The Drinking Age?

[The_Reaper]

Here in Saskatchewan, the drinking age is 19, while in Alberta and Manitoba (our neighbouring provinces) the drinking age is 18.

Awhile back, our former government now opposition, threw around thoughts of lowering it to be on par, but that never really got going...I guess because they based it on the idea of keeping youths in the province, which was kind of a silly reason to lower the drinking age.

Personally, if you can drive at 15, vote at 18, you should be able to drink at 18.

 

[backpacker]

Someday people will realize that raising the drinking has been almost as disastrous as prohibition. Prohibition allowed organized crime to flourish and the country still suffers from some of the by products. Raising the drinking age has allowed the illegal drug trade to flourish.

Raising the drug age was done to combat drunk driving. A quick glance at statistics looks like it was successful. When a detailed review of drunk driving statistics is done, you quickly realize the reduction has been pretty across the board for all age groups. Awareness of drunk driving was virtually non-existent at the time the age limit was raised to 21. People’s perception was that it wasn’t a good thing, but it really wasn’t that bad either. The term “designated driver” didn’t even exist. I’ll give you three examples that all occurred about the time the laws were being changed. 1) I’m a passenger in a car. A guy runs a red light and hits us (minor accident – we were almost stopped by time of collision). The guy had just left a bar and smells of alcohol. He gets a ticket for running the red light and drives home. 2) A very drunk friend of mine drives his car off the road at a high rate of speed in a 25 mph zone and takes out 5 or 6 street signs. He gets a ticket for loss of control and goes home. 3) A friend of mine is a passenger riding with a drunk driver. The driver misses a turn at a high rate of speed. My friend is killed. The driver goes to the hospital and is driving within days. Eventually his license is suspended. Today, all three drivers would have a trip to jail and their licenses immediately suspended.

I’m against drunk driving. I feel that there are many better ways to combat it then denying adults certain privileges based solely on age. All bars should be required to have free breathalyzers available to customers. We could have a “national drinking license”. If you are involved in any alcohol related crime, it could be suspended. That could be drunk driving, public intoxication or being under the influence when crimes are committed (fights, domestic violence, etc.). Alcoholics could voluntarily give up their licenses. I would also make high school graduation a requirement, otherwise they have to wait until 21.

 

[jamie_01930]

I say YES b/c if a person can go in the service and die for their country , what they aren't old enough to drink???? give me a break.

 

[theatreboi]

It should definitely be changed back to 18. It was at one point, you know. It was back when my parents were 18. People didn't seem to have a problem with it then, I don't know what the fuss is. It's 18 in basically every other country in the world, if they have one at all, why not in the U.S.? Having lived in London for 3 months, I'll let you know that the english kids, even those who had just turned 18, were generally more responsible drinkers than the 20 year-old American kids who hadn't until going abroad been allowed to legally drink. It's also a personal thing; everybody handles drinking differently. I think that's my full say on the matter, but probably not.

 

[gabriel1]

I think everything should be raised to 25. drinking, draft, driving, whatever...

 

[drhladnjak]

i mean alcohol on the campus. i know theres always the groups thats always smoking but i dont believe there are kids drinking and keeping drinks stashed in their lockers & backpacks lol.

While I didn't drink at all when I was in high school, several of my friends did. And yes, in school, in class, in front of the teacher! It was commonly accomplished by putting vodka into a partially empty bottle of cranberry juice or even just filling a water bottle with a clear spirit like vodka or gin. Sometimes kids would get caught, but most of them got away with it all the time.

 

[Kulindahr]

I think everything should be raised to 25. drinking, draft, driving, whatever...

We should make a simple rule for the draft: if you haven't had a kid yet, you can't be drafted. We might need those genes someday.

The Age-restricting laws are there to protect the young from themselves, but there will always be those who can, and will, find a way around those laws and no matter what the law states, they will go out of their way to get what they want.

As I see it, the drinking laws as they stand are killing kids. They drink, and since adult supervision means adults in jail, they have none. How many kids are going to be the designated driver, when everyone decides they should go somewhere else?

I've bought alcohol for kids I knew would figure out a way to get it anyway, but I set some rules: I get their keys and shoes, and get to cut them off if they get out of hand. I've never been turned down -- in fact more than once I got thanked for being there to keep them safe.
And that's what's needed: a way to let the kids drink, but have adult supervision.

 

[Shepherd 2]

It is not the legal drinking age that is the problem.
So I say, if it is not broken, why try to fix it.

Look at the drinking and driving activity and the
number of fatalities caused. There is the crux of the matter.



Shep+

 

[drhladnjak]

You're a braver man than me Kuli. If you buy a minor alcohol and pretty much anything happens to them, you can be held liable. Even without keys or shoes, one of them could fall and hurt themselves leading to you getting prosecuted (not just sued) for endangering a child (or something like that). If they got in a fight and hurt somebody else, that somebody else could probably sue you as well.

 

[Kulindahr]

You're a braver man than me Kuli. If you buy a minor alcohol and pretty much anything happens to them, you can be held liable. Even without keys or shoes, one of them could fall and hurt themselves leading to you getting prosecuted (not just sued) for endangering a child (or something like that). If they got in a fight and hurt somebody else, that somebody else could probably sue you as well.

Well, no one asks me to buy for them any longer, anyway. But I'd rather they were safe.

 

[just_mills]

Keep it at 18

 

[morgaes]

If you're mature enough to vote and get married, why shouldn't you be mature enough to drink?

 

[gazzax2]

The Government in Queensland, Australia is thinking of lifting the drinking age from 18 to i don't know what. doesn't bother me, i turn 21 in 2 days haha.

 

[AsianDream]

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.

Most other drugs (except Tobacco) are illegal at any age - that doesn't seem to have any effect on reducing consumption - nor do the drink laws have much noticable effect either.

The USA has a strange (and very unsuccessful) history in trying to control or prohibit alcohol and other drugs. Also a government system that seems totally unable to learn from these failures

 

[kevbo]

I think that they should make an alcohol permit. People should have to pass a test. People from 18 to 21 would only be able to buy 1 drink a day MAX (They would have a permit that would only work one time everyday, and limited to one drink).

1 DRINK?!

What the hell purpose would that serve? One drink wouldn't even give me a buzz!

Make it five, and you're getting warmer.