Lowering the Drinking Age

[crazylegs]

Part of my job is to remove alcohol from those under the age of 18 while they are in a public place.

Lowering the age will do diddly squat, what is needed is a change towards the attitude towards alcohol. I'm not sure how it is in the States, but over here people drink to get drunk, rather than drink to enjoy the drink.

Until that happens you'll still get irresponsible drinkers and drunks.

[MadMike]

Lowering the age will do diddly squat, what is needed is a change towards the attitude towards alcohol. I'm not sure how it is in the States, but over here people drink to get drunk, rather than drink to enjoy the drink.

True.

There was girl in my Spanish class who spent a summer in one of the Spanish-speaking countries in South America. I forget which one, but that's not important.

She gave a short presentation about it at the beginning of the school year, and one thing she told us was that there is no drinking age there, and that it's not uncommon for kids to ride somewhere on their bikes and have a beer. Naturally, that drew all kinds of replies like "cool!" and "we could get drunk down there!" But she told us it wasn't like that. She said that people drink for the sole purpose of enjoying the drink, and that people rarely get drunk because doing so is regarded as shameful.

[Greenday]

Well, here's how the drinking age has affected me so far. I finished 4 beers and 2 shots in about an hour. Yea, I'm sure these crappy laws REALLY help keep us in line. It's going to be a couple hours before I can go to sleep with spinning.

[tropicsgoddess]

My father let me and my sisters (as teens) take small sips of alcohol so we can get the curiosity out of our systems. He always said that he would rather have us learn about alcohol and the dangers in a controlled environment where he can supervise us than for us to learn with our "dopey little friends". Which I don't blame him for since in the teen years you face a lot of peer pressure. If there was one thing my father emphasized to the 3 of us, was to never EVER take back a drink we put down or to take a drink from anyone other than the bartender because you never know who'll be shady enough to slip a mickey on you. In short, I think teaching more about drinking responsibly would help less with drinking related incidences and I'm all for lowering the drinking age. I honestly think it's a little messed up that at 18 you're old enough to serve your country, be considered an adult,buy and smoke cigarettes but you can't drink.

[tabbyblack13]

The two times that I got drunk was when I was underage and a part of the sorority I was in at the time. I drank beer at my brother's wedding one week after my 18th birthday (WI drinking law if your 18-20 and a parent buys the drink you can drink it, I think). I was supervised by my Mom and Dad at the time and I didn't get drunk.

I agree with the idea if you can vote and serve in the military you should be able to drink. I drink to enjoy, not to get drunk though getting buzzed to forget a stressful job does have its benefits. Mostly being that I can't be called out.

[ditchdj]

Yeah but lowering the age will NOT happen in this day and age. Our government ONLY caters to lobbyists, NOT the people it's supposed to serve. This stupid law came from lobbyists from MADD and the insurance companies. Just like with seatbelts, they started targeting individual states. When they didnt get their way with all 50 of them they started hounding the federal government to get their way. When the feds finally caved in, the told all the states that if they don't pass the 21-age law their federal funding's gonna get cut off. Same thing with the seatbelt laws. That's the main reason why I won't vote D or R.

[MadMike]

When the feds finally caved in, the told all the states that if they don't pass the 21-age law their federal funding's gonna get cut off.

And that's another problem altogether. There are certain things that the states are supposed to be able to decide for themselves. If the feds are going to bully the states by threatening to withhold money every time the states don't do things the way the feds want them to, then why do we even have states?

[Greenday]

MadMike, this money that the government threatens to take away is money given to the states for a specific purprose and can only be used under certain conditions. If they don't meet those conditions, the state doesn't get the grant.

[Evandril]

But when the conditions can be changed at will...it is a straightjacket. Colorado tried to fight the 21+ to drink rule for a bit, but the lack of money to repair the roads hurt enough they caved in the end.

[Greenday]

The guidelines on a specific grant can't be changed as time goes on.

[Evandril]

Well, I know Colorado used to get money when the drinking age was 18 for beer, and 21 for harder alcohols. Then the feds decided they wanted the drinking age to be 21+ across the board...and we *stopped* getting money until we changed it. How legal it was, I do not know...but I *DO* know it was done.

[Greenday]

Maybe that specific grant ran out and when they reapplied for the new one, the terms were changed on them.

[Evandril]

Possible...but since the restriction on money to use for roads had nothing to DO with the roads...The difference would be sematic, the effect is identical, from my perspective.

[Flyndaran]

Maybe that specific grant ran out and when they reapplied for the new one, the terms were changed on them.

It's all about "executive creep" and the slow erosion of state's rights that started way back in the Civil War.
Remember when Bush refused to fund any organization that allowed abortions or birth control of any kind?

[Estil]

I think this issue comes down to one very simple question. Does anyone here know of anyone under 21 who's wanted to drink, and hasn't?