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

[smile4me]

Legal Drinking Ages
http://www.icap.org/publications/report4.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_drinking_age (<-- theres an external link on the bottom of this page which leads to another page stating legal drinking ages for countries)

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[miss barnes]

i think its fine where it is...

[*kryogenix*]

American teens are basically forced to binge drink by the law. It's much easier to avoid getting caught binge drinking then having a six pack at home for gradual consumption.

There is no drinking age in Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, and Romania for sure (or China), and I don't think there is one in most of the rest of Europe iether.

American teens are not forced to drink, period. American teens who disobey the law see binge drinking as a much more logical choice, but they shouldn't be drinking in the first place. If they didn't drink (or drank moderately, like wine at dinner parties), wouldn't that make things better?

[pandamonium]

American teens are not forced to drink, period. American teens who disobey the law see binge drinking as a much more logical choice, but they shouldn't be drinking in the first place. If they didn't drink (or drank moderately, like wine at dinner parties), wouldn't that make things better?

i totally agree with you but theres still the issue about the liver still being under-deveolped.

[ComradeRed]

American teens are not forced to drink, period. American teens who disobey the law see binge drinking as a much more logical choice, but they shouldn't be drinking in the first place. If they didn't drink (or drank moderately, like wine at dinner parties), wouldn't that make things better?

They can't moderately drink because it's easier to get caught, as I've explained unrefuted earlier.

[iheartjohn]

Should the drinking age be lowered in the United States?
I think no.

What does it matter, anyway? People drink illegally. In fact, more teens drink illegally than adults do.

[pandamonium]

eleeza,Dec 8 2004, 8:02 PM] What does it matter, anyway? People drink illegally. In fact, more teens drink illegally than adults do.

adults have the option to drink... its legal for them to drink lol just wanted to correct you on that note.

its not going to be lowered no matter what ... and if teens really want to drink that badly, then there must be somethign seriously wrong with them

there is nothing wrong with them.... its everyone else. Teens start to drink because they are depressed/upset/peer-pressured/curious to do it. i know i tried cause i was curious how it felt... and so many teens do it cause they are peer-pressured then they start to like it. so its not somthing wrong its just the other things that affect them.

[HelloSunshine]

Of course not...21 is young enough

[Kriegsgefangene]

American teens are basically forced to binge drink by the law. It's much easier to avoid getting caught binge drinking then having a six pack at home for gradual consumption.

There is no drinking age in Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, and Romania for sure (or China), and I don't think there is one in most of the rest of Europe iether.

Technically, there is. The age of 16.

But, like I was told, if a kid can reach the dollar slot, and get a beer from the machine, they won't care.

Edit:

And with the mentality of not being able to drink unti you are 21, compells people to want to do so more. Sort of a reverse psychology.

[PurchasedRebelli...]

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES!!!! The drinking age in France is friggin' 16 (I think, or is it 15?). >.<

If you can legally take care of yourself at the age of 18, you should be able to drink legally at that age as well.

[lovescream]

no.. no lowered.
drinking is bad for your health...
and can kill you.
it's for y'all's safety.
if someone chooses their path to growing up
to drink, that's their problem to disobey the law.
laws are there to protect you, for you own safety, but some of'em just cross
the line.

[smile4me]

the US has already tried teh age of 18.
that led to a huge amount traffic related crash fatalities.
they raised the drinking age, and the number dropped considerably.

adolescents can become addicted to alcohol more easily than adults.
adolescence being "the period of physical and psychological development from the onset of puberty to maturity"
this would be roughly between teh ages of 10 and 19. the brain is not fully developed yet, and addiction, as previously stated, is more likely compared to a fully grown adult.

lowering the drinking age would just make it easier for ppl.

\edit

And with the mentality of not being able to drink unti you are 21, compells people to want to do so more. Sort of a reverse psychology.

But if we lower it, that reverse psychology will then be placed on an even younger group.

[teeners4]

well what is it now? isnt it like 19? or 21? well i dont know. haha but lots of teenagers drink illegally anyways. actually a lot of preteens drink illegally anyways not me though *goody good*

[inthemudhole]

I personally think it's fine where it is.
When you're 21, you're pretty much "an adult" now.. so you SHOULD be able to make your own decisions wisely.. yet not all of us can be wise even at that age. I think it has to do with maturity more than age.

But it's fine where it is. You don't want little kids drinking what they please.

[Kriegsgefangene]

In Europe, they let the children run free, drinking as they please. But-

They cannot drive until they can afford driver's ed. Which is terribly expensive over there. I had hear it to be around as high as 2,000 euros.

So.. If you can Drink and Not drive, or Drive, and then go out partying drinking.. all that crap...

Which is safer?

Having some kid, sloshed on the side of the road.. or a bunch to stupid drunk driving kids?

[sammi rules you]

*cough* germany's law is 16, driving is 18.

my french teacher said they introduce them to drinking earlier so they are used to it and aren't getting so drunk by the time they drive, but i dunno if that's true.

just saying. cause some people are saying different things.

[smile4me]

In Europe, they let the children run free, drinking as they please. But-

They cannot drive until they can afford driver's ed. Which is terribly expensive over there. I had hear it to be around as high as 2,000 euros.

So.. If you can Drink and Not drive, or Drive, and then go out partying drinking.. all that crap...

Which is safer?

Having some kid, sloshed on the side of the road.. or a bunch to stupid drunk driving kids?

theyre both bad. and thats why the law is fine where it is..

[Kriegsgefangene]

*cough* germany's law is 16, driving is 18.

my french teacher said they introduce them to drinking earlier so they are used to it and aren't getting so drunk by the time they drive, but i dunno if that's true.

just saying. cause some people are saying different things.

I have the same teacher as you, but TWICE IN A ROW :P.

she is cool.

French 2 and German 2/3.

Easy stuffs.

Yeah. Drinking is around 16 in Europe and Asia, for the most part.

And they don't seem to have too many deaths by cars related to drunk driving.

More from the Auto Bahn

[lovescream]

well what is it now? isnt it like 19? or 21? well i dont know. haha but lots of teenagers drink illegally anyways. actually a lot of preteens drink illegally anyways not me though *goody good*

totallyyyyyyyy.
they're bad!
haha... drinking.. i bet they're doing that to be "cool"
bleh.. of subject.
i think it's perfectly fine the way it is.
if it was lowered, more peple would freely drink and people would die more easily because of drunkness.
and if it's raised up then people would still die because everybody basically drinks illegly [sp]

[smthngcrprategrl...]

the thing is they can't really say people this age will be able to be responsible with alchohol (sp?) it's the attitude, responsibility and maturity of the person.

[shortiiex]

no..........but no one cares, everyone is drinking at age 15

[dafunnybunny]

i think the age should be lowered to 18. thats when u can go into the military. and if you are old enough to kill, then you should be old enough to drink

[hi-C]

in europe, alchohol is used during conversations; consumption is for social purposes and (from what I hear), it is done responsibly. can you believe that the drinking age in the Netherlands is lower than the driving age (not entirely sure of this fact, I have a friend from there who says drinking age is 16, driving is 18)

I've heard the same thing. Italians, in particular, introduce their children to wine at a young age as to give them an appreciation for it.

Also, I personally think underage drinking a reverse psychology type of thing; the reason why teenagers drink is because it's against the law. If the law made it so that teens could drink, it wouldn't be taboo, and no one would want to drink that much in the first place.

[Kriegsgefangene]

I've heard the same thing. Italians, in particular, introduce their children to wine at a young age as to give them an appreciation for it.

Also, I personally think underage drinking a reverse psychology type of thing; the reason why teenagers drink is because it's against the law. If the law made it so that teens could drink, it wouldn't be taboo, and no one would want to drink that much in the first place.

That is basically what I had posted up there, a bit ago.


Yes.. the drinking age is younger than the Driving age. They would rather have some kid sloshed on the pavement, than a bunch of them driving around drunk.

My German/French teacher had spent a couple years in Europe, and had also been an exchange student.

She knows all about it.

[sadolakced acid]

well, if kids are accustom to drinking before they are driving, will not they be more responsible drinkers?