Poll: Should The US Drinking Age Be Lowered?

[Chesterfield Snapdragon McFisticuffs]

I'm 16 and half my friends are drinking/smoking already. I live in NZ and the drinking age is 18 and it would be virtually impossible to move the drinking age back up(the changes are pretty much irreversible). Keeping it at 21 isn't going to stop underage drinking but at least it will be able to partially halt the sales of alcohol.
The merits of lowering the age to 18 are far outweighed by the dangers.

 

[KenzS]

YES YES A THOUSAND TIMES YES.

I live in Canada, and our legal drinking age is 19(18 in Quebec). It seems almost cruel to think you'd have to wait till you're 21 to buy alcohol. I don't even want to turn 21...

 

[New Troll]

As I stated before, it should be raised. Most twenty-one year olds are still morons. So lets give them a couple more years to mature and make it twenty-five. And if society keeps going downhill, we can just keep raising the drinking age to help counter. Won't be a fix-all, but it can only help.

 

[Gadzooks]

The problem is with the way drinking and "partying" are portrayed in Hollywood.

If you want a sensible system, you should look to European countries. As someone said before, there are separate drinking ages (16-18) for low alcohol content drinks, and 18+ for spirits. Even so, these rules are not always strongly enforced in my experience there. However, they do not have a drinking problem with the youth, atleast not anywhere near the extent of the US (and a few other countries).

In fact, they are brought up with an appreciation of alcohol from a younger age - often from within the family - be it some wine with dinner or otherwise, it seems to work. When they reach the age where they can drink legally it isn't the end of some huge taboo, and they don't go and wreck themselves out of inexperience.

A story I've told once before on the escapist was when I was in Munich, myself and a few friends bought some beers from the counter of the youth hostel we were staying in, and started talking to some local kids in the common room who were also drinking. We finished ours quickly to get a bit drunk before going out on the town. They looked outraged as we had finished a few bottles by the time they had finished one, and asked us "Why are you wasting your drink? You have to enjoy the flavour!". Apparently they weren't drinking to get wasted, which was unthinkable to me at the time, and they didn't understand why we wanted to get drunk quickly.

It seems counterintuitive; that getting your teenage children to start drinking earlier would lead them into alcohol dependance of some sort, yet in all my experience it is the opposite - sheltered kids don't know how to handle it when they finally get to drink to their hearts content, and they end up using it as a social crutch and confidence booster with often negative consequences.

I'd be quite happy to see a separate drinking age (e.g 18) for beer and wine, and 21 for spirits. But to be honest, I don't think anything will change dramatically unless there is also a change within the home environment in regards to parental attitudes towards drinking - If you take something away from a child, they only want it more, and perhaps a gradual introduction from a younger age is the answer.

 

[Dantes Alaska]

i don't drink, nor do i feel the need too, but i still put yes because i got turned down for a job that i would have got if i was 21 because i would have to stock beer

 

[dkyros]

I say no. Too many teens die in car crashes in HS as it is(when i went to college everyone there knew at least one person who had died this way), now if the drinking age is lowered it means that getting booze as a teen just became that much easier, thus the likelyhood of accidents involving drunk teenagers should rise. Not only that, but on the opposite end of the spectrum, half the fun of drinking is not getting caught =X

 

[Skeleon]

Hah, it definitely should be lowered.

In Germany, weak alcoholics like beer and wine are allowed from 16 years onwards.
Strong stuff from 18 years.

 

[quiet_samurai]

Since you can Vote, Sign a Contract to join the Service, then you should be able to drink.

My sentiments exactly.

However, some small part of me says no, because my ass had to wait until I was 21 so you should too. And the only reason the drinking age is 21 is because of state tax breaks and such. I actually remember when I was really young and the drinking age in some states was 19.

 

[magnuslion]

I grew up in a house where i was allowed to drink from age 14. brandy is a tradition at my house around Christmas. I am neither an alcoholic or ever done anything potentially fatal with alcohol involved. in short yes, because there really isnt a point in having an underage law except to pump more money into the court systems and give the government more control over our lives.

 

[gentleben]

Should the US Drinking Age Be Lowered?

I say yes, I find it so fucked up that a 18 year old deemed responsible and smart enough to be able to go to war and fight for his/her country, but drinking alcohol is apparently abover there heads. So I say that the drinking age should at least be lowered to 18.

Yes, but what about an 18 year old who isn't responsible or smart enough to make good decisions about drinking. Drunk drivers kill enough people every year as it is. Better safe than sorry.

What a stupid argument. What about a 22 year old who isn't responsible? Randomly pulling hypothetical situations out of your arse doesn't prove anything, and in Australia the trend for drink driving is not that 18 year olds go out and kill everyone. When you first get your licence you aren't allowed any alcohol in your blood stream at all, and if you are caught with even a 0.001 your licence is suspended.

In Australia in 2008, 50 motorists were killed and found to have a BAC of more than 0.05g/100ml (the legal limit across Australia). 34% were between 21 and 29 years of age, 20% were aged between 30 and 39 years, 28% were aged over 40, and the remaining 18% were 20 years of age or younger (http://www.tacsafety.com.au/jsp/content/NavigationController.do?areaID=12&tierID=1&navID=A9348A54&navLink=null&pageID=164). I will remind you that Australia has a drinking age of 18, yet 21-29 year olds were the group most likely to be killed drink driving, followed by those over 40.

The same set of figures showed that 82% of those dead from drink driving were males. So why not ban Alcohol for males and permit it for females, that would certainly be a case of "better safe than sorry".

The fact of the matter is by making alcohol illegal, and at the same time loading up television advertisement space with advertisements for Budweiser, and telling kids that alcohol is a socially acceptable drug you are creating a problem rather than solving one.

This response probably applies to the below posts as well, they are all equally poorly supported and offer nothing to this discussion:

As I stated before, it should be raised. Most twenty-one year olds are still morons. So lets give them a couple more years to mature and make it twenty-five. And if society keeps going downhill, we can just keep raising the drinking age to help counter. Won't be a fix-all, but it can only help.

No,no a thousand times no.
Booze is lame anyway.

I'm 20, I've never drank, and I never plan to drink. Good luck with your cirrhosis.

Absolutely not. People are idiotic shit heads, and alchohol just makes it worse. You may think you're responisible, and you may be right, but many are not and would likely start drinking and driving, and even though I love massive amounts of death I don't think others would.

If you really are responsible enough to handle drinking alchohol and not being stupid with it, you should understand what I am trying to say and can handle waiting.

No, I say they raise the age because I'm not being killed because some dumb fucking 18 year old just felt like drinking at some party. It happens everyday because the US 18 year olds are just dumb and spoiled kids who will do any thing and I mean ANYTHING to support their ego of being cool. (with the exception of the 18 year olds with actual potential and talent)

 

[Scarecrow38]

Drinking age limits don't prevent underage drinking but they do roughly raise the age at which people start drinking. I think it's good that teenagers are being made to wait until they're mature (physically and mentally) enough to enjoy alcohol. I don't see what's so wrong with a government trying to get it citizens to wait as long as possible before destroying their bodies with drink. Drinking ages have probably saved at least one life, and that's justification enough.

 

[Deadpoolsbrain]

When you turn 18 you CAN be drafted. So yes.

 

[Rigs83]

No because teenagers are already stupid before they get hammered.

 

[New Troll]

Should the US Drinking Age Be Lowered?

I say yes, I find it so fucked up that a 18 year old deemed responsible and smart enough to be able to go to war and fight for his/her country, but drinking alcohol is apparently abover there heads. So I say that the drinking age should at least be lowered to 18.

Yes, but what about an 18 year old who isn't responsible or smart enough to make good decisions about drinking. Drunk drivers kill enough people every year as it is. Better safe than sorry.

What a stupid argument. What about a 22 year old who isn't responsible? Randomly pulling hypothetical situations out of your arse doesn't prove anything, and in Australia the trend for drink driving is not that 18 year olds go out and kill everyone. When you first get your licence you aren't allowed any alcohol in your blood stream at all, and if you are caught with even a 0.001 your licence is suspended.

In Australia in 2008, 50 motorists were killed and found to have a BAC of more than 0.05g/100ml (the legal limit across Australia). 34% were between 21 and 29 years of age, 20% were aged between 30 and 39 years, 28% were aged over 40, and the remaining 18% were 20 years of age or younger (http://www.tacsafety.com.au/jsp/content/NavigationController.do?areaID=12&tierID=1&navID=A9348A54&navLink=null&pageID=164). I will remind you that Australia has a drinking age of 18, yet 21-29 year olds were the group most likely to be killed drink driving, followed by those over 40.

The same set of figures showed that 82% of those dead from drink driving were males. So why not ban Alcohol for males and permit it for females, that would certainly be a case of "better safe than sorry".

The fact of the matter is by making alcohol illegal, and at the same time loading up television advertisement space with advertisements for Budweiser, and telling kids that alcohol is a socially acceptable drug you are creating a problem rather than solving one.

I like how people are comparing thier own nations with the US. There are many different mindsets among the people of different countries, so saying something is okay for one place does not mean it should be okay everywhere. Not to mention the varying effects of stuff like traffic degrees and drug/ alcohol availability. The biggest influence though is society/ parenting. In the US it's becoming more and more okay for parenting to be left out of the household. Live and learn is our most common demeanor. Why talk to our children about sex when they can learn first hand when they turn thirteen. Why talk to our children about drinking responsibly when they can learn firsthand in a car accident. I know this isn't everyone, but it is becoming more popular. And it's sad. And I don't ever wish to help things along by voting for something silly like lowering the drinking age. Not here. Not in the US.

Also note, I am NOT saying anything about your laws. If a lowered drinking age is okay for your country, then all the more power to you. Congrats I guess. Not that drinking alcohol is anything to be proud of in my opinion. Been there, done that, don't remember.

 

[LongAndShort]

Here in Australia, the legal drinking age is 18 and we're all just fine. Simple fact is, if your a retard and likely to break the law and do something stupid, your probably not gonna care about age limits and drink anyway. Maybe education and tighter enforcement on laws such as drink-driving and public-drunkeness are a better idea than a high drinking age. We've got zero tolerance for drink-driving in the first three years we have our licenses and that stops me and all my mates, who aren't willing to risk losing our licenses for even just one beer. Its keeping the drinking but removes the dangerous situation.

And if they put themselves in that dangerous situation anyway, well, its darwinism at work.

 

[Smurfy 0151]

There's really no point, I feel. American minors are still going to find ways to get their drink on. I really see no point.

 

[gentleben]

I found this data on US drink driving as well through a Gallup Organisation poll.

I would also raise the point that several US states have a ludicrously high BAC at 0.08%.

 

[ExodusinFlames]

I've discovered that drinking isn't a big deal everywhere else in the world, except North America. From what I've gathered, drinking ages are more suggestions than laws. Parents teach their kids moderation at a young age, and for the most part it pays off. Over here, if you drink underage you get in all kinds of trouble (up to jail time for you and a mighty fine for your parents). So because of the whole "Don't do it, or else" mentality, more do it and kill either themselves or other people.
So yes, I think the drinking age should be lowered, but only if, parents are willing to properly educate their children on drinking.

 

[Srkkl]

I agree almost completely, but I don't see the point of alcohol so I don't care.

 

[Leorex]

I found this data on US drink driving as well through a Gallup Organisation poll.

I would also raise the point that several US states have a ludicrously high BAC at 0.08%.

i agree with this image, the drinking age should be 50