Should the United States get rid of their drinking age limit like many other countries?

I believe the United States should get rid of the drinking age.
It is actually safer not to have a drinking age. When many people in the U.S. reach the drinking limit, they celebrate by getting dangerously wasted. Countries like France do not have such a big drinking problem like the U.S. because they have no drinking age. Not having a drinking age will allow children to drink. If it's legal to drink, young people will become more mature. They won't have the joy of being a badass drinking underage. In China, almost everyone drinks, and there are a few accidents.

The drinking age in America cause hundred of thousands of people, celebrating being old enough to drink, getting rushed to emergency rooms every year.

my parents said i can drink at home when im 18 because then i wont get curious and go get drunk somewhere else so i dont know. anyway i think its ok maybe lower it to 18

i honestly believe they should lower it to at least 18. if im allowed to drive and join the military at 18, then i dont see why we cant drink at 18 too.

^ Seriously. It used to be at 18. What the heck happened maaaannn?

no way... gosh that would cause soo many more problems.
theres already enough people dead from drunk drivers.
give kids alcohol now will just set them for to be an alcoholic.

i personally dont think drinking alcoholic beverages should even be legal, but thats not gonna happen.

more rape, other sexual abuses& car accidents happen when theres drinking involved.

^but that irresponsible attitude is because young adults want alcohol while it's illegal. when they do get their hands on it, they abuse it wayyy out of line.

in europe, the driving age is much higher than the drinking age. it makes less sense than to have a lower driving age and a high drinking age. people can fool clerks or find friends to buy them alcohol. it's still attainable even though it's illegal. however, if the driving age was legal, there would be a drastic decrease in drunk driving accidents among teens and young adults because they can't drive! i rather hand someone irresponsible a bottle of beer than the keys to a car.

I think it should be lowerd to 18 but the people have to drink on there property and they ... have to have there parents "ok"..

i believe so.


there was little kids who look at the media seeing people drinking.

it inspired them to .. want to drink.

they really really really want it ...

but they cant have it

it's against the law

and they go crazy for it

and become immatue and irrresponsible

what do you mean by "it's safer not to have a drinking age"? Everywhere else, the drinking age, at max is at 18. I feel that because of the legal drinking age in the States is 21, stereotypically, those who do drink underage get wasted whenever they drink. Because the drinking age is placed so high, and they drink "illegally", I personally think that they feel the need to drink as much as they can to get a kick out of it. Outside of the US, many learn to drink with moderation because we're used to drinking already. I think that the drinking age should be lowered, but not completely abolished.

What?

Places like France DO have a drinking age. Doesn't mean that they're so strict about it. Trust me, I've lived in Europe for almost 14 years.

And teens will always do what is considered "bad". I don't know why it's such a big deal here.. People treat it like it's some holy thing. "OMG BEER!!! YEAH LET'S GO GET DRUNK!!! WOHOO!" And people in Europe are just like.. "Drinking? Meh.. okay."

...

I dont have a great deal of opinion on this issue.

i tend to think that the kids who ar egonna get wasted will get wasted regardless.

the age here is 18, i got drunk for the first time when i was 15...? actually, aybe just before. well, whatever, the point ois there

the irresposible attitude is becuase they are too young. and the age has nothing to do with the fact that more rape and car accidents happen. when a girls drunk she could be raped and not even be able to fight back...it happens ALOT.

People are alot wiser at 21 than 15.. and they know that even if they havent had a drink before, they still need to be careful.


if some person is going crazy willing to break the law to get their hands on some alcohol then they arent even mature enoughto have it. they wouldnt know how much, where, when or what to do. its not a smart idea to give kids the privalege of drinking.


aha im really opinionated on this topic, and alot of others..

True but it isn't enforced. My cousin lives their, he's 14 and people his age drink all the time. Parents no that the drinking age is a joke and don't follow it.

is this where the beer is ?

no, im sorry, but i dont think you're giving young people enough credit.

people grow into alcohol responsibilty, like anything else. and if that can be done when peope;l are not around cars and driving, so much the better,

all of my friends have been drinking for several years, and yea, some people got absolutely trashed at first, when we were 14/15, but now, we know our limits, adn we know when NOT to drink, i.e. around cars and in certain social situations. and, there was not a SINGLE drunk driving problem with any one in my school reported all year. so something must be right.

and as for the liklihood that responsibility will increase with age, i would point you in the direction of britain's problem with binge rinking. people who are geting their livers destroyed by alcohol by their mid twenties, because of their drinking every night from teh time they are about 20.

and furthermore, kids our age DO understand the risks associated with drinking. as far as rape is concerned, i know lots of girls who carry rape alarms, and there is little one can do to physically fight of a much strnger man who is sexually assaulting them REGARDLESS of alcohol. the same goes for drink spiking. my younger brothers friend had his drink spiked at a party not long ago, and there was no alcohol there at all at the time.

in short, alcohol isnt evil, and it isnt responsible for all the ills with young people. it I sresponsible for some incedents, of course. but, if responsibility is learned young, it becoems more natural, as a whole.

Oh please, if you say a teen can take more responsible actions than an adult, you're dead wrong. (I'm not saying that's always the case, but it's pretty much true)

And sure, kids at that age do understand the "dangers" of drinking, but does that mean that many care? No.

And by the way, when a girl has had a lot to drink, it is a LOT more likely that if someone tried to have sex with her, she wouldn't even try to fight it. When you're sober, you can really think more clearly :)

first of all, i also advocate a higher driving age. some teenagers can kill someone with a car without even being drunk.

people are wiser at 21 than 15? no, when it comes to alcohol and driving, anyone at any age can make the same mistake. also, teenagers tend to get wasted and then have large period of time before drinking again because of the trouble they have to go through. in America, a case came out that 20 somethings are more likely to do more damage to themselves because they can drink more frequently but then when they do, they drink a lot and then drink a little then drink till they puke.

once again, i rather give a stupid person a large amount of alcohol than a car.

^
does that include to france?

my cousins and uncles nd shit always press me to drink and im 14 lol chinese win? chinese ppl usually don't have drinking problems..at least as far as im concerned

yeah i mean WTF why wait 3 more years

well then whats the diff... just wait to get "trashed" when your 21 and learn your limits then, when your mistake is your consequence, not your parents.

yea, alcohol isnt evil. but too much of it is..its responsible for alot of tragedies that happen everyday.

^ im sorry, but i am responsible for my own actions. to suggest that my mistakes are my parent's problem alone is silly. and remarkably naive.



my point was that they can take AS responsible actions as many adults do. there is no magical door which means you are suddenly 'responsible' at twenty one, as opposed to 16.

and your right. most teens i know DONT care about alcohol poisoning or rape, or being killed or killing while drunk driving. my bad.

I'm not saying there aren't exceptions.. of course there are. But you've got to admit that there's a greater chance of a 21-year-old being more sensible than a 15/16-year-old.

And of course everyone cares about "alcohol poisoning or rape, or being killed or killing while drunk driving." But most people think "Nah, it won't happen to me", and drink anyway. That's what I meant by not caring :) Truth is, it does happen.. and you never know.

I've always liked the way Germans do it. At 14, you can drink at home or in public as long as your parents say it's ok. At 16 you can drink soft liquor like beer and wine and at 18 you can drink whatever the hell you want.

I think America should do it that way. They're crime rate and problems due to alcohol is very very very low.


Man, sounds boring. I'm glad I don't live there.

Funny but I know quite a few people in Scotland and Germany and they're more crazy about getting drunk then I've ever seen anyone get in America.

People don't get so excited about it because they're allowed to drink.. that's all. It's hell a lot more fun to live in Europe :)

ha, with the drinking laws the way they are, I imagine it is! :D

^-- AGREED

Well it could go either way. Drinking would either be less popular, thus helping, or more DUIs and car accidents. I think it should be moved to 18, instead of 21. More of a happy medium.

when it comes down to it, if its not illegal, its not exciting. Thats wy people all around the world dont get together and pull a "DUDE! LETS GET SOME LE BEER!!!!!!" cuz people would be like, why? We just had wine with le dinner. (haha french) It becomes sensationalized. I have a friend whose whole family drinks. nOT like alcoholics, but always wine with dinner and beer with meals and stuff, so when me and my friend get together to drink, she doesnt get excited. were all like MUST GET ALCOHOL!!! WAAAAH. She doesnt care cuz she gets it whenever. And all of my friends that are over 21, are already over it. Now that they can drink, tey dont really care either. Its the most dangerous when kids are trying to get as much as they can without getting caught because its dangerous and teens like to be dangerous. Eliminate the drinking law and its not excitin anymore.

i say legalise it. along with weed and cigarettes. the ONLY reason people do it is to be rebelious. once that thrill is gone there will be nothing to it.

So because drinking is allowed to people under the age of 21, more rape, sexual abuse, car accidents, etc will happen? What makes you think that?

Drinking seems to be so taboo, and people seem to be overenthusiastic about it. Especially when they do it illegally. Kids nowadays think it's ohsocool to get wasted because it's illegal. I'm sorry, but beer doesn't taste that amazing. But telling your friends you have full access to something not everyone else has or can have is.

If the drinking age were eliminated, parents would be much more diligant about teaching their children to drink responsibly at an early age because right now, it seems alcohol alltogether has been a subject that parents try to avoid from their kids.

It is commonly accepted here that alcohol is not allowed for kids because their bodies are not strong enough to handle it. If kids knew that throughout their childhood, why would they drink it? Well, a lot of them do now because it's illegal and that makes it "cool". But if it wasn't illegal, who would want to drink it? And who would be excited enough to get senselessly drunk if they could have it anytime?

If ICEE's became illegal because of brainfreeze, I'm sure people would be making ICEE's at home "illegally" and showing it off to their friends.

So my point is, yes, I don't think that there should be a drinking age, BUT there should be a few restrictions to keep kids already addicted from killing themselves. Such as a law that prevents anyone younger than 21 to buy very strong liqours or large amounts of beer. Or something along those lines.

^ linking to that, the libralization laws in switzerland regarding heroin have led to an 80% decrease in new users.

why? because it takes away the glamour... same would be the case with alcohol.

Yes and No. Yes because it does eliminate the whole curiosity thing and no because I don't think us Americans are responsible enough to handle drinking at a young age. The law does actually prevent a lot of kids from making mistakes like that.

Weed will never be legalized in the U.S. because it cannot be taxed by the government. I agree, it should be legalized though. It's actually less harmful to you then tobacco. All the stuff about "weed killing brain cells" is bull because smoking tobacco actually kills brain cells too and the amount of cigarettes smokers smoke a day kills more brain cells then a joint. You don't see "stoners" out there smoking over 6 joints a day as opposed to smokers and their 6 cigarettes a day and sometimes a whole pack. The only thing in smoking weed that kills brain cells is the carbon dioxide put into your blood from the inhalation of the smoke. It's the same with cigarettes. The studies to "prove" that smoking weed kills brain cells was ridiculous. The specimens (which were monkeys) were put in rooms full of pot smoke for 16 hours a day. If you're in a room full of any kind of smoke for 16 hours a day, you're gonna kill brain cells. Also, parts on the monkeys brains that were said to be "damaged" were actually normal and misinterpreted. The anti-drug ads continue to lie based on these "studies."

But anyway, I digress. Again, I say we do like Germany does with the drinking age.

no, im saying the overuse of alcohol already causes way more than enough problems when the people involved are the legal age...and it would occur more if more people were part of that "legal age" group. more people...more accidents.

^ I'm not sure how you came up with that logic. It's been proven over and over that those types of accidents decrease when the drinking age is lowered.

But, I kinda see where you're going with that one. It all depends on who is receiving it, I guess. Someone mentioned eairlier that Americans would probably be irresponsible. Only time can tell. :)

How exactly has it been proven? I'm not buying this.

I dont buy it either. Sure, if take away the glorification, less people would drink. Thats ONE theory. On the other hand, it could also mean more people would drink and thus leading to more DUIs and fatter people.

^ Yeah, that's almost exactly what I just said in my last post. It could go both ways. Only time can tell.


The United States has the highest drinking age, and yet we still have the biggest problem with alcohol. Every other country has a much lower drinking age and the accidents caused by the consumption of alcohol are much lower then the United States. Like I said, only time can tell. Americans could indeed be irresponsible about it and DUIs and such could increase. But I mean come on, America isn't that irresponsible. Even if it got out of hand, it would only be for a couple of years and I'm sure after that it would fade out.

^ You might be right, but I still doubt it.

yeah

To add to that, in britain, where drinking ages are more liberal, the biggest problem with alcohol is with people age 20-25, NOT teenagers.

drinking makes you fat
didn't know that

I'm in Japan at the moment. If you look old enough to drink, you'll get served alcohol. I have never seen an adult (18+) get carded when asking for a drink at a bar. I see young Japanese locals at the bar all the time, but rarely do you ever see them act like complete jackasses. Actually, I only see Americans acting like jackasses out in town.

The drinking age should be lowered, but this generation won't know how to handle the freedom. The ones to come, on the other hand, will deal with it just fine.

Beer is makes you fat becuase it has alot of carbohydrates (largely sugars and starch) and other nuttritious stuff, thats why the egyptians gave it to the slaves because it was like an entire meal. LINKAGE

And some of you people are accounting that the problem with alcoholisim is due to the drinking age, I largely disagree as problems such as these have a sociological cause.

Here is Australia the largest demographic that abuses alcohol are the indigenous aboriginals who are in more lower classes which subjected to a cycle of poverty, as Aboriginals have concentrated themselves in poverty stricken areas which provide them with little education and health services. Lack of education lead to abuse of alcohol, and so on and so forth.

A reson why France may seem to have a lower amounts of alcohol abuse maybe due to that they dont have such a large class discrimination as America or Australia. Or that you havent done enough research to make such a sweeping state as to say "Countries like France do not have such a big drinking problem like the U.S. because they have no drinking age". France also has a drinking age, its 16.

^well put

If anyone's got any statistics and studies (with proof) to back up their arguments, i'm definately interested in seeing them. For now, I agree that kids are binge drinking because it's illegal and forbidden. Take away the novelty, and it's not such a big deal any more. I think that if you just tax it and make the price higher, it'll restrict drinkers to an older demographic (and rich kids), and take away the 'glamour'

I can't be arsed to read every single post; I'm supposed to be doing an essay, haha - see, responsibility doesn't come with age (I'm 21 this year)

I'm a university student, and in Britain, that's basically code for your stereotypical hedonistic lifestyle of sex, drugs, and well, alcohol. I don't think a single one of my friends isn't a raging alcoholic and we do discuss the legal age for drinking.

We believe that having the limit at 18 means people are inclined to start earlier. People may get hideously drunk upon turning legal in the US but they also start drinking later, if I'm right? 18 may be the legal age at which drinking is permitted but the number of news reports I've seen where the statistics show an increasing number of kids as young as 11 are turning up to school with indecent hangovers (in Britain). Yes this may mean we're more used to drinking by the time we're legal, but it also means the alcohol tolerance level has increased to a level which many would consider dangerous (the more you drink, the more you need to drink to get drunk).

On the other hand, I don't think implementation of the legal drinking limit is as strict here as it is over there and that may be the reason turning 21 is celebrated so outrageously?

I do not believe that we should lower the drinking age. I see the points you have made...and they are good ones, but...

+Most teenagers drink before they turn 21
+By making people aware of how stupid the 21 shots on your 21st birthday is, they might not be so stupid.
+When you turn 18 you immediately feel a sense of freedom already...to add drinking to the list of things you can do might not be so smart.
+If you really want to drink before its legal, trust me...you will find a way.

ok. alcohol is poison. it hurts your body,
and impares your judgement, and can even ruin lives..the list can go on!
what good would letting a younger crowd intoxicate themselves bring?