Is It Time To Lower The Drinking Age?

[SaintOfVirtue]

[quote name='toledo_jesus' date='12 April 2010 - 05:28 PM' timestamp='1271118518' post='2092055']
Voting on the other hand, I would restrict to age 25 and up.
[/quote]

Then only those twenty five and up can serve in the military.

[Vincent Vega]

[quote name='aalpha1989' date='12 April 2010 - 10:20 PM' timestamp='1271125217' post='2092174']
oh wow, I didn't know any countries had laws like that.
[/quote]
In Germany and Austria, one may purchase and consume wine and beer at 16, but must wait until 18 to purchase and consume hard liquor.

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='tinytherese' date='12 April 2010 - 07:19 PM' timestamp='1271117948' post='2092045']
The real problem seems to be that our culture doesn't promote drinking in moderation. If it was more normal to do that than it wouldn't be as big of a problem.
[/quote]
That is the case, isn't it? The problem, in my opinion, is that the drinking laws you currently have don't deter those who are inclined to binge drink anyway. Again, look at Italy versus, for instance, Russia. Binge drinking, I believe, is considered a problem in Russia where the legal age is 18, but is not really a problem in Italy, where there is no minimum age. The difference is the culture. The law won't change that in either case.

[truthfinder]

I don't buy the DUI argument. In British Columbia those in the Learner and Novice stage cannot have any alcohol in their system. It's as simple as legislating it that way. I definetely believe that culture is a big part. I was allowed to have a sip (or more) of my parents' wine for years before the drinking age here. When I turned legal, I didn't have the urge to go out and drink. I think the purpose of the 21+ age in the States was to prevent drinking in college, but, it just adds the tempatation to drink for some.

Btw, the amount of consumption of alcohol went up (way up) during Prohbition in the States.

[ThePenciledOne]

[quote name='SaintOfVirtue' date='12 April 2010 - 11:20 PM' timestamp='1271125228' post='2092175']
I believe the drinking age should stay where its at. It keeps minors from drinking irresponsibly, and if they lower the drinking age I think you will see the number of DUI's involving minors go up. I see no reason for the number of DUI charges to fall lower with the drinking age.
[/quote]

Um, it still doesn't stop them.

Those that want to drink will drink and those that don't want to don't.

[toledo_jesus]

[quote name='SaintOfVirtue' date='12 April 2010 - 11:22 PM' timestamp='1271125321' post='2092176']
Then only those twenty five and up can serve in the military.
[/quote]
Exceptions made for those who serve. You serve, you can vote at 18.

[toledo_jesus]

[quote name='ThePenciledOne' date='13 April 2010 - 12:11 AM' timestamp='1271128292' post='2092202']
Um, it still doesn't stop them.

Those that want to drink will drink and those that don't want to don't.
[/quote]
You're right about this.

[MissyP89]

The drinking age means absolutely nothing to the vast majority of college students today.

It also causes quite a few inconveniences when you live with people who drink in a situation that is supposed to be alcohol free. Your only protection from discipline is to tell on them.

[Archaeology cat]

I personally think it should be lowered, but, more than that, cultural attitudes need to change. I grew up with being able to have a glass of wine with dinner from about the age of 13. I didn't like wine until I was older, but the option was there.

[quote name='IgnatiusofLoyola' date='12 April 2010 - 11:11 PM' timestamp='1271110277' post='2091916']
Is this really true? (I'm not saying it isn't.) But, I have read accounts of life at Cambridge and Oxford (where the drinking age is 18--or is it younger than that?) and it sounds as if a LOT of really heavy drinking goes on at those universities. I read one book where an American who studied at Cambridge for a year recounted his experiences, and he said that the amount of heavy drinking and drunken behavior that he experienced at Cambridge was much worse than anything he saw as an undergraduate at Yale. However, this book was written in the early 1990's and things might have changed.

Anyone with experiences at British universities have an opinion on this?

As so often happens, I can't decide what I think about this. I can see both sides.
[/quote]
There is a binge drinking culture here, unfortunately. And yes, the drinking age is 18 (16 with an over-18, but no hard liquor).

[quote name='Nihil Obstat' date='13 April 2010 - 03:34 AM' timestamp='1271126053' post='2092182']
That is the case, isn't it? The problem, in my opinion, is that the drinking laws you currently have don't deter those who are inclined to binge drink anyway. Again, look at Italy versus, for instance, Russia. Binge drinking, I believe, is considered a problem in Russia where the legal age is 18, but is not really a problem in Italy, where there is no minimum age. The difference is the culture. The law won't change that in either case.
[/quote]

[MarieLynn]

The drinking age in NZ is 18, and unfortunately we have a binge drinking culture. There are moves afoot to have the age raised to 20, and also to have the blood/alchohol legal ratio dropped from 80mls of alchohol per litre of blood, down to 50mls/ltr . You only have to look at our road toll over the Easter period to see how many young ones lost their lives, and how many of them had alchohol in their systems.
[img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/sadder.gif[/img]

[Jesus_lol]

[quote name='Lil Red' date='12 April 2010 - 11:03 AM' timestamp='1271095404' post='2091594']
+JMJ+
Organizations such as Mother Against Drunk Driving (MADD) argue that the drinking age is an effective policy and that the answer to ongoing alcohol related problems for 18-20 year olds is more education and better enforcement.
[/quote]

MADD has really become more about Mothers Against Drinking now. its unfortunate, several founding members etc have left because they lost their focus.

[quote name='Nihil Obstat' date='12 April 2010 - 11:09 AM' timestamp='1271095796' post='2091605']
Canada has a drinking age of 18 or 19, and as far as I know there are no reported consequences of this.

I'd go so far as to say that even 18 or 19 are too high. If I were in charge I'd really relax drinking laws, especially as to whether or not minors may drink accompanied by parents/guardians.
[/quote]
same here. its 19 in BC, 18 would be reasonable.


[quote name='toledo_jesus' date='12 April 2010 - 05:28 PM' timestamp='1271118518' post='2092055']
It's been my opinion that if one is old enough to serve in the military one should be old enough for beer.

Voting on the other hand, I would restrict to age 25 and up.
[/quote]

i would have serious problems sending young men off to fight for a government they have no say in.

[quote name='SaintOfVirtue' date='12 April 2010 - 07:20 PM' timestamp='1271125228' post='2092175']
I believe the drinking age should stay where its at. It keeps minors from drinking irresponsibly, and if they lower the drinking age I think you will see the number of DUI's involving minors go up. I see no reason for the number of DUI charges to fall lower with the drinking age.
[/quote]

yeah.... no it doesnt do really any of those things. the drinking age basically means they just get to send more teenagers to jail, not that more teenagers will decide to wait until they are 21.
waiting til 18 isnt that ridiculous, i mean then you can drink once you are out of highschool, etc. but waiting another 3 years to drink? i wouldnt. thats way too long.

it perpetuates a culture where sneaking off into the night and binge drinking, or getting trashed and passing out around strangers is the cool thing to do. because its exciting, its too long to wait otherwise, etc.

the forbidden fruit is the tastiest. if you were a kid, and your parents let you eat icecream for dessert, you would have a little here and there, supervised, etc.
if they forbade it, you would sneak around, eat waaay too much of it, and start associating lawbreaking with excitement and fun.

[dominicansoul]

puerto rico has no drinking age...

...it was really weird seeing 7,8 and 9 year olds walking around drunk and playing pool at the local bar...

[homeschoolmom]

In my ideal world, we would have better public transporation here in the US so that teens would not "need" to be driving. I'd raise the driving age to 18 (you could learn earlier, but you couldn't drive alone until 18). I would make the drinking age lower, probably-- but it needs to be national, rather than on a state by state basis like it used to be. When MN and IL were 19 and WI was 18, there was a lot of drinking and driving across state lines. I would say, probably 19. (I was 18 most of my senior year of HS, so that would not be ideal, imho.)

And I realize this is unconstitional... but this is [i]my[/i] ideal world, right? You would have to pass a basic civics test to vote... no age minimum.

[Maximilianus]

[quote name='dominicansoul' date='15 April 2010 - 04:45 PM' timestamp='1271360715' post='2094173']
puerto rico has no drinking age...

...it was really weird seeing 7,8 and 9 year olds walking around drunk and playing pool at the local bar...
[/quote]

PR drinking age is 18. PR has issues.

[God Conquers]

18 is best.

If your learn from your parents when a teenager, you will be well adjusted when the time comes. Better younger, because then the lead-up isn't as long.

I live in a province where it is 19, but 5 min. away is a province where it is 18. Works great.