Should America Lower the Drinking Age?, 21 to 18? Rating Options

[dosomethin888]

People cant vote until they are 18 because they arent adults and it takes time to grow up and understand the world and how it works.

The drinking age shouldnt be lowered just because people under 21 already drink because we dont make laws based off of who breaks them.

People dont need to be drinking under the age of 21 .. or gambling... nor do they need to be smoking before 18.

Let kids grow up first, would you? Let them have a childhood and mature before because if they drink before that they cant handle it.

[*BOSS*]

People dont need to be drinking under the age of 21 .. or gambling... nor do they need to be smoking before 18.

Well, technically, people don't need to be doing either, at any point in their lives. Its whether or not you are willing to give them a choice and at what age.

[Stuckie]

I dont want anyone to lower drinking age because I waited 4 years to drink legally. Its like saving your money to buy an expensive jacket you want, and when you finally buy it, they lower the price the following week. It makes you feel like it was a waste of money. Except, in this case, its time.

[firechild]

Either way people will still drink illegally.
We should be like the uk and have have what you can drink at a certain age and how much.
That sounds better. Prohibition is a bad idea. It just increased crime not reduced it. I've drank before, in the uk you can drink at 15.

[dosomethin888]

Well, technically, people don't need to be doing either, at any point in their lives. Its whether or not you are willing to give them a choice and at what age.

Okay, we shouldnt be giving them the choice before the age of 21. Dont circle around the statement, you know what was meant.

[Tramatize]

Only if we can higher the driving age.

[*BOSS*]

Okay, we shouldnt be giving them the choice before the age of 21. Dont circle around the statement, you know what was meant.

Circle around the statement? Your statement was just an opinion with no facts.

Why not? Do you deem age to be the dictator of maturity?

[Stuckie]

The reason why they have the drinking age at 21 is they said the brain is completely matured on an average of age 21. Since drinking kills brain cell, they dont want people drinking when they're isn't fully grown.

But I doubt anyone under 21 will drink to the point that their brain wont function. After their first hangover, Im sure they wont be drinking for a while.

[*BOSS*]

The reason why they have the drinking age at 21 is they said the brain is completely matured on an average of age 21. Since drinking kills brain cell, they dont want people drinking when they're isn't fully grown.

But I doubt anyone under 21 will drink to the point that their brain wont function. After their first hangover, Im sure they wont be drinking for a while.

lol bullshit, bullshit, and more bullshit

brain is completely mature at 21? my ass, explain DUIs by 40 year olds.
have you ever been to a frat party?

[Stuckie]

lol bullshit, bullshit, and more bullshit

brain is completely mature at 21? my ass, explain DUIs by 40 year olds.
have you ever been to a frat party?

I guess you can't wrap your little mind around my last post so I'll dumb it down for you. Your brain isn't finished growing until 21. Your brain is still growing cells. They dont want people drinking if your brain hasn't grown fully, because drinking can kill brain cells. Why kill brain cells if you're still growing them?

A 40 year old's brain has matured. His character shows immaturity if he has a DUI, but that is his character only.

Mature: having completed natural growth and development; having attained a final or desired state

So there is a difference.

[datass]

its a matter of whether you should be given the choice or not. and at 18, i think the answer is yes.

[dosomethin888]

Circle around the statement? Your statement was just an opinion with no facts.

Why not? Do you deem age to be the dictator of maturity?

uh, YES. You cant honestly tell me that a person who is 21 or 35 or 76 or 55 is more mature and knows more about what is going on than a 14, 15, 16, 17, or 18 year old?

Why do I need "facts" to say that? Its common sense that it takes time for people to not only understand the world, but it takes time to understand the political system.
Im taking classes at college just so I can understand politics..I wasnt even aware that we had local elections when I was in high school. High schoolers just dont pay attention to that type of stuff.

[*paperplane*]

That really just makes you ignorant.

If that's your logic, let's not be considered adults until age 45. We'll really have matured by then, so up until that point we shouldn't really be trusted to vote, fight, or drink anyway.

[Uronacid]

I don't believe that minors should drink, however at the age of 18 you're allowed to do just everything aside from drink. I don't see anything wrong with someone under the age of 21 having a drink. As long as, and this goes for everyone, they drink responsibly.

If your treated like a child then it stands to reason you'll act accordingly, and statistics support this. About 90% of the alcohol consumed by youth under the age of 21 years in the United States is in the form of binge drinks (http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/quickstats/binge_drinking.htm).

I believe the drinking age should definitely be lowered.

• Drink with consent of a legal guardian if under 16.
• Drink with out parental consent after 18.
• License purchase alcohol after 21

[dosomethin888]

That really just makes you ignorant.

If that's your logic, let's not be considered adults until age 45. We'll really have matured by then, so up until that point we shouldn't really be trusted to vote, fight, or drink anyway.

If all else fails, call the person ignorant.

Sure, paperplane, because you were as mature now as you were at 16.

Besides, is it really safe for 18 year olds to be going to downtown bars???

[*paperplane*]

Well, no, not knowing there were local elections in high school is total ignorance. No better word for it.

What makes it unsafe for an 18 year old to go to a bar in this country more than any other? What makes it safe at 21? It's an arbitrary line. If I'm an adult, I'm an adult.

[*BOSS*]

I guess you can't wrap your little mind around my last post so I'll dumb it down for you. Your brain isn't finished growing until 21. Your brain is still growing cells. They dont want people drinking if your brain hasn't grown fully, because drinking can kill brain cells. Why kill brain cells if you're still growing them?

A 40 year old's brain has matured. His character shows immaturity if he has a DUI, but that is his character only.
So there is a difference.

look here retard, your brain size stops growing around the age 5 dumbass, as for maturity, you really didnt know you shouldnt drink before 21? In terms of judgement, it stops around adolescence, so 12-17, NOT 21

A 40 year old's brain has matured. His character shows immaturity if he has a DUI, but that is his character only.
So there is a difference.

Oh right, cause his character and himself ARE TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THINGS RIGHT

[*BOSS*]

uh, YES. You cant honestly tell me that a person who is 21 or 35 or 76 or 55 is more mature and knows more about what is going on than a 14, 15, 16, 17, or 18 year old?

Why do I need "facts" to say that? Its common sense that it takes time for people to not only understand the world, but it takes time to understand the political system.
Im taking classes at college just so I can understand politics..I wasnt even aware that we had local elections when I was in high school. High schoolers just dont pay attention to that type of stuff.

Uh, you honestly can't tell me all people of age, are smart enough and mature enough to drink can you? No shit sherlock it takes time, but it also takes a lot of other things too, not just how old you are

What makes it unsafe for an 18 year old to go to a bar in this country more than any other? What makes it safe at 21? It's an arbitrary line.

This

[illriginal]

Ah I can't wait for Sharia Law, that'll be the day alcohol is banned in America.

[mipadi]

Ah I can't wait for Sharia Law, that'll be the day alcohol is banned in America.

We tried that once, dude. It was called Prohibition. I'm not going to give the whole history, but I'll spoil the ending: it didn't really work out that well.

And with good reason: drinking is an individual right. If you want to follow Islamic law, no one's stopping you.

[illriginal]

We tried that once, dude. It was called Prohibition. I'm not going to give the whole history, but I'll spoil the ending: it didn't really work out that well.

And with good reason: drinking is an individual right. If you want to follow Islamic law, no one's stopping you.

Thus is why I said, Sharia Law

[dosomethin888]

Well, no, not knowing there were local elections in high school is total ignorance. No better word for it.

What makes it unsafe for an 18 year old to go to a bar in this country more than any other? What makes it safe at 21? It's an arbitrary line. If I'm an adult, I'm an adult.

Wow, you love the word 'ignorance' dont you?
The problem with you is that you demand that everything be backed up by fact, and that fact must be backed up by fact, and that must be backed up by fact.
Its called common sense. We cant lower the drinking age to 18 because it does take age to mature and figure out how to do things safely. You have to be protected by your partents so they can prepare you for life. You dont just throw your kid out into the world, you keep them under your roof and then with time, they mature and figure out that the things they do have consequences...
Not only that, but everything in America has a chain reaction. We lower the drinking age to 18, and then we lower the drinking age to 16. So on and so on.

Maybe I am speaking vaguely but you see my point. You obviously dont think that anything has consequences and that everyone is inherently "good." You live in your own little bubble. Dont you watch the news?

Sending an 18 year old to a downtown bar is worse than sending a 21 year old to a bar because they are younger and more vulnerable to the disgusting people who are in those bars.

[datass]

well you are pretty sad. because almost everywhere else in the world has their drinking age at 18, while US keeps it at 21. you must think you're pretty immature?

[sixfive]

well you are pretty sad. because almost everywhere else in the world has their drinking age at 18, while US keeps it at 21. you must think you're pretty immature?

actually most ahve it even lower. europe for example, germany's is 16, but most will give you a drink if you can see over the counter

[*paperplane*]

Wow, you love the word 'ignorance' dont you?
The problem with you is that you demand that everything be backed up by fact, and that fact must be backed up by fact, and that must be backed up by fact.
Its called common sense. We cant lower the drinking age to 18 because it does take age to mature and figure out how to do things safely. You have to be protected by your partents so they can prepare you for life. You dont just throw your kid out into the world, you keep them under your roof and then with time, they mature and figure out that the things they do have consequences...
Not only that, but everything in America has a chain reaction. We lower the drinking age to 18, and then we lower the drinking age to 16. So on and so on.

Maybe I am speaking vaguely but you see my point. You obviously dont think that anything has consequences and that everyone is inherently "good." You live in your own little bubble. Dont you watch the news?

Sending an 18 year old to a downtown bar is worse than sending a 21 year old to a bar because they are younger and more vulnerable to the disgusting people who are in those bars.

Uh...there is no such thing as "common sense" in a valid argument.

Answer me this: why is 18 a reasonable age for us to be held accountable for our actions as adults, but not to drink? Why do you think that it's not the government's job to help people monetarily, but they have the right to babysit us when we are supposed to be responsible for ourselves? It's not about thinking people are "good," but I do feel that I should point out that the news is going to cover the anomalies, not the majority.

This is why I don't get Republicans. They're all about keeping the government out of our lives when there's money involved, but when it comes to any other personal freedoms it doesn't matter at all.

I honestly don't think that if the drinking age were 18 there would be much of an outcry for it to be lowered. It would be consistent with most other countries, and most other age restrictions. Legal adulthood is the main issue here. If I am to be taking control of my life as an adult at 18, the government has no right to tell me I can and cannot consume. If I am not a child, I should not be treated as a child. The double standard on drinking versus everything else is unreasonable.

But for f*ck's sake, don't tell me I live in my own little bubble when I have undoubtedly experienced a lot more of life than you have.