Lowering the Drinking Age

[Estil]

I figure if you're old enough to vote and take a bullet for your country, you're old enough to buy a beer.

That, and you can start drinking at an age when you can be with your parents and learn to drink responsibly.

Not to mention depending on where you go in the miliary, it's possible for 18-20 year olds to be trusted to handle NUCLEAR WEAPONS. But yet they can't be trusted with a beer. Go figure.

[IDrinkaRum]

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?

That was me. I didn't really drink until I went away to college (I was 22) & I got to watch my then-boyfriend who was underage (20) at the time, drink in his dorm room until he was stupidly, stupidly, stupidly drunk. Then he'd go out driving in his Trans Am with his equally drunk, underaged friends until all hours of the night. One of the reasons why we're no longer together. But really, I don't drink to get drunk either. I get a buzz off of Mike's Hard Lemonade and also wine coolers. I don't drink beer as I hate the taste. And when Mr. Rum & I got out I might get an alcoholic drink, but usually it's either water or sweet tea.

[Flyndaran]

Not to mention depending on where you go in the miliary, it's possible for 18-20 year olds to be trusted to handle NUCLEAR WEAPONS. But yet they can't be trusted with a beer. Go figure.

Maybe that's because the military rarely gets to supercede federal law?
Maybe the idea of the military vetting some of the best of the best youths to work nukes is somehow different than giving a blanket allowance to all youths to drink.
I would be ok with raising the age to drink legally, but I know that wouldn't do any good in my american "underage drinking and driving is almost a rite of passage" culture.

[AFPheonix]

How much of that culture can we tack up to having the drinking age so high though?
Why shouldn't they go drink and drive when they're already drinking when they're not supposed to?
Drop the drinking age down so that they're old enough to be drinking with their parents so they can learn how to drink responsibly, and perhaps they'll behave more responsibly.

[protege]

I don't know about that. I work with someone who has landed their second DUI...and they're well over the legal age

[AFPheonix]

There will always be irresponsible people no matter what age people are legally allowed to drink. However, instead of looking at single individuals, we'd be better to look at overall population trends.

[katie kaboom]

I've been thinking about this lately, and honestly, I think both the drinking age and the age to get a drivers license should be 20 year old. A lot of 16 year olds don't belong behind the wheel of a car anyway. So just make 20 the magic age for both.

[protege]

Yeah...and a lot of 20-year-olds don't belong behind the wheel either

[katie kaboom]

Yeah...and a lot of 20-year-olds don't belong behind the wheel either

Let's face it, a lot of people of ALL ages don't belong behind the wheel. But there still has to be a minimum driving age. I just think 16 is way too young to have that kind of responsibility.

[Evandril]

The problem with making the driving age 20...How many kids move out at 18? Can you imagine being away at college, and NOT being able to drive? Would have fun in the military as well...To drive a military vehicle, you need a civilian licence. Instead of raising the ages when people can be held responsible... why don't we just teach them to BE responsible, and that actions have concequences, instead of the happy, fuzzy, noone can fail attitude we've got now?

[Boozy]

Raising the driving age in urban areas might be fine, but it's out of the question in many parts of the country.

I couldn't work until I had a driver's licence, because there was no public transportation where I lived, nor was I within walking or biking distance of potential job sources. And I had to work for two years before starting college so I could afford to go. Raising ther driving age to 20 would have put my entire life on hold for four years.

They have some new driving restrictions for teenagers here in Ontario, now. I'm fuzzy on the details, but basically there's a curfew of some sort, and they aren't allowed more than one passenger (or something like that). I guess they're trying to avoid those car loads of rowdy teenagers cruising around at 2 am. That's an accident waiting to happen.

[MadMike]

and they aren't allowed more than one passenger (or something like that). I guess they're trying to avoid those car loads of rowdy teenagers cruising around at 2 am.

I can see the reasoning behind that one, but I also see a possible unintended consequence. By now allowing more than one passenger, you're forcing more inexperienced drivers to be on the road. And there's also the whole issue of wasting fuel by having all these cars with only one or two people in them.

[kiwi]

I started drinking at 14 when the legal age was 18

my brother started drinking at 14 when the legal age was 21

all of our friends tried drinking and smoke around the same age and we were considered slow to start by people at school. Most of my class tried those things by 12.

I would rather have a drinking age of 18 and classes at school or church or SOMETHING about moderation, changing the culture of it being cool to be drunk is what needs to change, the laws dont really mean jack.

[Boozy]

And there's also the whole issue of wasting fuel by having all these cars with only one or two people in them.

That's exactly what I said when I heard about the new law.

Isn't the government supposed to be encouraging car pooling? And why exactly are two cars with two teens in each better than one car with four in it? To me, that's just two 16 year-old drivers on the road instead of one.

[crazylegs]

And why exactly are two cars with two teens in each better than one car with four in it? To me, that's just two 16 year-old drivers on the road instead of one.

I would suggest that a car with one passenger has far fewer distractions than a car with three passengers in it.