drinking age should be 18

[Rogue planet]

18 is the legal age here.
If people want to get their hands on alcohol, then they will get it regardless of what the law says.
If they want to waste away on alcohol, then I say let them. It's their own decision and they're the ones that will suffer the repercussions. I think 18 is a reasonable age to assume that people are able to make informed independent decisions. There's no definitive age that can really be set, there are immature 25 year olds and there are mature 16 year olds. I think 18 is the age where people are considered an adult so it seems like the most reasonable option.
Odds are if a person isn't mature enough to be sensible when they're 18, then they won't be mature enough when they're 21 either. So it's a wasted effort putting the age to 21, imo.

 

[Amaruuk]

I don't get why alcohol's so darn important to people that they can't be patient and wait to be able to drink. It's really stupid to me. In fact, drinking in general is pointless, and I don't ever intend to do it myself. People can enjoy themselves and have a good time without alcohol at any age, so what's the big deal about lowering the age at which you can drink legally? Honestly it pisses me off that young people care so much about stuff like alcohol that they can't wait till they're 21. Whether it's legal or not, the sad truth is that plenty of kids are gonna drink anyway, so what would lowering the age even change? Nothing.

 

[donavannj]

That's awful. I've been to bad schools and I've been to good schools and I've never seen one person that gave me any reason to think they were drunk. Just sayin'.

My school's fairly rural, and drinking in your home while underage is largely tolerated in the smaller towns of German heritage nearby that send students to the high school in my town.

I think the legal age and the age you're legally able to consume alcohol should be the same. Personally, I feel better with both being 21.

The legal age was actually 21 in most states before the 1970s, when it was brought to the forefront as an issue and arguments that if you're old enough to serve your country, you're old enough to vote, were made. Ironically, this was the same decade when the drinking age was changed to 21. It's also worth noting that Mississippi still has it's age of majority at 21, while Alabama and Nebraska have the ages at 19.

 

[AuraAshley1990]

It used to be 18, but people weren't mature enough to handle it. There were high school kids showing up drunk.

you see thats my problem. the goverment thinks that people under 21 are immature and cant handle the alchohol maturely. but whats to say that people who are 21 can hand it maturely too?

 

[donavannj]

you see thats my problem. the goverment thinks that people under 21 are immature and cant handle the alchohol maturely. but whats to say that people who are 21 can hand it maturely too?

Did you even bother reading this post of mine?

But the proof was in the statistics of the time. Driving experience was a big factor in the crashes, in addition to being trashed, which is one reason why it was disproportionately those under 21 who were involved in fatal alcohol-related crashes.

If you don't believe that experience makes a difference when driving, try comparing the driving of a friend who's been driving for three years to an older relative of yours who's been driving for 15+ years. There's a noticeable difference. I even see this with my driving and my parents' driving still, and I've been driving for nearly 5 years. And comparing my driving to some of my cousins who've been driving for even just a year less than me I see a noticeable difference at times.

Th primary motive was to reduce the number of crashes since people, and fatality rates went up as driving experience decreased, which, at the time was very much tied to age.

 

[AuraAshley1990]

Did you even bother reading this post of mine?



Th primary motive was to reduce the number of crashes since people, and fatality rates went up as driving experience decreased, which, at the time was very much tied to age.

might of missed your post sorry :|

but you do make a good point

 

[Kenshin5]

It used to be 18, but people weren't mature enough to handle it. There were high school kids showing up drunk.

I would like to think that is a case by case basis. I would assume it just a certain portion of the school like say a quarter of the school comes to school drunk, because I don't see the entire student body going to school drunk. What I don't understand is it is legal to smoke at 18 but yet you are not allowed to drink. Correct me if I am wrong but smoking can have just as harmful implications on your body as alcohol, so if the government cared about the well being of 18 year olds that much wouldn't they advocate for age to legally be able to smoke to 21 or over. I personally don't care much if age is 21, really it alcohol is it just another beverage, I would just assume drink pop/soda then alcohol.

 

[AuraAshley1990]

They want to drink it because it's cool. Which is the main problem imo.

i dont drink it because its cool. i just enjoy an alcholic beverage every once in a while. and i enjoy to get drunk every once in a while too. not often though.

 

[Charliezard]

Whether it's legal or not, the sad truth is that plenty of kids are gonna drink anyway, so what would lowering the age even change? Nothing.

Which is why the main focus should be changing the attitude people have towards drinking rather than the age.

i dont drink it because its cool. i just enjoy an alcholic beverage every once in a while. and i enjoy to get drunk every once in a while too. not often though.

And you represent the majority of kids/young adults? Going out and getting smashed are pretty much seen as one in the same here.

 

[AuraAshley1990]

Which is why the main focus should be changing the attitude people have towards drinking rather than the age.



And you represent the majority of kids/young adults? Going out and getting smashed are pretty much seen as one in the same here.

no i dont but i can imagine there are a lot of people who do what i do on occassion. i would imagine now everyone under 21 goes out and drinks a lot.

 

[Charliezard]

no i dont but i can imagine there are a lot of people who do what i do on occassion. i would imagine now everyone under 21 goes out and drinks a lot.

The law has to cover everyone, no matter how stupid they are. Changing that law because a small amount of people claim they deserve it isn't likely :3 Besides, as a fair few people have said you can still drink... just not legally.

 

[Aether★]

Drinking because it's cool?
13 year olds start to drink and smoke and you think, they doing it because it's cool?

Nothing is happening because of coolness.
The 18 year old wants to drink vodka, it means that he wants to be cool?

I don't understand your line of thinking.

Reality is completely different. Especially in my country.

 

[AuraAshley1990]

The law has to cover everyone, no matter how stupid they are. Changing that law because a small amount of people claim they deserve it isn't likely :3 Besides, as a fair few people have said you can still drink... just not legally.

i agree but because of the immaturity and stupidity of people here, the age is 21. it would be nice if they lowered it though and made some law that if your cought doing stupid **** while drunk you cant drinkt il your 21 or something like that. that would be nice.

 

[Charliezard]

Yeah, 13 year olds smoke because it's cool... They hardly do it because it's healthy.
An 18 year old drinking a bit of alcohol might not do it to be cool but going out with a bunch of friends to drink until you pass out isn't done to feel good, the only reason I can see to do that would be to fit in with everyone else who's doing it.

So why do you think 13 year olds start smoking? :/ In your country...

 

[AuraAshley1990]

Yeah, 13 year olds smoke because it's cool... They hardly do it because it's healthy.
An 18 year old drinking a bit of alcohol might not do it to be cool but going out with a bunch of friends to drink until you pass out isn't done to feel good, the only reason I can see to do that would be to fit in with everyone else who's doing it.

So why do you think 13 year olds start smoking? :/ In your country...

a serious answer to that would be just to be cool same with sex why do 13 years olds have sex with eachother of people older then them.

 

[Richard Lynch]

The fact that 20-somethings go out, drink and drive and kill people makes me believe no. However, my feelings are more towards stricter laws regarding drinking itself, not necessarily the age. There are 30 year olds just as stupid as 18 year olds, and 18 year olds just as mature as 30 year olds. Hence, the age law is not the problem.

For example, should we have to forfeit our car keys once we enter the bar, then have "screeners" that judge if you're capable of driving? And if not, they keep your keys? Or, perhaps, have hired guardians keep an eye on you until you get home, where you're not allowed to leave? When does this infringe on freedom?

We've tried prohibition, and it doesn't work (I wouldn't want to ban it completely anyway - I enjoy my occasional beer or glass of wine!). What I do want is moderation. I would say I want less stupid people, but that ain't never gonna happen, so moderation it is (and I mean that in both less drinking per capita and having a watchful eye over drinkers).

 

[Aether★]

Yeah, 13 year olds smoke because it's cool... They hardly do it because it's healthy.
An 18 year old drinking a bit of alcohol might not do it to be cool but going out with a bunch of friends to drink until you pass out isn't done to feel good, the only reason I can see to do that would be to fit in with everyone else who's doing it.

So why do you think 13 year olds start smoking? :/ In your country...

Curiosity mostly...

Drinking:
Patology in the family.
A way of sinking sadness.
Addiction.
Mental illnesses.
Escape from reality.


This wouldn't solve the problems, but these are main reasons.

 

[PokeLawry]

My brain's been developed as much as I suspect it will be, since I was 17. I've drank occasionally since I was 13. Never had a problem with it. If you're old enough to DIE for your country, you should be old enough to get drunk. In My Opinion, that is.

 

[Charliezard]

The fact that 20-somethings go out, drink and drive and kill people makes me believe no. However, my feelings are more towards stricter laws regarding drinking itself, not necessarily the age. There are 30 year olds just as stupid as 18 year olds, and 18 year olds just as mature as 30 year olds. Hence, the age law is not the problem.

For example, should we have to forfeit our car keys once we enter the bar, then have "screeners" that judge if you're capable of driving? And if not, they keep your keys? Or, perhaps, have hired guardians keep an eye on you until you get home, where you're not allowed to leave? When does this infringe on freedom?

We've tried prohibition, and it doesn't work (I wouldn't want to ban it completely anyway - I enjoy my occasional beer or glass of wine!). What I do want is moderation. I would say I want less stupid people, but that ain't never gonna happen, so moderation it is (and I mean that in both less drinking per capita and having a watchful eye over drinkers).

I pretty much agree with this. More strictness and a change in attitude towards drinking would do everyone good.

Curiosity mostly...

Drinking:
Patology in the family.
A way of sinking sadness.
Addiction.
Mental illnesses.
Escape from reality.


This wouldn't solve the problems, but these are main reasons.

Those are actually good reasons that really need to be addressed more than the legal age does imo.

 

[Aether★]

I pretty much agree with this. More strictness and a change in attitude towards drinking would do everyone good.



Those are actually good reasons that really need to be addressed more than the legal age does imo.

But that's life. People will do it anyway.
For those kinds of people, alcohol is the sense of life. The only thing that is left.

Personally, I hate drinking on big parties or with many people. I would rather drink alone or with at least 1 person. That's why I am doing this very rarely. Despite many comments about it, alcohol can be helpful... Sometimes...