The Drinking Age?

[lookin4sum1icantrust]

What does everyone thing about this topic???

I think they should reduce it back to 18, because it doesn't matter whether they move to 25 teen are still going to get alcohol somewhere.

 

[FPNY]

i think they should raise it, and i think they should raise the age you can drive alone too. just becsue you can still get booze (illegally) doesn't mean the laws shouldn't be changed

 

[gsdx]

It should definately be lowered in the US. 18 in Quebec, Alberta etc. 19 in Ontario and we haven't burst into flames nothing too bad.

It's 18 in Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec. It's 19 in every other province and territory.

 

[lookin4sum1icantrust]

If you can do basically everything at 18 then why should they raise it. I mean you can go to war and die and never have a drink. Come on if they raise to 25 it wouldn't matter at all, this was all on the news today. They are really considering to change it to 18 cause of all the teens who get it illegal somehow kill themselves to get it, and it's not even driving that causes the death now a days. It's sad I mean i'm 18 and I drink but I don't get out of control with it like others. It just depends on the person everyone is different, people mature faster than others.

 

[Ramindra]

If you mature enough to join the services, and can give your life for your country, then you should be able drink.

In Australia, the age for being able to drink is 18.

 

[EgoStroke]

The drinking age doesn't change anything. It's 19 in Ontario and I'm 20 and hardly drink. If there's people who like to drink till they're almost dead then the drinking age isn't going to stop them. Almost EVERYONE in high school use to drink and the drinking age didn't stop them from getting booze! There were 'cool' parents and whatnot that provided it, so the drinking age could have been 17 and it still wouldn't have mattered.

 

[G-Lexington]

Get it down to 16 where it belongs.

Lex

 

[gsdx]

If there's people who like to drink till they're almost dead then the drinking age isn't going to stop them.

Really, the only thing the drinking age governs is to whom it can be legally sold.

 

[Alpha1851]

i think they should raise it, and i think they should raise the age you can drive alone too. just becsue you can still get booze (illegally) doesn't mean the laws shouldn't be changed

I agree. Eighteen yr olds simply do not have the logical reasoning skills that an older adult has I'd leave the drinking age at twenty one but I'd raise the driving age to eighteen. I'd also raise the age that someone can do porn to twenty one.

Also, the argument that teens can acquire booze if they so desire is a poor reason to lower the legal drinking age. Cocaine addicts can also acquire their drug of choice if they want it bad enough and are willing to pay the price for it. It's still illegal though and they'll be punished if caught. It's the same principle.

 

[Spellbound]

When I was under 21 I would have said yes. But not anymore. Haha.

 

[Ramindra]

I agree. Eighteen yr olds simply do not have the logical reasoning skills that an older adult has.....

By your reasoning....18 yo should be barred from signing up in the forces because they do not have the logical reasoning skills to understand what the consequences might be, like death and disablement. Ergo, the only ones allowed to sign up are older adults. C'mon, give us a break! I think we underestimate the young 'uns.

Any law which prohibits people in their late teens from drinking is unenforcable. Yes, you might give tickets to a few but in practice, the law in unenforcable. And any law which is unenforcable is a bad law.

PS I am a teetotaller, if it makes any difference.

 

[Alpha1851]

^Correct. I do think that eighteen is to young to join the Armed Forces. Well, I think eighteen is to young to be sent over seas, I wouldn't mind them joining the military that young so long as they were left state side. The military does afford a lot of opportunities that youngsters may need such as education, discipline, and job skills. However, I think it's horrific to send a kid to Iraq at that age. Of course, I've also read the studies that suggest that younger soldiers fair better since they are more willing to follow orders and are less likely to "think things through." I don't think eighteen year olds understand what it means to be a soldier before they sign up. Normally in our society, you can quit work, contracts can be broken, you can always change your mind. However, in the military, once you sign on the dotted line and swear in (I think) you're owned by Uncle Sam. I don't believe that the average eighteen year old can appreciate this.

I've never been in the military so I'm not an authority on the subject. Personally, I'd allow them to sign up at eighteen and keep them in the U.S. I think most contracts are up in three years so at twenty one, they'd be able to decide whether or not to stay in. At that age, it's a free for all. I'd start the draft/selective service registration at the age of twenty one for men AND women.

 

[kevbo]

Yes, and no.

The only reason I wanted it lowered and still want it lowered (at least until I turn 21), is because in Wisconsin you can't go into bars or clubs until 21. Bars can't even host 18+ nights. The only reason I'd like to go to bars and clubs is for something to do. I'd like to go see bands, comedians, etc, but I can't, unless I have a parent with me, and my mom doesn't want to do that sort of stuff.

In the other vein, however, seeing my friends drinking, most of them are just stupid while drinking. Most of my friends just ruin friendships while drunk, although I do have a few friends who drive drunk, too. But people over 21 also drive drunk. It's a tough call, but for the most part I think most people my age are too immature to drink. I stick to drinking with family, and if I'm not drinking with family, I always make sure that I'll be safe by drinking to just get a buzz instead of getting drunk, and always calling a taxi.

Like I said, tough call.

 

[Alpha1851]

Any law which prohibits people in their late teens from drinking is unenforcable. Yes, you might give tickets to a few but in practice, the law in unenforcable. And any law which is unenforcable is a bad law.

.

I missed this last time Ramindra. Actually, if a business, restaurant, or any other establishment is caught selling alcohol to someone under the legal age, that entity can have its liquor license revoked and can be fined hundreds if not thousands of dollars. This law is enforced often. That's just one example of an enforcable law created to stop teens from drinking. There are many more.

 

[Aflute04]

Live in a Freshmen dorm for 3 years... You might change your mind.

I, like many others thought that the age should be lowered. That is until my second year of college when I had to send 4 residents (at seperate times) to the hospital to get their stomach's pumped or to detox. When I see children handling alcohol well, I might change my mind... But as of right now. I think it's just fine.

But I can also see how keeping it isn't going to stop them from doing it either way so... whatever works?

 

[Kulindahr]

Yes, but:

only for those who've taken recognized classes about the stuff and get a card saying so.

I'd drop it to 16 for kids who take the class that young and pass it, AND have an adult around with a certification in "How to keep kids responsible when they're drinking".

 

[Ramindra]

I missed this last time Ramindra. Actually, if a business, restaurant, or any other establishment is caught selling alcohol to someone under the legal age, that entity can have its liquor license revoked and can be fined hundreds if not thousands of dollars. This law is enforced often. That's just one example of an enforcable law created to stop teens from drinking. There are many more.[/quote]

I agree with you and I think sanctions should be imposed on those pubs and clubs which break the law but.....has the law achieved its purpose in stopping underage drinking? It seems to me that virtually anyone can get booze and drink it if that is their wish. I wonder what percentage of underage drinkers are caught and prosecuted. Did prohibition stop the gin palaces? Have the anti-drug laws in the US had any effect on the number of people who use marijuana? (Apart from fill the prisons up with persons convicted of victimless crimes?) One could ask if the laws relating to marijuana are truly enforcable.

The problem with laws which are, for all intents and purposes, unenforcable is that they lead to pernicious prosecutions, i.e. the law enforcement agencies can tend to be selective in who they prosecute. If they want you, they will get you on a charge which would perhaps under other circumstances be ignored. Often decisions were (and are) made on race, religion or social standing. Many of these laws also lead to corruption, e.g. prostitution. Now that is one area of law that can never be properly enforced. It may be tolerated, however the cops can selectively prosecute should they so desire. This makes for bad law. It should also be noted that the majority of laws in this category are offences where there are no victims.

Perhaps the most unenforcable laws were, and are, those against homosexual acts. Were there victims? Were there pernicious or selective prosections made? You bet your life there were!

Looking further down the track, do you think it is right that a kid who has a beer after a football game should have a record?

 

[USEDCAR]

They can lower it to 5 i don't drink. But i don't think its going to make a difference. People are still going to do it they should just throw the drinking age thing away. Even the news said that teens are drinking more then having sex

Debating about Drinking age and legalizing weed is as old as water people need to get over it and stop doing it and enjoy life

puts bash me suit on

 

[fiorio]

I think there should be no drinking age, countries with no or lower drinking age actually have fewer binge drinking problem.

 

[windgates]

It would be nice if we took a responsible look at drinking instead of just saying NO YOU CAN'T DO IT UNTIL YOU'RE 21 BECAUSE THEN YOU WILL NOT MAKE BAD DECISIONS.

same thing with sex, just replace '21' with 'married'.