol until his 21'st birthday, going out getting shitfaced and waking up with the mother of all hangovers, naked pictures on the internet and a penis drawn on his face.

Now unless you're the guy drawing the cock on Timmy's face I'm pretty sure you'd agree that the first option is the best.

 

[Aslyn]

It's already legal in Louisiana for a parent to buy their teen alcohol in public. We are much more conservative than CO, but it's a big drinking state. I think that if you can vote and join the army, you should be able to drink. What the age is doesn't really matter to me, I just think they should match.

 

[Risingblade]

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.

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.

We have more guns and irresponsible people though, you really wanna throw in alchool into that equation even earlier that it already is...?

 

[Jamieson 90]

In the UK the legal drinking age is 18 so it felt really weird to see this thread before I realized in the States it's 21 just like the UAE (Went to Dubai when I was 18 and couldn't drink), but to answer the question I think it should be approved; kids are going to drink whether you like it or not, and if you outright forbid it then they'll most likely consume it at parties or without their parents' knowledge, so parental supervision over outright forbidding it any day, I always thought 21 was way too old as a drinking age anyway.

 

[Lazy Kitty]

Yes, after all, it is completely legal to drink any kind of alcohol once you're 18. Some kinds even once you're 16.

 

[Mithcha]

Never understood the obsession with age 21,it's started over here now with signs saying if you'r under 25, of all things, you'll be ID'd when buying stuff in Supermarkets.

Far as I know here (UK) you can legally buy a child of 14 alcohol as others have said, but I've seen kids as young as seven be bought drinks by their parents in some South London pubs, which isn't surprising since you can drink at age 7 within your own home and under the guidance of a suitable adult, so that will extend to some (but not all) pubs.

 

[Powereaver]

If they are of legal age i dont see a problem with it, my mum shared my first ever alcoholic drink with me.. even though we both arent big alcohol drinkers.. and on that note.. Wine doesnt taste very good!

 

[generals3]

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.

This just reminded me how happy i'm to live in a country where you can by "soft alcohols" (beer and such) at the age of 16. Still funny how in the US you can be trusted to drive a car at 16 but you sure as hell aren't mature to handle alcohol until 21!

 

[BOOM headshot65]

Wait, are you serious? What do you think legalising weed and drinking for 18+ (and even that under supervision) is going to do?

Right now? We will get lots of stoners driving high on our interstates here in Kansas, and like they have already been doing with medical marijunia, criminals will get weed there and sell it here. The state troopers and Highway patrol have already got thier hands full handling the increased speed limits[footnote]We raised the speed limit from 70mph to 75 mph in an attempt to attract more truckers and thus get more off of highway tolls.....it work. Now we have crazy truckers tearing down the interstate at 90mph (never really a problem BEFORE the speed was lifted, as they went through Nebraska and Oklahoma) and are seeing a spike in traffic accidents. Needless to say, the highway patrol wasnt happen when they were told speed limits would be going up.[/footnote], they do not want to deal with legal weed in Colorado. Hell, many of the sheriffs on the border are putting calls out for more officers and are talking about basically locking down the border (checkpoints, increased patrol, vehicle searches. The whole 9 yards), and as per the Kansas Supreme Court, they can, and should. Maybe I can go out there and join them. I always hear Western Kansas was more moderate than the Northeast anyway. Maybe its the distance from Topeka?

Do you think if you live there you will suddenly be obligated to smoke weed and get your kids drunk? Do you think that the streets will be littered with 18 year old alcoholics and piles of stoners?

No, its that I dont like that by legalizing, we are encouraging that behavior. If it wasnt so engrained in our culture, I would say make booze illegal. But its FAR too late to change that now. Weed and other drugs are already illegal and looked down on by society, so it would be easier to keep it out.

That said, I will agree the way we are doing it now is screwed up. I am ok with making it De-criminalized, where if you get caught with below a certain amount(which above that amount it can be said "Your dealing") then it would be no worse if you got a speeding ticket. Then they take your blunt and say "dont do it again" and put you in rehab. If you get caught again, then your fine goes up until eventually, you are not going to be able to pay for it anymore. Of course, this money will go straight to the police with no middleman inbetween, and this money will be used to bust more people. I am also OK with being semi-legalized were it is ok to smoke in your own home and grow your own, but set foot on public areas or sell it to a friend, and expect to get football tackled by the cops.

As for this, I would be ok with "You can drink with adult supervision" if it wasnt for the fact that parenting seems to be falling by the wayside. See, my cousin (WHO IS FRICKING 14) gets away with drinking his dads (my uncles) beer all the time. He doesnt stop him, hell, he sees him do it sometimes. It drives my parents up the wall as well as most of the rest of the family. If people wouldnt act like that, I may be inclined to say "Ok, go. This can go well." but from what I have seen I dont have much hope.

Of course, I am probly the only teenager/young adult [19] in the world who doesnt know where to get drugs, still hates drugs, and even when I hit 21 will never have more than a can of beer per month, if that, so maybe I am biased.

 

[Varrdy]

There really is an odd attitude to booze in the USA. Even though someone can be blatantly in their 90's, they still have to produce ID by law - this was very odd to me as, before I went to the USA I'd never been ID'd for booze in my life and I first got served in a pub when I was 15 (Yay for being tall!). Being carded when I was in my mid-20's was a bit strange to say the least but not as strange as the chap sat opposite me being carded...he was 53.

Why is that? I know American's have little actual common sense (A trait that is becoming more prevalent in the UK now, before anyone gets upset) but is it really THAT bad? Judging by the whisps of steam that came out the confused waitresses ears when I gave her a UK driver's license as ID, I'd say yes, it is.

I was also refused beer on a sunday in Georgia - fucking Christianty! I was so pissed off I broke my own rule and ranted at the store manager, claiming I was not Christian but I WAS bloody thirsty!

Anyway - let the 18 year olds have a beer for God's sake! If they're with their parents it might be awkward but after a few beers they will not care anymore! It will be great for father - son bonding moments and all that!

Next time I'm in the USA, mine's an Amber-Bock (proof that Americans can make at least one good beer!)

 

[DoomyMcDoom]

I love how any time a thread about any substance legislation comes up, all the extremely judgemental nigh puritanical teetotallers and pot haters come out of the wood work, also nice that there's not so many of them.

My biggest questions to all those "I don't break laws, I never will drink, I think anyone who puts any substance into them is an idiot" types, is do you live? Like, do you have friends, go and do things with them, let loose, date, and get out? Are you old enough to understand how life can be, usually you don't experience any of the realities of life until you move away from your folks, and life on your own for awhile, hell most people haven't really lived until their 30s, I got a head start due to growing up poor, but did you? Are you judgemental of others because you really see yourself as a perfect example of life, or is it due to underlying self hatered, which you deal with through a form of self agrandizing denial. Do you really think that life is long enough to deny yourself pleasures that are perfectly harmless in moderation, because you'll have plenty of time to enjoy life, because what happens when you are struck by a car, unexpectedly tomorrow, and you either end up paralyzed/crippled for life, or dead, will you regret?

Because, I can tell you one thing about life, it sucks out there in the real world, and because of that combining so beautifully with life being short, and ending unpredictably, a lot of us, use certain substances to improve what little time we have here, mainly to reduce the stress of just holding everything together to keep living.

I say, learn to tolerate others, it'll do you good.

Also from a canadian standpoint, yeah they should allow it, hell I think they should just go ahead and lower the age to 18 or 19, 21 is a retarded age restriction more likely to cause excessive drinking later on due to being forced to do it in secret for so long that one is more likely to abuse the privalege when one finally gets it.

 

[Dangit2019]

21 is kind of a high age for alcohol to be honest... Especially in a country where the legal age for driving is like, 15.

It's 16. It may not seem like a big difference, but at my current age, IT IS.

 

[Rblade]

whatever anyone says, thinking you can prevent kids from drinking is dellusional. They will always get their hands on booze, especially in college. So yeah I'm all the way in favor of parents being present to introduce young adults (because they are adults mind you) to alcohol. And learn how it makes you very sick and unable to opperate machinery. Thats the exact reason why I think people should learn the effects of alcohol before they are allowed to drive. Otherwise they would likely get drunk unsupervised and might be drunkenly overconfident of their driving ability. And overconfidence is pretty much the main sellingpoint of alcohol.

 

[Ryotknife]

I love how any time a thread about any substance legislation comes up, all the extremely judgemental nigh puritanical teetotallers and pot haters come out of the wood work, also nice that there's not so many of them.

My biggest questions to all those "I don't break laws, I never will drink, I think anyone who puts any substance into them is an idiot" types, is do you live? Like, do you have friends, go and do things with them, let loose, date, and get out? Are you old enough to understand how life can be, usually you don't experience any of the realities of life until you move away from your folks, and life on your own for awhile, hell most people haven't really lived until their 30s, I got a head start due to growing up poor, but did you? Are you judgemental of others because you really see yourself as a perfect example of life, or is it due to underlying self hatered, which you deal with through a form of self agrandizing denial. Do you really think that life is long enough to deny yourself pleasures that are perfectly harmless in moderation, because you'll have plenty of time to enjoy life, because what happens when you are struck by a car, unexpectedly tomorrow, and you either end up paralyzed/crippled for life, or dead, will you regret?

Because, I can tell you one thing about life, it sucks out there in the real world, and because of that combining so beautifully with life being short, and ending unpredictably, a lot of us, use certain substances to improve what little time we have here, mainly to reduce the stress of just holding everything together to keep living.

I say, learn to tolerate others, it'll do you good.

Also from a canadian standpoint, yeah they should allow it, hell I think they should just go ahead and lower the age to 18 or 19, 21 is a retarded age restriction more likely to cause excessive drinking later on due to being forced to do it in secret for so long that one is more likely to abuse the privalege when one finally gets it.

you do know that if the legal age was lowered in the US, canada would lose quite a bit of money >_> _>. Dont mean that in a hostile way, just saying im surprised you would endorse it.

 

[Fluffythepoo]

If its with your parents it should be lower, like 14-16ish.. As prohibition demonstrated, (young) people are going to drink regardless of the law so your best bet is to let them do it in situations that would encourage responsible drinking. There's no reason to practice restraint if youre 14 drinking at a bush party with a bunch of 14 year olds, but there's quite a good reason if youre at a restaurant with mom and dad.

 

[Smeggs]

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.

Probably due to the fact that 18-year-olds are fucking stupid, though 21-year-olds aren't much better.

Once you hit 18 and have legal reign of your own life, a lot of people do really stupid shit. Why would you put alcohol under the repertoire of things for them to foolishly use in a fit of newfound adult freedom? Giving them another three years to ease into that adulthood may mellow them out enough to not do incredibly stupid shit while intoxicated...maybe.

Legal drinking age won't be lowered. I'm not sure exactly the statistics, but I feel pretty safe assuming as much.

If its with your parents it should be lower, like 14-16ish.. As prohibition demonstrated, (young) people are going to drink regardless of the law so your best bet is to let them do it in situations that would encourage responsible drinking. There's no reason to practice restraint if youre 14 drinking at a bush party with a bunch of 14 year olds, but there's quite a good reason if youre at a restaurant with mom and dad.

Wait, did you mix those up? Maybe I'm not understanding the wording.

No reason to restrain a 14 year old from drinking with other irresponsible teenagers at a party, but reason to restrain them from drinking at a restaurant with mom and dad?

 

[Raven_Operative]

A 16 year old in Canada can fight and die for his country in the army reserve, but may not drink alcohol until he/she is over 19.

It seems kinda strange, so I support parents being able to buy 18 year olds alcohol.

 

[DarkishFriend]

The US did change the legal drinking age to 18 for a period and teen deaths skyrocketed. That is why it's at 21 right now.