debate on lowering the drinking age is now put in action.

[24Ochick<3]

Wes Woods II, Staff Writer
Article Created: 08/20/2008 08:39:36 PM PDT




CLAREMONT - Pomona College is one of about 120 liberal arts colleges that are part of the Amethyst Initiative calling on lawmakers nationwide to discuss lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18.
"I don't hesitate lowering the age," said college President David Oxtoby.
Grace Kronenberg, assistant to the director of the Amethyst Initiative, said her organization supports an open debate on lowering the drinking age.

The organization also wants to know why in 1984 Congress passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act to impose a penalty on states that set their drinking age lower than 21. The penalty is 10percent of a state's federal highway appropriation.

The reason for the possible change is to stop binge drinking, officials said.
While Pomona College is the only one of the Claremont Colleges to have joined the initiative, Claremont McKenna and Harvey Mudd are considering signing on too, initiative officials said.

Oxtoby supports lowering the age from 21 to 18 because of the binge drinking issue.
"With the 21-year-old age for drinking, it forces drinking behind closed doors and secret places ...," Oxtoby said. "Students will respond as adults when they're treated as adults. They'll respond in rebellious ways if they're treated as children."

Oxtoby added he believes the age should be lowered because when someone turns 18, they obtain the right to vote and can join the Army. "It's a reasonable number from that point of view," Oxtoby said.

Silas Miers, program coordinator for the California Mothers Against Drunk

Driving, does not agree with the Amethyst Initiative's goal.
"We believe in 21," Miers said. "It has saved lives. With lowering the drinking age, you're not going to decrease binge drinking and you will also push underage drinking to a much younger age."
Miers said that in Britain, where the drinking age is lowered, there are "issues with people much younger than 18 years old drinking underage."
Miers said lowering the drinking age "passes the already big problem to those in the high school community already dealing with very serious underage drinking issues."

Liz Pogust, a 21-year-old college student in Middlebury, Vt., is helping to create an alcohol curriculum for the Amethyst Initiative.
Pogust said she is working with instructors to create a curriculum that teaches students facts about alcohol without saying drinking is bad.
"We teach students drinking has its dangerous aspects to it. If students drink, we want them to understand the consequences of that. We teach a lot about the science of alcohol."
Pogust said she tries not to resort to a negative approach or a relaxed attitude toward alcohol. "We use a middle path between scare tactics and a lax, casual attitude," Pogust said.

[Mtndrifter14]

Ima be so pissed if this goes through because i had to wait till i was 21 lol. But at the same time I think the age should e lowered we're the only country in the world with the 21 age limit.

[SoguRacing]

21 should stay as the drinking age. just because you're old enough to vote or join the army doesn't mean you're mature enough to consume an alcoholic beverage responsibly.

[24Ochick<3]

21 should stay as the drinking age. just because you're old enough to vote or join the army doesn't mean you're mature enough to consume an alcoholic beverage responsibly.


i agree! but it does have pro's and con's on both sides :)

[SoguRacing]

they set it where it is for a reason. why change it now. just because there is underage drink doesn't mean that we have to give in to what the minors want. same with marajuana usage and legalization.

[murda-c]

I think we should raise the voting age when i turn 21.

keke

[pbcstylez]

i think we should go ahead and allow it but tax the under 21 group heavily lets say 2-300%

this will help pay for all the accidents n bullshit that will need to be covered regardless

[slothonaleash]

I don't agree with lowering it. We don't need seniors in high school dishing it out to the underclassmen, as if that wasn't already going on enough.

Just makes illegal drinking easier for us minors (I don't).

[Future240]

I do think that the drinkin age being 21 makes some people want it more. I was exposed to alcohol at a very young age. I have never binge drank in my life.

To me wasnt and still aint no big thing. I turn 21 in like some weeks, all that means to me is that alcohol will be a bit more convient to get

But I say keep it 21. Because there are alot of 18 year olds in highschool, when you are 21 and a 13 year old or 16 year old asks your for a drink, you are more inclined to say no, but when you 18 not so much

[shishcabobers]

Honestly I don't agree if they lower the drinking age to 18, I mean one way or another a minor can easily get alcohol if they really wanted it. It could actually make thing worse, i mean cmon what next we are gonna lowering the driving age to 13 because the kid's don't like to walk to school?

[Matej]

In my opinion other countries are able to get away with the drinking age being lower because they don't need to drive to get wherever they want. I could see this working in like New York or Chicago, over here not so much.

[murda-c]

I never understood why people were so stupid and how it is so hard to have a DD.

then again, i'm smarter than the average idiot.

[Matej]

I never understood why people were so stupid and how it is so hard to have a DD.
No one wants to be a DD. You watch everyone else have fun and then you have to chauffeur a car smelling of vomit.

[revat619]

Its all about education in this country. If we educated kids properly, binge drinking wouldnt be an issue. You can drink beer and wine at pretty much any age in Europe and the teenagers over there are a lot more responsible. There's a very low occurrence of binge drinking over there as opposed to here. Hell, when i was 16, i was in italy with my dad and we went out to eat and the waitress was giving me the wine selections and what not. She hadnt even spoken to my dad yet. I was surprised then cuz i didnt know the laws. It turned out to be pretty cool.

All that aside, this is how i see it, if an 18 year old can get his shit blown off by a land mine or get gunned down in combat and come back missing limbs and what not all for the sake of our freedom, that dude should be allowed to have a drink when he comes home.

[Future240]

No one wants to be a DD. You watch everyone else have fun and then you have to chauffeur a car smelling of vomit.

That's why ya take turns. Hell no on the bold. Throwin up in the car is a no no, if you feel you gott throw up you better open the door and throw up. I will pull over before someone throws up in my car

[revat619]

That's why ya take turns. Hell no on the bold. Throwin up in the car is a no no, if you feel you gott throw up you better open the door and throw up. I will pull over before someone throws up in my car

or do what i do when i'm the DD and drive one of the drinkers' cars. That way at the end of the night when they all pile in and somebody throws up, you just drive back to the meet up house, pick up your car and go home. Let them clean up their own shit. If it wasnt them that threw up, then they can blame themselves and the friends they kept encouraging to take more and more shots with them.

This works. Trust me. You will see instances of puking diminish greatly. :bow:

[victorw210]

im 18 and im opposed to lowering it to 18 imagine high school its like age 14-18 seniors would be able to buy alcohol for everyone and you know they would

[Future240]

or do what i do when i'm the DD and drive one of the drinkers' cars. That way at the end of the night when they all pile in and somebody throws up, you just drive back to the meet up house, pick up your car and go home. Let them clean up their own shit. If it wasnt them that threw up, then they can blame themselves and the friends they kept encouraging to take more and more shots with them.

This works. Trust me. You will see instances of puking diminish greatly. :bow:

That is a great idea.

[yudalicious]

once I turned 21, i actually learned to enjoy alcohol much more responsibly. drinking was no longer something that was on a pedestal somewhat. imo this probably cuts down over and irresponsible drinking.

[Matej]

or do what i do when i'm the DD and drive one of the drinkers' cars. That way at the end of the night when they all pile in and somebody throws up, you just drive back to the meet up house, pick up your car and go home. Let them clean up their own shit. If it wasnt them that threw up, then they can blame themselves and the friends they kept encouraging to take more and more shots with them.

This works. Trust me. You will see instances of puking diminish greatly. :bow:
Haha yeah, I never ever drive my own car. Too many katz getting wild all over the place. My friend bought a brand new Honda Element, I was always the one driving it home, after a few nights out the interior was dirty and torn up, it had a dent, a cracked window, and smelled horrible. Some people party too hard.

[RiversideS13]

i agree to stay at 21 years old. unfortunately there are more dumb kids around than smart and responsible kids. lower the restriction will just create more problems.

[flip3d]

21 should stay as the drinking age. just because you're old enough to vote or join the army doesn't mean you're mature enough to consume an alcoholic beverage responsibly.

Yeah, seriously. Look at all the underage alcohol abuse now. How would lowering the age change that?

I cant even image the number of DUIs there will be.

[Future240]

Lowering the age wouldnt get rid of the binge drinkin problem. It would just move the binge drinkin age to the 15-18 instead of 19-21.

The problem comes with how society as a whole treats alcohol.

[Sil-Abc]

stay at 21. if we lower to 18 then 16 yr olds will start to drink and shit. idiots cant drive as it is, drunk adolescents will just make it worse. no no no no no. 21 and thats final

[theronin]

im sorry, if you can vote for our president, join the military and possibly die for this country, you should be allowed to drink alcohol. oh and guys, who are you tryin to kid? 16 year olds and younger are drinking anyways. get real. that shit aint gonna change.

[Vision Garage]

That is true. If you can die for your country, why not drink for it too?

[Gnnr]

Fine then, only those in the Military 18 and over can drink. Everyone else, 21 and over.

[Matej]

They should raise dying for your country to 21.

[Future240]

^unfortunatly all the GED and almost didnt make it to Graduation kids that turn to the military as a last result would be SOL for 3 or more years

[flip3d]

They should raise dying for your country to 21.


Haha... there would be so many poor teenagers running around.

[VROOOM]

the drinking age used to be 18, they changed it in the mid 80's in California. i also think if the govt will send you out to die for your country you should be able to drink alcohol. besides, i did more drinking when i was 18 then i did when i turned 21.

[Future240]

the drinking age used to be 18, they changed it in the mid 80's in California. i also think if the govt will send you out to die for your country you should be able to drink alcohol. besides, i did more drinking when i was 18 then i did when i turned 21.

exactly why it should remain 21

[Matej]

^unfortunatly all the GED and almost didnt make it to Graduation kids that turn to the military as a last result would be SOL for 3 or more years
Come on, completing high school with a decent GPA isn't difficult at all, seriously. At least it would force people to try harder.
At least they'd have time to think about what they want to do with their life. Joining the military is a big, many times life-changing decision. At 18 most people are still immature kids. I'm 20 and I'm still not entirely sure what I see myself doing in 5 years. I know lots of people who joined fresh out of high school, and now regret it and wish they had never done it. Don't get me wrong, I know there are also some people who enjoy that lifestyle, but from people I know personally it's about 50%.
Perhaps instead of having recruiters call you every week during your senior year, the government should pay for 2 free years at a community college to anyone who'd like to pursue higher education, or give people internships at the kind of career they're interested in, so they can find out if it suits them. They can make their decision after that.
Yeah I know that's far fetched.

[VROOOM]

why? if someone wants to drink they WILL drink. being able to buy alcohol means jack shit.

[Gnnr]

Seriously, the debate sounds like Military people should be allowed to drink no matter what age. Sooooo just allow Military people to drink if they're 18 and over. It'd be an incentive to join I guess.

And that other argument about being able to vote. WTF. Have you looked at the stats on voting for that age demographic? The great majority don't vote.

[redZENKI]

the drinking age used to be 18, they changed it in the mid 80's in California. i also think if the govt will send you out to die for your country you should be able to drink alcohol. besides, i did more drinking when i was 18 then i did when i turned 21.

But wouldn't you rather die for a "purposeful cause" than to die from the increased number of drunk drivers out there?

Keep it at 21!

[Future240]

No one's fault but their own. Come on, high school isn't hard at all, seriously.
At least they'll have time to think about what they want to do with their life. Joining the military is a big, many times life-changing decision. At 18 most people are still kids. I'm 20 and I'm still not entirely sure what I see myself doing in 5 years. I know lots of people who joined fresh out of high school, and now regret it and wish they had never done it. Don't get me wrong, I know there are also some people who enjoy that lifestyle, but from people I know personally it's about 50%.
Perhaps instead of having recruiters call you every week during your senior year, the government should pay for 2 free years at a community college to anyone who'd like to go. They can make their decision after that.

You raise a good point, but sometimes the military can take these kids and straighten them out and make good citizens of them. Its better than them hanging around for two to three years workin a dead end job tryin to figure out what they are going to do with their life.

But I think your idea about the goverenment offereing free community college to those who opt to go is brilliant. It would be a great alternative to the military, and perhaps give some of these at risk kids a chance at a good life.

[revat619]

Lowering the age wouldnt get rid of the binge drinkin problem. It would just move the binge drinkin age to the 15-18 instead of 19-21.

The problem comes with how OUR society as a whole treats alcohol.

Thank you. At least somebody gets it.

This is the root of ALL alcohol related problems in America. Lowering the age or keeping it the same wont do shit.

[murda-c]

I'm more for raising the age of legal adulthood to around 20.

cuz kids are stupid.

shit i realize how much more retarded I was a year ago.

[atom]

And that other argument about being able to vote. WTF. Have you looked at the stats on voting for that age demographic? The great majority don't vote.

You missed the point. It doesn't matter if most 18-19 year olds don't vote, the point is they can if they want to. The majority of teenagers don't binge drink and drunk drive either.

[drift freaq]

Its all about education in this country. If we educated kids properly, binge drinking wouldnt be an issue. You can drink beer and wine at pretty much any age in Europe and the teenagers over there are a lot more responsible. There's a very low occurrence of binge drinking over there as opposed to here. Hell, when i was 16, i was in italy with my dad and we went out to eat and the waitress was giving me the wine selections and what not. She hadnt even spoken to my dad yet. I was surprised then cuz i didnt know the laws. It turned out to be pretty cool.

All that aside, this is how i see it, if an 18 year old can get his shit blown off by a land mine or get gunned down in combat and come back missing limbs and what not all for the sake of our freedom, that dude should be allowed to have a drink when he comes home.

This is the most intelligent argument in this whole thread. Its a truth. Fact is our country through advertising breeds a certain desire for people to use drugs and or drink to change the way they feel. In my opinion currently drug companies and alcohol companies have way to much free range in advertising on TV. Hell they banned cigarettes from TV advertising.

This country has a very interesting back and forth that goes on. With the likes of Puritan ethics, that were a founding part of this country, we are faced with a line of restraint thinking, that sometimes backfires. Like Revat stated above about education.
That restraint thinking, is what keeps our children from being educated enough, to make the proper decisions and realizations.
Now, then through into the mix,that drug companies advertise, Alcohol companies advertise, both on TV with ads suggesting usage and promoting it and you have a problem.
You cannot just say lets lower the drinking age and it will be the right thing to do. You would have to do it in consort with other initiatives. I don't see that happening. Therefor lowering the drinking age here would be a mistake at this time.
Oh and anyone, who puts a big deal on turning 21 and being able to drink? Should seriously consider the fact that they are headed for trouble.
Normal people do not make a big deal about turning 21 and drinking. Trust me on this one the voice of experience rings true. LOL

P.S. I did grow a mustache when I was 18 just so I could go and buy booze, and no I shaved it off long ago. LOL

[SimpleS14]

i think we should go ahead and allow it but tax the under 21 group heavily lets say 2-300%

this will help pay for all the accidents n bullshit that will need to be covered regardless

How can you control that when there are happy hour specials? such as $20 open bar 5-9?

I'm indifferent on lowering the age since I can see all hell breaking loose or people so sick of drinking by the time they hit 21.

[awesomenick]

They better not lower the drinking age, or I'll have to beat up my younger siblings if they drink when they turn 18. They're not mature enough at all. I'm more worried about the other people they'd be with though.

[backroadtouge]

we discussed this in psychology lol. mature wise, 18yrs old is now 21 and being a mature adult now is more at 25, not 21.

[thefro526]

In all reality most of the people that I know that drink wouldn't do it if it was readily available. The only reason people my age binge drink is because they can only do it once in a while. It's like cake, cake is awesome and if you don't have a lot of cake around you're going to eat it every chance you get, but if you work at a bakery your not going to like cake anymore.

Honestly, for me drinking is boring as hell so I don't even do it. I'd rather put $10 of gas in the 240 and go out and beat on it for a while than drink. I know people, my fellow students, that drink. Half of them wouldn't drink if it wasn't the cool badass thing to do. Like seriously for all of you people that say it'll lower the binge drinking age to 15-18, where have you been? That's where it's been for as long as I remeber.

When I was in middle school there used to be kids that would offer me alcohol all the time. But I grew up in a family where I was exposed to alcohol everyday, if I want it I can walk down stairs right now and go get some but there's no point. I was never raise with the mentality that alcohol was some bad thing, because honestly it's not when consumed responsibly. Most people my age have been raised to believe that alcohol is some bad evil thing that it's not. But by thinking that alcohol is bad it entices the inherently rebellious nature of teenagers.

Think about it, if a 18 year old kid could go to the liquor store and buy a case of beer without having to worry about being carded or arrested just as if he bought anything else, would he drink as often as he would if he weren't able to? Excluding cases of alcoholism, I think you would notice a significantly lower rate of binge drinking if alcohol was more readily available to a slightly lower age group.

And for those who think that this will cause more drunk driving and other things, why not just enforce laws better, have more DUI checks and stronger punishments. I have a friend who was nearly killed (on life support for a while) and his S14 totaled and his friend killed by a drunk driver so I know what it's like.

And in all seriousness if someone's old enough to die for their country they're sure as hell old enough to drink to their freedom.

[flip3d]

Let's legalize weed and prostitution while were at it. :P

[Future240]

In all reality most of the people that I know that drink wouldn't do it if it was readily available. The only reason people my age binge drink is because they can only do it once in a while. It's like cake, cake is awesome and if you don't have a lot of cake around you're going to eat it every chance you get, but if you work at a bakery your not going to like cake anymore.

Honestly, for me drinking is boring as hell so I don't even do it. I'd rather put $10 of gas in the 240 and go out and beat on it for a while than drink. I know people, my fellow students, that drink. Half of them wouldn't drink if it wasn't the cool badass thing to do. Like seriously for all of you people that say it'll lower the binge drinking age to 15-18, where have you been? That's where it's been for as long as I remeber.

When I was in middle school there used to be kids that would offer me alcohol all the time. But I grew up in a family where I was exposed to alcohol everyday, if I want it I can walk down stairs right now and go get some but there's no point. I was never raise with the mentality that alcohol was some bad thing, because honestly it's not when consumed responsibly. Most people my age have been raised to believe that alcohol is some bad evil thing that it's not. But by thinking that alcohol is bad it entices the inherently rebellious nature of teenagers.

Think about it, if a 18 year old kid could go to the liquor store and buy a case of beer without having to worry about being carded or arrested just as if he bought anything else, would he drink as often as he would if he weren't able to? Excluding cases of alcoholism, I think you would notice a significantly lower rate of binge drinking if alcohol was more readily available to a slightly lower age group.

And for those who think that this will cause more drunk driving and other things, why not just enforce laws better, have more DUI checks and stronger punishments. I have a friend who was nearly killed (on life support for a while) and his S14 totaled and his friend killed by a drunk driver so I know what it's like.

And in all seriousness if someone's old enough to die for their country they're sure as hell old enough to drink to their freedom.

Thats a great attitude for a 17 year old to have, but the fact of the matter is, most people your age dont have that mental capability.

Think about your classmates. Pick two of your classes, how many people in there do you think could be given the right to drink when they wanted to and not go crazy?

How many do you think wouldnt give alcohol to the people 16,15,14,13 and younger? I can see stories of 18 year olds gettin 12 year olds drunk juss to have a laugh.

[silviaguy240]

How about we lower legal BAC level for 18-20yo to be like .03 BUT make purchasing at liquor stores illegal to prevent distributing to minors. So if you go out with to a restaurant and have a beer or two or some wine, or if you are coming from a party and you've had a few it'd be ok. Because in the restaurant it would be monitored and it would be enforcable outside of a restaurant if you were caught. Also the punishments would increase greatly. Any one 15-17 caught driving with any BAC level would be minimum 3 year revocation of their license, have to go to counseling, comunity service or jail time, a hefty fine and a hefty license renewal fee.

I didnt really start drinking til i was 18 at the end of my senior year, and I would A. get a ride with my brother who was 21, B. stay the night where I was or C. have like one or two drinks wait a few hours, eat some food and drive when I was completely sober.

I always heard the stories of people sophmore, junior and senior year about parties and how everyone got fucked up and couldnt drive or how they almost crashed and shit...I was like WHAT THE FUCK, you're 17 damn years old and you're getting black out drunk every weekend? What the hell is wrong with you. But thats kinda just my school and my class, most everyone was fucking crazy.

And it was that whole oh shit im XX age and i can drink this much yea i rule, if kids dont have to wait that long they wouldnt be too antsy about trying it. Just think how long it seemed to take until you could drive. If the driving age was 18 or 19, kids would be stealing their parents cars and driving them around illegaly, its the same concept. Let them get to it a bit earlier, and they wont be as excited to try it. Plus better education and exposure to it at a earlier age would also help curve the craving I believe.

[iwishiwas-all*]

ill tell u right now that whole 21 drinking age causes binge drinking is 10000000% true, ask any college student about that. when u have to hide your drinking from the public eye, you drink more, as well as quicker than a normal legal adult would,

[Future240]

how about we lower legal BAC level for 18-20yo to be like .03 BUT make purchasing at liquor stores illegal to prevent distributing to minors. so if you go out with to a restaurant and have a beer or two, or some wine, or if you are coming from a party and you've had a few it'd be ok. because in the restaurant it would be monitored and it would be enforcable outside of a restaurant if you were caught. and also the punishments would go up exponentialy. any one 15-17 caught driving with any BAC level would be minimum 3 year revocation of their license, have to go to counseling, comunity service or jail time, a hefty fine and a hefty license renewal fee.

That wouldnt work. In some states, like good ol GA the limit is 0.0

[silviaguy240]

That wouldnt work. In some states, like good ol GA the limit is 0.0

Well depending on the state it would have to be modified I guess to abide with their current laws.

[PF ALL DAY]

I don't see any problem with the current drinking age. I have had no problem getting alcohol for the past 7 years of my life. And I just turned 20 last month.

[Gnnr]

You missed the point. It doesn't matter if most 18-19 year olds don't vote, the point is they can if they want to. The majority of teenagers don't binge drink and drunk drive either.

Ok. But what BENEFIT is it going to bring society, really? When people vote it benefits society. When people drink it benefits who? You and the Alcohol companies. Thats about it.

I mean I vaguely remember when they thought us in school about the RESPONSIBILITIES of a model citizen. It was things like Voting, Following the Laws, Helping others, Serving Your Country/Community.....I don't remember drinking on there. Voting and serving your country (whether its being in the military, going to Jury Duty, doing community service, etc.) are responsibilities. Drinking is not.

[raz0rbladez909]

like many have said its not so much age as it is the individual, i believe that if you can be legally tried as an adult for commiting a crime at the age of 18 then you should be able to do all of the other things that adults do. hell smoking kills way more people than alcohol has per year it just takes a lot longer to do it then lets say that if you got into an alcohol related crash. why consider someone an adult yet if they can't do everything that another adult that is 1-3 years older can. when you become 18 it is a big responsibility your criminal record now sticks with you, you will get in more trouble for something you wouldn't have so hard as a minor. cigarettes are legal 18, porn is legal 18, why is alcohol held on such a higher pedestal than the rest. I've heard that in germany you can have a drink as long as you can reach the bar, and in places like Malta (which i've been to) you see 16 year olds drinking in bars. ah i'm just rambling but like others have said, if you can get shot at for your country why not be able to have a cold one?

[Gnnr]

like many have said its not so much age as it is the individual, i believe that if you can be legally tried as an adult for commiting a crime at the age of 18 then you should be able to do all of the other things that adults do.

I'm not following you here. Since you can be punished as an adult you should also enjoy the benefits? I don't get it. Doesn't the court decide when a child is going to be tried as an adult? I don't see any court saying, "Oh, and since we're trying you as an adult for the murder of so and so, we now grant you the right to drink as well." :confused:

cigarettes are legal 18, porn is legal 18, why is alcohol held on such a higher pedestal than the rest.

Because it is a psychoactive drug and a depressant. So if you are not responsible and abuse it you can effect your judgment and can lead you into a situation where you may end up hurting yourself or someone else. Cigarettes and porn don't do that. Also for me to buy comparisons with other countries, I will have to see stats that prove that lowering the age will have no increase on the negative outcomes.

[Future240]

like many have said its not so much age as it is the individual, i believe that if you can be legally tried as an adult for commiting a crime at the age of 18 then you should be able to do all of the other things that adults do. hell smoking kills way more people than alcohol has per year it just takes a lot longer to do it then lets say that if you got into an alcohol related crash. why consider someone an adult yet if they can't do everything that another adult that is 1-3 years older can. when you become 18 it is a big responsibility your criminal record now sticks with you, you will get in more trouble for something you wouldn't have so hard as a minor. cigarettes are legal 18, porn is legal 18, why is alcohol held on such a higher pedestal than the rest. I've heard that in germany you can have a drink as long as you can reach the bar, and in places like Malta (which i've been to) you see 16 year olds drinking in bars. ah i'm just rambling but like others have said, if you can get shot at for your country why not be able to have a cold one?

smoking kills the person who smokes, drunk driving can kill everyone but the person who drinks

[ESmorz]

I can get alcohol any time I want it.

It wouldn't change shit for me, but some of my friends would be far less inclined to drink if it wasn't some rebellious act you could only do every once in awhile.

[SR2Zero]

They should raise dying for your country to 21.

Best post in the whole thread. The whole army/vote deal at 18 vs 21 drinking age is a solid point... Solid enough to lower the age, unlikely, but a good one none the less.

I for lowering the age. Not because I'm under 21, or that I want to drink more frequently, just the fact that yeah... If you can go into the army, and are considered pretty much an adult at 18, you should be able to have all the rights of an adult.

And as far as the whole "it'll make 16 year olds get it, ect" When I was 16, it was easy to get alchohol anyways. Sure, there will be some effects to it. but w/e.

[LongGrain]

Fine then, only those in the Military 18 and over can drink. Everyone else, 21 and over.

you cant just have exceptions like that,

its either you can drink at 18, or 21, not a little of both.

i dont want to go off topic here, but its just like the abortion thing.

"oh you should only be able to get an abortion if you get raped"

more exceptions, either you CAN or you CAN'T

there cant be that grey area, the law would never hold up

[ESmorz]

P.S. I did grow a mustache when I was 18 just so I could go and buy booze, and no I shaved it off long ago. LOL

A mustache.

You need the beeeeeeeeard.

:snoop:

[HyperTek]

im 24 and i only drink at clubs.. when i turned 21 we had a party at my friends house and i bought beer for the first time lol..

but i say it should stay at 21, drinking is overated to minors in my opinion, all these dam rap club songs idolize it.. ive known a few under 21 girls who idolized that shit on thier myspaces and let dudes take advantage of em when they drink.

drink responsibly. keep it at 21, and have soberty checkpoints everywhere esp freeway onramps.

[muddafakka]

I think they should bring it down to 18 as well for reasons already mentioned, not because I'm 19.

I'm not a heavy drinker anyways so it's whatever for me. I can get alcohol whenever I want.

I never really saw the excitement in binge drinking and getting drunk like there was no tomorrow. And seeing how some people I know act when they've had too many drinks also keeps me away from alcohol as well. I drink once in a while at parties and shit but nowadays I rarely find myself drinking it at all. When I was younger I use to tell myself that when I turn 21 I'd drink the night away but now I'd rather use that money towards something else.

[HyperTek]

next people gonna say remove the 2am cerfew and allow sex with minors ccuz they can make the decision to consent.

[atom]

Ok. But what BENEFIT is it going to bring society, really? When people vote it benefits society. When people drink it benefits who? You and the Alcohol companies. Thats about it.

There is no benefit. But there isn't any reason the legal drinking age should be any different than being an adult either.


I mean I vaguely remember when they thought us in school about the RESPONSIBILITIES of a model citizen. It was things like Voting, Following the Laws, Helping others, Serving Your Country/Community.....I don't remember drinking on there. Voting and serving your country (whether its being in the military, going to Jury Duty, doing community service, etc.) are responsibilities. Drinking is not.

Don't those rights hold greater responsibility than the ability to purchase alcohol? Given all the duties granted to you when you turn 18, why is drinking alcohol above and beyond those duties? That's where the problem lies.

If a person is deemed by the government as not being responsible enough to control their own alcohol consumption, do you really want that same person to be able to pick the next leader of our country or have the ability to purchase a gun? I think the obvious answer here is no.

They should either lower the drinking age to 18 or raise the age of being an "adult" to 21.

[drift freaq]

the drinking age used to be 18, they changed it in the mid 80's in California. i also think if the govt will send you out to die for your country you should be able to drink alcohol. besides, i did more drinking when i was 18 then i did when i turned 21.



Ah excuse me, but you sir are wrong. LOL the Drinking age in California has been 21 up for as long as I can remember. It was not 18 when I turned 18 and yes that was before the mid 80's lol. I don't know where you got your information. Though I lived in those times no drinking age of 18 in California in the mid 80's . The Drunk driving laws were a lot looser and they changed those but not the drinking age. LOL

How the fuck did I let this one slip by? LOL

[bardabe]

Drinking age i can really care less for ive drank 2 times in my life, and completly hated both times. im not a drinker so i can care less. IMO alcohol is stupid.

honestly i think the sex age should be moved down to 14ish. i mean seriously we all know girls these days are fuckin horndogs as well as men. 99% of the time parents are the ones that press charges, when the girl repeadetly put out, had the pleasure, and in the end couldn't say a damn thing abt it becos she wasn't 18.

[Gnnr]

There is no benefit. But there isn't any reason the legal drinking age should be any different than being an adult either.

Of course there are reasons. They've been discussed all throughout this thread. There have been multiple studies done on underage drinking. The statistics don't favor lowering the age.

Don't those rights hold greater responsibility than the ability to purchase alcohol? Given all the duties granted to you when you turn 18, why is drinking alcohol above and beyond those duties? That's where the problem lies.

Because its a right teens would abuse. Think of drinking more as a privilege, like driving. Just because you have the right to vote and serve in the military does not grant you the privilege to have a driver's license. And now that I think about it, you can have your voting rights revoked if you are a convicted felon.

Also, if you think about it. Not all of the people living in the United States who are 18 have the right to vote or are inelgible to serve in the military. For instance a non-citizen.

If a person is deemed by the government as not being responsible enough to control their own alcohol consumption, do you really want that same person to be able to pick the next leader of our country or have the ability to purchase a gun? I think the obvious answer here is no.

So what you are getting at is that anyone deemed an alcoholic, or gets a DUI, should have their voting rights removed. Is that correct?

[Bobafreak]

It should go up to 24 not down to 18. I agree they cant drive now. Going to court recently half of the people that are in there are dui cases.

[theronin]

smoking kills the person who smokes, drunk driving can kill everyone but the person who drinks

second hand smoke?

[duffman1278]

Most other countries are 18, I just feel that pushing it down to 18 will quickly show those HS kids that drinking is over rated. The more you try to take away from them, the more they want it. However, if their suddenly able to start getting it on their own then it becomes a "oo w/e" type of factor. Just like smoking, I had alot of friends in HS start smoking and now that they can buy them on their own, the completely regret ever starting smoking, and some admit its due to the impression that they felt they were recieving. The "cool" factor. Although not a direct way of expressing the "look i'm not suppose to be smoking cause I'm not 18 yet" but its there. Thats just imo so I would agree with lowering it. I just think it does more harm then good.

[Mi Beardo es Loco]

no. oh god no. accidents will double!

[Future240]

second hand smoke?

Takes years of exposure to kill someone. A person driving drunk can wipe out an entire family in one fatal move

[thestreetzking]

fuck this.. i JUST turned 21 and ill be dammed if the kid i just made fun of can drink tomorrow..

IF anything it should be 18 with COLLEGE or Military ID.. not 18 period

[Ace Callaway]

21 should stay as the drinking age. just because you're old enough to vote or join the army doesn't mean you're mature enough to consume an alcoholic beverage responsibly.

SO you're responsible enough to pick up a gun, shoot people and "defend" our nation from "terrorist", but you're not old enough to be served a beer? Are you insane? You fail.

[SlideWell]

i think we should go ahead and allow it but tax the under 21 group heavily lets say 2-300%

this will help pay for all the accidents n bullshit that will need to be covered regardless

you should be a politician. americans might buy into that.
on the flipside, thats what insurance companies are for, and let me remind people of how they rape us, look at your premiums. so where would that tax go? rich politicians...

i would lower the age only if intense alcohol and drug education was required before, lets say a permit was issued to purchase alcohol. i only wish i was taught more about alcohol and drugs and the short term and long term affects of using them. crap, i even i went through 2 D.A.R.E. programs (waste of tax dollars) during my constant relocating.
in the end, when you repress someone in society so young, it will only make them want to outburst more and stronger.
if you're old enough to have sex, fight for your country, you're old enough to drink.
driving should be raised if anything IMO.

[murda-c]

SO you're responsible enough to pick up a gun, shoot people and "defend" our nation from "terrorist", but you're not old enough to be served a beer? Are you insane? You fail.

As soon as they spend thousands of dollars per 18-20 year old to train them how to properly use alcohol, then they can lower the drinking age.

There's no basic training for booze.

p.s. your use of quotation marks was kinda stupid.

[ALTRNTV]

Like what was said before, before anything, if anything, can be
done, the attitude this country has about alcohol has to change.
Change it to age 45 for all I care, the problem will still be the same.
Can't change the problem if you just make it easier to get, got to
get to the root of the problem.

[HyperTek]

imagine no more 21 and over clubs... just a bunch of teeniebopers... that would suck. no thank you. wait til ur 21 like everyone else.

[Ace Callaway]

You guys are so stupid. Nobody ever said that clubs have to change their rules about being 21 and over to enter. And I think that 18 years of "basic training" is fairly enough. I'm only 19, but by 18, I was taught my my parents and in school that being stupid with alcohol can cost you your life or another persons life.

I hate the idiots that feel that it shouldn't be lowered because they had to wait. You guys are like the people that get brained washed by McCain campaign ads about calling Obama a celebrity. FOOL!

[HyperTek]

well the whole reason some clubs are 21 and over is because of alcohol... 18 and up clubs require more staff because of id checks and security to make sure those under 21 aint drinking . and when u go to a 21+ club, totally different crowd, the girls are more mature and hotter.

if they lower the drinking age then there probably wouldnt be a age requirement for some clubs.

"did u ever stop to think, im old enough to go to war, but i aint old enough to drink...." 2pac-World dont take me personally

[Future240]

well the whole reason some clubs are 21 and over is because of alcohol... 18 and up clubs require more staff because of id checks and security to make sure those under 21 aint drinking . and when u go to a 21+ club, totally different crowd, the girls are more mature and hotter.

if they lower the drinking age then there probably wouldnt be a age requirement for some clubs.

"did u ever stop to think, im old enough to go to war, but i aint old enough to drink...." 2pac-World dont take me personally

That is excellent proof to a point made earlier. The majority of 18 year olds arent capable of handling the freedom to drink

[S13_Nightkid]

^^^^Exactly. DUIs would raise like a bitch. Car insurance for the 18-25 bracket would also skyrocket...

[Future240]

^^^^Exactly. DUIs would raise like a bitch. Car insurance for the 18-25 bracket would also skyrocket...

I never even thought of that. Shit I am against it even more now

Ha haha someone neg repped me cuz I said most 18 year olds cant handle the freedom to drink. what? truth too much for you?