Drinking age

[theOperaGhost]

What do you think the legal drinking age should be? The way I see it, if you can vote and go to war for your country, you should be able to drink. I also think if they lowered the drinking age, fewer kids would want to drink as much, because it wouldn't be as fun since it's legal. Anyway, I just think 21 is to old, so I want to know your thoughts.

[0=]

Whatever the parents say. In other words, none. If parents are too irresponsible child services can take care of it.

[Gumleaf]

its 18 in australia. i think thats reasonable. you are legally considered an adult at 18 in australia so you can drink, vote, etc.

[redcar]

21 is a stupid age. You become an adult at 18, you can vote, you can pay taxes, why not be able to drink. People will do it anyway and if they can not they will find other ways of getting the same buzz, possibly dangerous ways.

Ireland incidently has no drinking age. Anyone can drink, however you can not buy it until you are 18, so in reality the drinking age is 18.

[goin to work]

i lik irlands idea

[Maverick]

I think 21 is a ridiculous age. It should be 18 for the same reasons that have been said.

[Gavin]

I think 18 b/c,thats when you become and adult,and you're responsible to look after yourself.

[Sugaree]

Well it's mainly up to the parents. I mean I think 20 or 21 should be the drinking age here.

Of course if you are still that age and live with your parents than it's their house not yours. So I think it all goes down to the parents

[Whisper]

its 18 where i live
that works for me
19 where I'm from i don't think that bad either

[Camazotz]

I think 21 is too old. Maybe 18 or 19 would be fine.

[Sugaree]

It still all depends on a word called "Responsiblity". I mean if kids are going to drink at an age like 18 all they are going to do is drink and party which eventually causes more deaths.

[The Batman]

I think seeing how things are now with teens and alcohol it should stay the same because of all the stupid people people out there who will end up drinking and driving or over doing it and get alcohol poisoning

[theOperaGhost]

I still think if it was lowered fewer kids would drink as much. Well maybe they would drink as much, but it would be safer. They wouldn't hide it and party in the middle of nowhere where nobody knows where they are at if something does happen. I also think fewer kids wouldn't drink, because it's legal, so there's no legal risk in it which might make it less fun. sorry for rambling.

[0=]

It wouldn't be a forbidden pleasure if the drinking age were eliminated. Alcohol would be a fact of life and people would be more responsible with it, rather than binging as soon as they turn 21.

[A.J.]

18 I agree.

[Whisper]

I was so pissed off today I went to the cardlock to get gas i'm filling up my truck and this total fucking retard in a shit truck with huge ass mud tires tears into the parking lot fish tailing all over the place on the ice reeving the shit out of the engine and just being a total retard

he realises i'm filling theres only one non dyed gas pump so he tears off as idiotically as he came
and not 5 seconds later two teens tear through in the lil shit car slams on the brakes dam near hits a pump and tears off

and I'm just like...standing there going....hmmm
so thats why MY insurance is so fucking high


It really does depend on the responsibility of the individual
cause there are some that could easily handle it
and others that

god help us

[Tyleisme]

21 is a bit of an odd age. I'm not going to say that it needs to be something like 16. but it could probably stand to be lowered to 18, for the united states. Probably won't happen. But it's possible. Usually for people the age of 18, if you are caught drinking you get a ticket for underage drinking as you are considered an adult.

[theOperaGhost]

Kodie, that's a good example of dumbasses who probably shouldn't ever drink. I hate people who don't know how to drive. People just piss me off.

[Serenity]

I agree that 18 would be the most preferable and logical age to be allowed to legally drink. But like everyone has been saying I think it also depends on responsibility. Thus, my brainwave: a drinking license, like a drivers license, which can be suspended and taken away if you prove you cannot handle the responsibility of the privilege.

[Maverick]

I don't think having red tape of a drinking license is really needed. It will be easily evaded and how do you determine what is responsible and not?

The most common way irresponsible drinking affects other people is DUI and under a DUI a driver's license is already suspended.

A government or an ID card can't make people responsible drinkers

[Triple7]

The ages required to do certain things are weird in the US.

13-14: Legally able to start working, but good luck getting hired. There are a lot of laws and red tape here.
15-17: Able to start driving with a permit and with an experienced licensed driver. Towards 17, get your own license.
17: Register a car in your name.
18: Legal adult. Vote. Play the lottery. Parental consent/accompaniment is no longer required for many things, including: joining the armed forces, opening a bank account and a credit card, marrying.
18-19: Purchase cigarettes.
21: Purchase alcohol. Gamble in casinos.

So someone who is 18 and no longer a minor can play the state lottery, but not play in a casino. At 19, you can buy tobacco products, but not alcoholic ones. It's really inconsistent.

Ever hear of the German Autobahn? Their fatality rate is lower than US interstates, along with their drinking age (16/18).

Give someone with the ability to fight for the country and vote for the president, the responsibility around alcohol. Some people already drink and drive (both under and over-21s) and it's illegal to do so. Some have gambling problems. Some have nicotine addictions. Some have drinking problems. So how does having the age at 21 make things better? A lot of people already get around that and make things worse by having a fake ID.

It the rebellion/bad ass factor. You're going to let an 18 year olds marry, but what's that? Oh, they can't have some champagne at their reception. Dang...

And if you're wondering about me, no, I don't drink or have a fake ID, nor do I intend to get trashed on my 21st birthday.

[Whisper]

Canada's rather consistent
16 military enlistment (with parental consent)
18 drink, vote, marry, etc.....

driving laws are different everywhere but usually between 14-16 (learners - GDL) 18 full drivers (but in Alberta anyway u can drive on ur own at 16)

You can get a job in Alberta at 12 and theres a good chance u'll get it....

[theOperaGhost]

In North Dakota you can get your permit on your 14th birthday(which i did), and you can get your licsence and drive alone six months later. However you do have to have driver's ed.

[Underground_Network]

I think it shouldn't even exist.. Its pointless.. Very, very few people get arrested for underage drinking, and it really doesn't matter if they change it from 21 to 18.. I think if anything, if they change it from 21 to 18, less people under 21 will buy alcoholic beverages.. Just leave it the way it is.. There's really nothing wrong with it.. No one follows the fucking rules.. If you've never had a drink by 21, then I find that interesting.. Everyone in my school has access to alcohol, and considering I'm in high school, there are obviously no students that are legally allowed to acquire alcohol.. But I digress..

[The Batman]

You also should put MATURITY into account. The thing about cigarettes is that you can't really do anything stupid with it that would instantly fatally harm someone else but with alcohol its a lot more dangerous to do things while intoxicated. Also a lot of 18 year olds are in school and what if they decide right after school they want to drink and they have a lot of underage kids in the car with them so whats to stop him from passing the bottle around to his friends. Back 50 years ago when kids were alot more mature the drinking age could have been safely lowered but now it would be way to dangerous to do it. And the government doesn't control the drinking age the states do because in Missouri they were thinking of changing the drinking age to 18 but they didn't. I have alot more thoughts about this but I don't feel like typing any more so I'll post it later.

[theOperaGhost]

In North Dakota they actually thought about making the drinking age OLDER. But I agree with the 18 year old in high school with underage friends stuff. Maybe the age should be 19, but hey there are 2 19year old in my class.

[The Batman]

Legally you can't be in high school after 21

[theOperaGhost]

If your still in high school when your 21, you should honestly just give up and drop out.

[The Batman]

anyways back on subject if we teenagers would show some maturity then maybe the drinking age could be changed

[Triple7]

I liken the high age requirement to the Prohibition Era. Alcohol was made illegal, so it went underground, where speakeasies and violent bootleggers thrived. Outlawing alcohol didn't stop people from drinking, and neither is the purchasing law at 21 stopping all under 21s.

[0=]

People are less mature nowadays because they're more restricted. Maturity stems from experience and mistakes, but if you're prevented from making mistakes and experiencing certain things you remain immature.

[The Batman]

The restrictions don't really matter because as stated before by other people we will do whatever we want to do no matter what the law says so their are kids out there experiencing things on there own and usually they are the least mature people out there

[redcar]

The restrictions don't really matter because as stated before by other people we will do whatever we want to do no matter what the law says so their are kids out there experiencing things on there own and usually they are the least mature people out there

Oh the restrictions matter alright. People may do it but a lot of people wont because of it. Restrictions are like a net, they stop a lot of things but some do slip through.

[theOperaGhost]

Oh the restrictions matter alright. People may do it but a lot of people wont because of it. Restrictions are like a net, they stop a lot of things but some do slip through.

Very well put, Alex

[Antares]

I think that 21 is a good age for hard core booze. Wine and champane let the parents decide. Everything else 21!

Because its getting EXTREMELY STUPID with kids going around drinking. Are they going to stop. No. BUT do we need to change the age, no. Because no one cares anyways. And its their fault if tehy get caught because they need to follow the rules because they are killing themselves and others. Selfish idiots (i mean that in a general way)

[Falk 'Ace' Flyer]

I think it should be 16. Isn't that the legal smoking age? (not to buy, but to smoke?) Also, most high-school kids drink regularly, maybe they wouldn't do it as much. Besides, even if they didn't change, no harm done, right?

[The Batman]

What the hell 16 I'm sorry but that would be an incredibly stupid age to change it too.

[NextToNormal]

i dont think there should be a drinking age. in europe, there really isnt one and the kids there seemed perfectly fine when i was there last year. because the kids in europe are raised drinking wine and things at dinner, drinking alcohol isnt a big deal. if more countries were like that, less kids would want to drink because it would be legal. when things are accessable to us, we tend to not want it as much as thing that are "off limits." of course there should be a limit on how much you can drink at certain ages but as to a defined drinking age, just dont worry about it...get rid of it.

[The Batman]

right now it would be way to dangerous to change it but I could actually see that happening in the distant future

[theOperaGhost]

I don't see what would be so bad about changing it to 18. Most highschool (atleast where I live) have friends over 21 who provide for them, so I don't think it would change much if the age were 18.

[serial-thrilla]

18 should be the legal age. i mean thats when your legally an adult.

[The Batman]

I don't see what would be so bad about changing it to 18. Most highschool (atleast where I live) have friends over 21 who provide for them, so I don't think it would change much if the age were 18.

It would make it easier for underage kids to get alcohol

[0=]

But it would likely be a part of their lives and no big deal, so they would be more mature and responsible. This is assuming they don't have shit parents.

[theOperaGhost]

I was saying that it's already easy for kids to get alcohol. Making the age lower wouldn't make it that much easier, because everyone I know has a friend over 21 anyway. I don't drink nor have I ever(at least not enough to get drunk) I'm just saying, I think 21 is a stupid age. If you can go to war and die for your country when your 18, then you should be able to have a drink.

[Antares]

If there are still kids lout there that are 18 and have to depend on there mommy to wash there cloths then why should they have the added responsiblity of drinking and possibly driving after and then possibly killing someone. All I am saying is that there are a few people out there that make bad unresponsible childish decisions and I think that when people are fully out of this hormonal (depends on the person) and still maturing stage then they can make the decision to drink. So my answer yet again is 21 because people can't make clear decisions all the time when they are 18. Sorry. :(

[theOperaGhost]

There's still people living at home with mommy doing their laundry when the 21 or even older. There's a guy in my town who has to be about 60 and he still lives with his mom.

[Mzor203]

I think alcohol should bee illegal seeing as all it does is gets people addictd and turns them into drunks.

[Whisper]

I think alcohol should bee illegal seeing as all it does is gets people addictd and turns them into drunks.

Bahahahahahaha

no

Drunks don't kill people! people kill people!
thats right!

I'm not drinking at all right now because Rudi's not allowed to while he's here
So to be fair I told him I wouldn't either
GOD I'd love to get shit faced

ya, I love my hard liquor every now n then
But I have no interest in drugs

[Zephyr]

If alcohol is something that you just grow up with in moderation, then you are less likely to become addicted. It is found that in cultures, France for example, who are not strict of alcohol ages have less of an alcoholism rate then countries who restrict it, such as the United States, who has one of the highest rates of alcoholism in the world. I really don't think that there should be a legal age because the more your restrict it, the more rebelious people are going to get.

For Example...

When the Prohibition Amendment was passed in the 1920's, people would still find ways to get alcohol. Many bought it from underground vendors and some even went through the trouble of distilling their own. It was a HUGE part in why there were so many legal problems regarding the gangs back then, because they sold alcohol underneath the table due to the banning of manufacturing and selling alcoholic beverages.

[Maverick]

I think alcohol should bee illegal seeing as all it does is gets people addictd and turns them into drunks.So you think the answer to helping this problem is banning it?

We tried it in the US. Didn't work very well.

At the end of Prohibition some supporters openly admitted its failure. A quote from a letter, written in 1932 by wealthy industrialist John D. Rockefeller, Jr., states:

When Prohibition was introduced, I hoped that it would be widely supported by public opinion and the day would soon come when the evil effects of alcohol would be recognized. I have slowly and reluctantly come to believe that this has not been the result. Instead, drinking has generally increased; the speakeasy has replaced the saloon; a vast army of lawbreakers has appeared; many of our best citizens have openly ignored Prohibition; respect for the law has been greatly lessened; and crime has increased to a level never seen before.

[Mzor203]

I know it didn't work with the prohibition andd everything, but I'm saying the world would be a better place without alcohol. I'm sure there would be ways to make things that taste the same as beer and wine but without alcohol if people put their mind to it.

[theOperaGhost]

I agree with Steph. There are many places that use alcohol in rituals and ceremonies, so kids grow up with it. If you grow up with moderate alcohol usage, I don't think you'd become an alcoholic as easily.

[Falk 'Ace' Flyer]

And that's why it works all over Europe.

[A.J.]

I agree that 18 would be the most preferable and logical age to be allowed to legally drink. But like everyone has been saying I think it also depends on responsibility. Thus, my brainwave: a drinking license, like a drivers license, which can be suspended and taken away if you prove you cannot handle the responsibility of the privilege.

I think thats an excellent idea. I mean if the government thinks were old enough to be shipped overseas to fight in a war at 18, why cant they have a beer?

[JoshDude]

yeah 18 is good.