Reducing Drinking Age to 18???

[mosesbotbol]

Virtually all of the world has a drinking age for 18 or less. The USA is one of a few (the only one actually I can think off hand) that has 21 year drinking age minimum.

We have had some other threads stating that America is the most free nation. Does this ago against that? Is just that we allow people to die for our nation at 18 but can not drink to our nation?

Would like to hear some opinions if a 21 drinking age is just.

[4thtry]

I would disagree with the change in age. I do realize the "if you can fight for the country than you should be allowed to drink'' mentality but the problem is, not all that are of age are mature enough to handle situations involving alcohol.

I wont even lie, when i was 18 years old, I had plenty of friends that were not of the maturity level of what we would consider to be "adult." yes legally you are an adult but let's be honest here, plenty of 18 year olds act quite differently.

If you want to use fighting for the country as a grounds for allowing 18 year olds to drink than i think it should be an incentive for those who are fighting for our country. I do agree with you on that point, If you fight you should be allowed to have a cold one at the end of the day (or whenever). But to change it across the board would be a HUGE mistake i belive.

[mhailey]

Originally Posted by mosesbotbol

Virtually all of the world has a drinking age for 18 or less. The USA is one of a few (the only one actually I can think off hand) that has 21 year drinking age minimum.

We have had some other threads stating that America is the most free nation. Does this ago against that? Is just that we allow people to die for our nation at 18 but can not drink to our nation?

Would like to hear some opinions if a 21 drinking age is just.

Sorry, but I think that 21 is a valid drinking age, and I would not agree to lowering it.

[4thtry]

To add to my previous post:

I even think that there are plenty of 21 year olds that do not have the mental maturity to be drinking. I myself am 22 years old, 23 in May, and in the almost 2 years i've been drinking i've had 3 friends get alocohol related driving citations (dui/dwi/etc). If that doesn't speak leaps & bounds i dont know what does

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by 4thtry

I would disagree with the change in age. I do realize the "if you can fight for the country than you should be allowed to drink'' mentality but the problem is, not all that are of age are mature enough to handle situations involving alcohol.

Do you have friends that are over 21 that can't handle situations involving alochol? If it is about being able to handle situations with alcohol, shouldn't permit at the individual level not age? Licenses to drink per say? Do you think that Canada and Mexico should increase their drinking ages to 21? If not, why are Americans not as mature as people of other countries then?

I should say I disagree with the drinking age at 21. I also disagree with people thinking they know what is best for others as if they are smarter and therefore have to decide someone else. The whole world get by fine with 18 as a drinking age, and enforcing 21 is just another restriction to freedom...

People have been drinking alcohol before 21 since Adam & Eve and that's never going to change, why make additional criminals out of something closely tied to human evolution?

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by 4thtry

To add to my previous post:

I even think that there are plenty of 21 year olds that do not have the mental maturity to be drinking. I myself am 22 years old, 23 in May, and in the almost 2 years i've been drinking i've had 3 friends get alocohol related driving citations (dui/dwi/etc). If that doesn't speak leaps & bounds i dont know what does

Look in the paper how many 40+ have DUI's, even our esteemed members of Congress fall into that category. I don't see the point of argument?

[FN in MT]

moses,

You enjoy stirring the pot don't You?? LOL.

FN in MT

[4thtry]

Being able to drink in a social setting bassed on age has ALOT to do with maturity.

Take a stroll through your local highschool and take a look at the senior class. You can't honestly tell me you think it should be acceptable to have those people out at bars drinking.

Im sorry but at the age of 18, a good portion of people are still children, and this is coming from a young person.

You make the correlation to other countries, look at the home life of families in other countries. Look at the divorce rate & ammount of single family homes. It's MUCH less. Families, especially in Europe are much more strict on the children in the family. They are raised closer and much differently than children here in the states.

i'm not saying i have an answer for it, just stating my opinion

[4thtry]

Originally Posted by mosesbotbol

Look in the paper how many 40+ have DUI's, even our esteemed members of Congress fall into that category. I don't see the point of argument?

The point of the arguement is that the younger people tend to be quicker to abuse alcohol rather than just enjoy it. I personally hang out with my Father and some of my Uncles, and a couple older friends on a regular basis, I dont really go out to get "hammered" so to speak. That's not the usual thing for a 22 year old to do though, most young people that drink, at least in my area, tend to go out and get completely wrecked.

Of all the older (not old 45+) people i know i've only ever known of 1 to get a DWI, and he has had a problem for MANY years.

[Blueface]

Originally Posted by mosesbotbol

Virtually all of the world has a drinking age for 18 or less. The USA is one of a few (the only one actually I can think off hand) that has 21 year drinking age minimum.

Being significantly older than that now and significantly wiser, I would answer that in two parts:

1) Go elsewhere in the world if drinking legally at 18 is a must for you.

2) Ask M.A.D.D. and anyone who has lost a loved one due to a drunk driver. If left up to them, 50 would be the minimum at least. In my town, 1 mile from me, there is a memorial as a regular reminder of five young teens who lost their lives, along with one that ended up a vegetable, while the drunk teen driver now sits in jail for quite some time.

21 is a law enacted through the popular vote. That is what we do in the US. The day the popular vote says 18 is fine, then 18 will in fact be fine.

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by FN in MT

moses,

You enjoy stirring the pot don't You?? LOL.

FN in MT

Perhaps? Dialectic debate. I do not like blanket statements, or something said without really thinking it out. I am not saying I am right or wrong, but really trying to get to essense of issue. Maybe I'll have a change of opinion because someone really made it clear why 21 should be drinking age and rest of the modern world is wrong...

[Blueface]

Originally Posted by mosesbotbol

Maybe I'll have a change of opinion because someone really made it clear why 21 should be drinking age and rest of the modern world is wrong...

Hopefully my post is enlightening in assisting you accomplish this.

[4thtry]

Originally Posted by Blueface

Being significantly older than that now and significantly wiser, I would answer that in two parts:

1) Go elsewhere in the world if drinking legally at 18 is a must for you.

2) Ask M.A.D.D. and anyone who has lost a loved one due to a drunk driver. If left up to them, 50 would be the minimum at least. In my town, 1 mile from me, there is a memorial as a regular reminder of five young teens who lost their lives, along with one that ended up a vegetable, while the drunk teen driver now sits in jail for quite some time.

21 is a law enacted through the popular vote. That is what we do in the US. The day the popular vote says 18 is fine, then 18 will in fact be fine.

Great post
In fact my girlfriend who is 24 has plenty of friends that have gotten DUI's etc, luckily no accidents or anyone getting hurt in any of these situations. Her brother who is only 19 years old, has had 3 friends die just recently. they were at a party, drinking heavily and decided to get into a car and drive right into a tree, killing all 3 instantly.

this might just by why i have such a strong opinion about this

[jloutlaw]

I agree the age should be lowered. When I was 18 the age was 18 and Mothers Against Drunk driving successfully campaigned to change it. The college age is going to drink. The legal age at 21 is making them casual about breaking the law. Alabama lowered the age to 19 so that high school students couldn't buy alchohol. That might be better than 18.

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by Blueface

2) Ask M.A.D.D. and anyone who has lost a loved one due to a drunk driver. If left up to them, 50 would be the minimum at least. In my town, 1 mile from me, there is a memorial as a regular reminder of five young teens who lost their lives, along with one that ended up a vegetable, while the drunk teen driver now sits in jail for quite some time.

21 is a law enacted through the popular vote. That is what we do in the US. The day the popular vote says 18 is fine, then 18 will in fact be fine.

I have lost friends drunk driving, and have lost friends to drunk drivers, not sure what the point is? Some were under 21, some over.

Just because there was a vote on it does not make it right. We had a long period of segregation, was that right because it was voted on?