Thinking about lowering the drinking age to 18

[ALTRNTV]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20249460/?GT1=10252

Thoughts?

Looks like the DUI death toll will rise.

[RurouniMidnight]

man do they really wanna F up the country more than it already is.
No drinking period should be the law XXX .

[qwikspool]

it should just stay 21.

[89dc240]

What will people do for spare cash when they cant charge an 18 year old 20 bucks more for some booze?

I'm not sure its a bad idea. I mean, if kids can legally spend there money on booze, they'll have no money for their cars, or to even buy a car. Let alone insurance, and the price of insurance will surely go up also I think. Ok, so one bad thing.

Look at Europe, they can drink at at least age 16 in most places. Do they have a lot of problems with 16-21 year olds driving drunk?

On the other hand, I would be pretty spiteful cause I had to wait til I was 21.

[altalti]

I would be spiteful having just turned 21 but i have for years been for lowering the drinking age to 18. As already stated above look at Europe. As that article stated it has made underage drinking similar to drinking during the prohabition.

[S13Leprechaun]

if we can fight for our country at 18 we should be able to drink at 18... end.

[thejapino]

My 19-year-old brother in law serving in the armed forces can walk into most bars, flash his military ID and get served alcohol already? :naughty: he's not 21. Alot of bartenders support and have mad respect for our troops!

[bribot]

if we can fight for our country at 18 we should be able to drink at 18... end.


couldnt have said it better myself

[djkowai]

No drinking period should be the law XXX .

this would cause people to bootleg alcohol again, and i'd rather not see an even bigger increase in crime not to mention all the people that would die from bad alcohol.

[ManoNegra]

if we can fight for our country at 18 we should be able to drink at 18... end.

Agree 100%

Doesn't matter imo - kids that want to drink will do so regardless of age. As far as this leading to more car accidents, they should make the process for obtaining a license a lot more tougher and the penalties for drunk driving a lot more severe as they're in Europe.

[azndoc]

I think that the rule should be if you join any branch of the military then your allowed to drink at 18 and that's the rule and should not apply to civilians.

Why, because the majority of 18 year olds in the military are disciplined and can handle respobsibilities. I say majority because there will always be some that can't handle that.

Also if your expected to die for your country you should be allowed to drink.

That's it I'm done.

[SexPanda]

Shit like it matters. Most of use 18-20 yo's do it anyhow. Im 18, and I am resposible enough to know my limit, and not to drive ( i do that religiously when i've only had even 1 drink). Lowering the drinking age to 18 would just cut out the middle man (your friends 22 yo sister who will only do it for 100% profit)

[drifter101]

it also works in european countries because they are taught moderation. in our society we splurge and it just doesnt stop with alcohol.

but +1 on the military deal.

[DUFFM4N]

i see nothing but bad things coming from this...

[DRavenS13]

If they decide to lower it, the only reason crime and death tolls would go up is because stupid parents don't teach their kids to be responsible when it comes to drinking and driving. Honestly, I think they should keep it the way it is, just because you have a lil higher tolerance at 21 than you do at 18. And, you're a lil more aware of life and having to be responsible for yourself. Other countries have lower age limits when it comes to drinking, but do they have the same crime rates and DUI death tolls? I think not, because the culture is somewhat different over there, and there are higher penalties for getting caught doing stupid crap. You will actually go to jail- not just spend the night in the drunk tank.

[Farzam]

In Europe they have alot of public transportation.

In the US, the good majority of public transport is a shoddy joke.

[89dc240]

If they decide to lower it, the only reason crime and death tolls would go up is because stupid parents don't teach their kids to be responsible when it comes to drinking and driving. Honestly, I think they should keep it the way it is, just because you have a lil higher tolerance at 21 than you do at 18. And, you're a lil more aware of life and having to be responsible for yourself. Other countries have lower age limits when it comes to drinking, but do they have the same crime rates and DUI death tolls? I think not, because the culture is somewhat different over there, and there are higher penalties for getting caught doing stupid crap. You will actually go to jail- not just spend the night in the drunk tank.


It's a shame about stupid parents, really. They aren't gonna go away, and they certainly aren't just gonna wise up all of a sudden when their kids can legally drink.

[slothonaleash]

so it's already not hard enough for minors to get alcohol? think of how bad it would be if the entire senior class of a high school had the ability to purchase alcohol... by lowering the age to 18 you might as well lower it to 14

[illvialuver]

honestly, this shit has been a topic of debate in debate cub back in high school and among peers.


and to be honest, yes if you can take a slug to the head and be dead for this country than you should be able to take a glass of beer to the dome.

and yeah i can see that people would be worried, but honestly how many of us on here didnt drink till we were 21? we all drank before that, and if you didnt im sure yoru the same guy that is 24 adn has never masterbated of had impure thoughts.
but its all about choice, i would vote for it, its just a drink, and i think everyone should be accountable for there actions. and that includes the choices that you make, and that also goes for the choices that your parents make raising you.
I was raised in a home with a dad and step dad who both were drinkers but i dont drink beer on the daily, and i dont drink and drive.
i think if you do drink and drive and they change the drinking age, i think the penalty should be even more extreme than it is now.
because i think there inst an excuse for drunk driving.
if your drunk and hit someone and anyone in your car our there car dies, your should spend life in jail. sounds bad, but life isnt a joke. its a little extreme, but with a penalty liek that i think people would be more responsible.
how many people tag graffitii on walls in countries that have a penalty of getting your hand chopped off for a first offense? i dont knwo the exact number but you know its damn near zero., and if there is some one retarted enough to do it youll know who it is when they get caught.

[bik]

18 year drinking? USA is becoming mexico hehe

here u can get in to a bar at 18 ^_^

and yep... they drink and drive (and die) a lot =/

[exitspeed]

Bad idea. 18 year olds don't make good decisions. I didn't. Neither did my friends.

Bad idea.

[VROOOM]

I dont thinkits a bad idea. i personally drank a hell of alot more when i was 17-21 than when i was legal. kids will get the beer no matter what. we used to have a bum or a cool parent buy it or we stole it. no matter what we do there will always be minors drinking.

[ALTRNTV]

To me, it was more fun to drink when I was underage, now that I'm legal, it's like whatever now.

[exitspeed]

I dont thinkits a bad idea. i personally drank a hell of alot more when i was 17-21 than when i was legal. kids will get the beer no matter what. we used to have a bum or a cool parent buy it or we stole it. no matter what we do there will always be minors drinking.

Well, that goes for crack, and heroine too, but that doesn't mean it should be legal.

I drank a lot when I was younger too. I by far made more bad choices back then then I do now.

I don't even think kids should be able to have 100% driving privileges at 16, but that's just me.

[atom]

There's a couple things why I think it's a bad reason.

1. Kids aren't taught responsible alcohol usage. This is much different in other cultures where alcohol isn't taboo. So when kids here get out on their own they tend to do more stupid shit with alcohol.

2. Punishment for alcohol related crimes is pathetic in this country. Unless you kill or injure someone you get a slap on the wrist compared to most other developed countries.

No responsibility, no accountability. Compared to Europe, Americans on average actually consume less alcohol per person yet we have higher fatality rates.

[drifting_changed_mylife]

no matter what the legal age is they are still gonna be 15 yrds drinking. i personaly think if at the age of 18 they are already sending kids of to war, to fight and die for america they should at least be able to have a beer with their old man. and at the age of 18 ur even allowed to vote, thats a pretty big responability i think.

[Andrew Bohan]

should be no minimum age

if you wanna drink when you're 4, go ahead.

[TiNMAN]

^ pho reelz :barf:

[unwed_transient]

this is like cutting in line.

no fair.

[1Via!]

Actually, the drinking age used to be a lot lower. 18 or 19 I think, depending on the state, IIRC. It was all changed to 21 in the late 70s I think.

I think 21 is a good age. I've been lots of places with drinking ages under that of the US and havent really seen any problems, but on the other side of the coin, there are a lot of idiots who shouldnt be drinking at 21, much less 18.

[Quail]

Im from England, the drinking age over here is 18. Most kids start "experimenting" with drinks at around 15-16 years old, either at parties, or blagging their way into pubs/clubs (although in the past couple years, places have got tighter with ID). They can get away with it - the police will only slap you on the wrist and take your alcohol.

Now, we do have a problem with binge drinking, but I don't believe its age related. I've got friends that have been to Cancun, and they said the binge drinking and general craziness out there was insane. I'm now 20, and most of the trouble I see (violence wise) is from people around my age, and slightly older. So I think the drinking age is fine at 18. Ive grown out of getting paraletic and getting in to fights. Its definitely matured me! (Alcohol poisoning at 15 isn't fun :()

[SexPanda]

Alcohol poisoning at 15 isn't fun :(

No it isnt. The thing in america though is that kids are 1)Stupid or 2) their parents dont consider alcohol much of a threat for some reason.

My friend nick got alcohol poisoning at 16. 1/5 Jose Cuervo, half a fifth of Jack Daniels, 8 budweisers and 2 shots of everclear... he lived so its funny. His mom was the ambulance dispatcher for this district... She was literally the first person to hear about it. He had to get up the next morning, with arguably the worst hangover EVER, and clean the ambulances (5 of em), including the one he almost died in... Not pleasent.

[Quail]

I downed a bottle of vodka (being young and not knowing how Vodka worked, I wondered why nothing was happening, and proceeded to finish the bottle before it had started to take affect!!) I was grounded for a month!! The hangover was not a good look. I was puking black/green stuff for 2 days (the stuff they pumped my stomach with?).

Good did come out of it though! All my attention went on my DJing and I got pretty good at it :D

[SexPanda]

Well my friend got real good at making roast beef samiches at Arby's lol. He really doesnt have much motivation to do much... its a shame.

I know my limit, yeah, and I can say it might be a little more than most 18 year olds, but ive been drinking for while. I wont say how long though.

Most people my age DONT know their limits though. They figure since someone who's been drinking for 20 years can down a bottle of Jack, then so can they.

My limit is the following, and by this time i'd be fucked up:
23-1 ounce shots of vodka
OR
anything equivilant, like 20 buds or something like that. I lost count after 17 the night i did that.


im a pretty big guy, but even that's pushing it... At a party im usually under 10 beers, or 10 shots, or nothing at all. You can make more money driving your drunk buds to McDonalds than you can dancing naked and drunk for loose change.... trust me on that one.

[Quail]

Most people my age DONT know their limits though. They figure since someone who's been drinking for 20 years can down a bottle of Jack, then so can they.

I think this is the reason Cancun is so crazy!!

Lowering the drinking age just gives people more time to learn their limits - not a bad thing :). I'm happy that I'm at the age where I'm still young enough to party hard (annual 2 week trip to Ibiza is always good :naughty:) but at the same time, I know my limits, and therefore (nearly) never pay the price of being too drunk.

[89dc240]

Actually, the drinking age used to be a lot lower. 18 or 19 I think, depending on the state, IIRC. It was all changed to 21 in the late 70s I think.

I think 21 is a good age. I've been lots of places with drinking ages under that of the US and havent really seen any problems, but on the other side of the coin, there are a lot of idiots who shouldnt be drinking at 21, much less 18.


I think when my mom was 17 she could drink in New Jersey. She claims to have never, and she does get sleepy after one drink. That's wierd cause her father was an alcoholic, and I can down em pretty hard. Skip a generation much?

There are people who should not be drinking in general. But as long as they don't get caught a foot off their property, they're allowed. My old neighbor, classic drunk. He and his friend, would sit on the lawn and drink fourty's of Colt, or whatever cheap 6 pack they could find, and say shit to the neighbors, and piss every body off, lol. The one time, Rich, the actual neighbor, stepped into the street, one step, and got arrested. It was great, haha. 12 hours in the drunk tank, didnt do shit, except when his friend is over and extremely drunk, he acts all tough and tries to get him to calm down. Over 40, and livin on his parent's dime. It's a shame really, at least he's not a virgin. Well, he's been married at least.

There are a lot of interesting points in this thread, but I have to go to bed, work tomorrow, and a hard round of getting drunk again tomorrow night, lol. At least I don't have to drive...

[PhilthyS13]

Why lower it? What's the point? It's like legalizing weed - is it that hard to get? No, because everyone can get it. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

I will say this. If they lower the age to 18 bars are really, really, really going to suck. I have a hard enough time with the 21 year olds. You can always tell because they're dressed for the prom. It'll be high school central. No offense intended, maybe I'm just getting old.

Besides, when I was 18, I had more fun spending $1.89 (Out the Door) on OE800 (or Mickey's/Colt 45/Camo/Schlitz/Panther) 40's or drinking from a keg at someone's house. I don't know why, but I liked it better. I still hung out with kids who weren't 18, so we had our own little scene. We didn't need bars. Or maybe it's because I couldn't afford a $60 per Friday night bar tab. Kids will be kids, so I say keep it the way it is.

Look at Isla Vista. It would be madness.

[JDMS1lv1a]

I think it should stay 21. either way,18/21,they'll find a way to drink boose.

They should just legalize it.They might as well legalize weed too.

Think about how many kids are getting high/wasted as we speak...

Theres no way in hell kids are going to stop drinking/weed.Theres like 10yr olds doing weed now a days. If anything, it will lower the crime rate.

I say as long as they're responsible,its all good in the hood:coolugh:

well there are dumbass kids that dont know their limit and will do stupid shit reguardless if they're high/drunk.So who knows:loco:

[jilo]

all of you need to remember that the legal age wasnt always 21. it used to be 18. there shouldnt be a problem if anything, going to 21 was an experiment which probably failed. makes it wanted more, which makes the demand bigger, which will inevitably make people figure out how to get it. if they want it bad enough. 18 wont be a problem, if anything america/media is just gonna make a mountian out of a mole hill like always, and blame any accidents or alky related incidents on this change.

[HalveBlue]

Individual states are responsible for are responsible for setting a legal age for the conumption of alcohol. Many states had age limits other than 21 until about the late 70's early 80's when the federal government attached clauses to federal transportation funds that required states who were trying to gain access to those funds to adopt a legal limit of 21 for the consumption of alcohol.

My personal opinion: Old enough to die for your country, old enough to drink to your country.

That having been said, generally speaking, I don't think that most 18 year olds in this country are as mature as their peers in other parts of the world that have lower drinking ages.

But that's a much bigger problem.

[ZOMG_S14]

Individual states are responsible for are responsible for setting a legal age for the conumption of alcohol. Many states had age limits other than 21 until about the late 70's early 80's when the federal government attached clauses to federal transportation funds that required states who were trying to gain access to those funds to adopt a legal limit of 21 for the consumption of alcohol.

My personal opinion: Old enough to die for your country, old enough to drink to your country.

That having been said, generally speaking, I don't think that most 18 year olds in this country are as mature as their peers in other parts of the world that have lower drinking ages.

But that's a much bigger problem.

i agree, maybe...

drinking age 18...driving age 21

i know a lot of people are going to disagree but almost everyone i know wasnt ready to have the Privilege of driving a car when they were 16. i know i wasnt.

[Quail]

america/media is just gonna make a mountian out of a mole hill like always, and blame any accidents or alky related incidents on this change.

Not only the American media that does stuff like this. The state of the media makes me sick.

I remember the media hype before the English drinking hours were extended! They said it would result in more violence and drunken vandalism!

The rates of violence and drunken vandalism actually went down!!