Time to lower the drinking age to 18? Hm, I'm basically against drinking at all but if you can vote and serve in the Armed Forces, why can't you drink and gamble as well?
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It's been 20 years that America has had a minimum federal drinking age. The policy began to gain momentum in the early 1980s, when the increasingly influential Mothers Against Drunk Driving added the federal minimum drinking age to its legislative agenda. By 1984, it had won over a majority of the Congress.
President Reagan initially opposed the law on federalism grounds but eventually was persuaded by his transportation secretary at the time, now-Sen. Elizabeth Dole.
Over the next three years every state had to choose between adopting the standard or forgoing federal highway funding; most complied. A few held out until the deadline, including Vermont, which fought the law all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court (and lost).
Twenty years later, the drawbacks of the legislation are the same as they were when it was passed.
I've been of the opinion that, as you said, if you can go fight and die for your country, then you should be able to drink without fear of the law.
The thing is, go on any college campus and it doesn't seem to matter anyway. I don't drink myself, and I am a good year and couple months away from being able to do so, legally. The focus needs to be more on education, kids are going to do what they will do and there isn't enough police force in the country to eliminate what's going to go on. I'd rather have them drink legally and stay where they are, or have a DD, then drive on the roads to get away from the place because they might get busted.
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I am lucky I live in England. It is part of our culture that we go out clubbing and drinking a earlyer age then that too. I was 16 when I first went to a nightclub.
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Its not part of the culture; that's very narrow-minded. Most who do do it don't want to feel left out or are pressured by their peers. Sex is the best example of peer pressure. Ever been laughed at when you were asked whether you were a virgin or not? I bet you lied, right? Everyone does, they don't wanna be the odd one out.
(No offence intended incidentally, just saying its definitely not a cultural thing)
Many in the UK are questioning whether 18 is too young or not. I believe 18 is too young for many things, I mean technically you're an adult, but are you ready?
The compulsory education age in the UK is being raised to 18 to stop kids leaving school with no skills or qualifications. Smoking too is having its age limit increased to 18. The tide in the UK is going in the opposite direction.
Scotland seems to have some bad drinking problems, and seeing as they started the ban on Smoking in enclosed public places, perhaps they should test out an increase in the drinking age to 20 perhaps?
You can fight for the UK at the age of 16. There was a big hoo-ha a couple of months back as 17 year olds were fighting in Iraq (only with parental consent might I add)! Perhaps it was time such privileges were revoked...
Raise the drinking age I say! Ban smoking COMPLETELY! Don't do anything to gambling though, I like my poker
I'm 18 and I fully realize that lowering the drinking age could be a rather dangerous decision. By the age of 21, most people are wiser than they were at 18, and that normally affects the choices that they make tremendously. One little mistake relating to alchohol can change someone's life forever, so it's probably best that the legal drinking age stays at 21.
On the other hand, the fact that at 18 we can do almost anything else, including joining the army, is a valid point.
Tough question, however I'm willing to let the government decide, seeing as that they have, I'm sure, given the question plenty of consideration. Also, studies have, I believe, shown that there is a big difference between 18 and 21 when it comes to consuming alchohol, etc.
The high drinking age is not an issue, the youth get alcohol anyways even under the age of 18. Some of the kids I know have been drinking weekly since their freshman year.
I definitely agree with you, that'd be one more year for me until I can legally drink, but that's not going to happen.
And also, there is a casino here in Southern California called Casino Morongo and you have to be 18+ to gamble
I think you can only gamble with quite a few limits though.
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I have lived in both England and Scotland and to be honest Scotland has got a bad reputation and in the most it is unjustified. Everywhere in the UK has quite a bad drink problem at the moment.
I personally would be all for the age increase for buying drink to 21. Some of the arguments for it are that the human body is not really developed fully at the age of 18 and can cause more damage. Kids are starting to drink at a much younger age now. I was personally guilty of under age drinking. I used to be a regular in pubs at the age of 15 although I did not drink too much and never had occasions when I was rat arsed (mainly because I have all too hoften seen the negative sides of alcohol).
Drinking is part of our culture - we drink to socialise. You may have read the story where Scotland were playing Italy at football and there was a total booze ban in italy because of the recent crowd trouble but the travelling scottish support still managed to drink an average of 38 pints each over the three days without one incident of hooliganism
Personally, i have been drinking with my friends since i was about 16. Now that im 18, i still go out clubbing about 2 to 3 times a week But i regularly see 15/16 year old girls get into clubs. If you can get married at 16, why cant you drink?
Over in england, the legal drinking limit just isnt even something we consider. Many of my friends went out drinking as early as 15 and have been doing so ever since. I'm only 17 myself and I drink on the odd occasion too - and i've not once in my life been asked for ID.
What i'm saying is, I'm not sure how strictly your drinking laws are enforced in america, but if it's anything like over here then merely changing the drinking age wont do much good. To really regulate consumption, they need to introduce far greater punishments for establishments selling to underage drinkers as an incentive to change their attitude. Right now, they just dont care; and I dont blame them.
The only thing I think of when this debate comes up is the simple fact that a town makes a lot of money on drinking tickets. What would they do without that income?
The drinking age was 18 in my state, when i turned 18. I did drink responsibly. I have always said, if you are old enough to vote, old enough to go to war, you should be able to purchase alcohol, just my opinion.
One little mistake relating to alchohol can change someone's life forever, so it's probably best that the legal drinking age stays at 21.
But i regularly see 15/16 year old girls get into clubs. If you can get married at 16, why cant you drink?
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