underage drinking..

[doctorsun]

My thoughts are that it's illegal, regardless of how it may have affected you.

I have the same thoughts about marijuana. It's illegal, no matter how much one may wish it wasn't. You are not entitled to break a law just because you disagree with it.

Underage drinking and drinking in excess at ANY age is stupid. Plain and simple.

 

[gsdx]

A 16-year-old girl was on Judge Judy (or, perhaps, People's Court) the other day. She'd been drinking heavily one evening and got in a fight with her boyfriend. Another guy stepped between them to break them up. The girl ran next door to her friend's home, grabbed a butcher's knife from the kitchen, went back outside, and tried to stab her boyfriend. The guy in the middle got the knife instead. It went right through his arm.

This girl had attitude and couldn't understand why she was being sued. She called it 'a baby scratch'.

 

[gabriel1]

A 16-year-old girl was on Judge Judy (or, perhaps, People's Court) the other day. She'd been drinking heavily one evening and got in a fight with her boyfriend. Another guy stepped between them to break them up. The girl ran next door to her friend's home, grabbed a butcher's knife from the kitchen, went back outside, and tried to stab her boyfriend. The guy in the middle got the knife instead. It went right through his arm.

This girl had attitude and couldn't understand why she was being sued. She called it 'a baby scratch'.

I saw that one, the mother was no better, didn't understand what her daughter did wrong.

 

[Theyoungman]

ITs a bad idea period.

You see what teenagers do when they get drunk?

Thats my point...

 

[doctorsun]

You see what PEOPLE do when they get drunk?

That's MY point.

 

[Zeremonie]

It's been my experience (from being a criminal defense lawyer) that most teenagers don't realize when they've had too much to drink. Few teenagers really appreciate the dangers of alcohol.

Having said that, I still think that 21 is way too high of an age.You don't suddenly become responsible because you've now turned 21. I think the drinking age should be lowered to 16. In most places you can have sex when you're 16 (which has its own host of dangers) but not drink?

 

[doctorsun]

You seen what happens when cars crash?

People still drive.

You've seen what happen when planes crash?

People still fly.

I rest my case. No further questions, your witness.

I love it when people try to rationalize the act of getting drunk. It's so funny because it's so futile.

 

[pacz]

If a person can die for his country at the age of 18, s/he should have the right to have a drink.

 

[backpacker]

The drinking age is BS.

You can thank MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers) for the raise in the drinking age and a steep increase in the use of illegal drugs. While their stated mission is to stop drunk driving, their real mission is to outlaw drinking period. They won't be happy until everyone who drinks has a criminal record. Well the research shows that a driver at .08 are not as dangerous as someone talking on a cell phone, MADD continues to push to lower the limit to .06. First they lowered the limit to .12, then .10 and now .08. Obviously we don't want drunks out driving and MADD's efforts to increase awareness of the issue has been a good thing. They just don't know when they have gone to far.

One of my nephews favorite things to do is get the weekly neighborhood paper and see who they know has been busted for underage drinking. I always feel sorry for good young adults getting a record over something so stupid. If we are going to hold an 18 year old accountable as an adult, we should also grant them the same privileges as any other adult.

Yes I understand that some 18 year olds won't be able to handle it, but there are far more who are 21+ that can't handle it either. Should we deny the rights of all because of a few? I do have a solution, every drivers license or state ID should have a field that indicates if alcohol is allowed. Basically a drinking license. Every purchase of alcohol would require a check of the ID, no matter if you are 18 or 95. People who abuse or can't handle their alcohol could have their license suspended or revoked. This would help alcoholics stay sober.

They should lower the drinking age back to 18. If they are worried about high school kids buying alcohol, they could make graduation a requirement or you have to wait until you are 21 to get your drinking license. I bet that would provide some motivation to some kids.

This is an issue that has pissed me off since I young. I actually thought about starting a topic about this, but just never thought of it when I was at the computer.

 

[MidnightPrism]

My thoughts are that it's illegal, regardless of how it may have affected you.

You are not entitled to break a law just because you disagree with it.

Underage drinking and drinking in excess at ANY age is stupid. Plain and simple.

I agree.

 

[hot tamales]

I don't know.. here the legal age is 19, so is buying cigarettes. The voting age is 18, the driving age is 16. Not sure what they base the age limit to perform certain acts on is... Thing is, kids are going to get drunk when they want to regardless of the legal age to purchase it. They can steal booze from their parents fridge, get an older person to buy it for them or hang outside the liquor store and get someone to buy it for them. Bottom line is they'll get drink when they want regardless of the age. It's only a matter of inconvenience when you're underage. (Now, when I get ID'd, I look at it as a compliment )

Me, the first time my parents bought alcohol for me was when I was 16. They had absolutely no problem with me drinking as long as I was "under their supervision". They didn't mind me drinking at all if I was at home with a couple of friends, etc. because they knew I was going to anyway and figured the best thing was that they would, for the most part, know what was going on. Looking back I don't know that there was a better way to handle it.

The think I don't get is the fact that you'll get thrown in the drunk tank for drinking underage in public, but high schools have designated smoking pits for underage smoking. No, cigarettes don't have the intoxicating effect alcohol does, but illegal is illegal is illegal.

 

[Theyoungman]

Well then lets let all ages drink whenever they want.
Lets see what happens then...

No one is responsible when they drink...

PS: Joeslifeyork... Driving is a way of transportation to make our lives easier...

Drinking doesn't make our lives easier...

Drinving only raises our risks of car accident (when actually driving)...

Drinking not only raise our chances of illness to the body, but is already affecting the in negative ways (when drinking), and drinking turns us into ugly people... Driving doesn't

Driving and flying go hand in hand...

 

[backpacker]

My thoughts are that it's illegal, regardless of how it may have affected you.

I have the same thoughts about marijuana. It's illegal, no matter how much one may wish it wasn't. You are not entitled to break a law just because you disagree with it.

Underage drinking and drinking in excess at ANY age is stupid. Plain and simple.

I bet you never speed in your car! Let's face it, they set speed limits artificially low knowing that people are going to speed. When the majority of people speed in a particular location, there is something wrong with the limit. Laws should fit society, not unjustly restrict it.

Not that I'm saying people should take the law into their own hands, but laws have to be reasonable. When a large percentage of people don't believe in a law, there has be some exceptional reason for it to exist. I think this would apply to civil rights laws at the time they were passed. In the case of raising the drinking age, it was effectively a political action group (MADD) that caused the law to change and many of the people who supported MADD didn't even know what MADD was doing.

 

[backpacker]

No one is responsible when they drink...

Drinking not only raise our chances of illness to the body, but is already affecting the in negative ways (when drinking), and drinking turns us into ugly people... Driving doesn't

Well I disagree with almost everything you wrote, the two above are the ones that I have the most problem with.

The reality is that the vast majority of people who drink are responsible when they drink. You act like everyone gets shit faced when the drink, which is far from reality.

For the second point, there has been numerous medical studies that show alcohol in moderation is actually good for you.

 

[Theyoungman]

Well I disagree with almost everything you wrote, the two above are the ones that I have the most problem with.

The reality is that the vast majority of people who drink are responsible when they drink. You act like everyone gets shit faced when the drink, which is far from reality.

For the second point, there has been numerous medical studies that show alcohol in moderation is actually good for you.

LOL. Ok heres where you say "Oh. I didn't realize that"...

What I said was that drinking is bad for you and when people drink, they are hurting themselves no matter how they drink it... Thats my point. So yes I was right.

And the second part. Drink is mostly bad... Mostly bad over powers the some good...

 

[Thatguyouknow]

meh, i just dont think its right for people under 21 to strictly forbid any consumption of alcohol and then get let loose at 21. I know a few people whose parents were like that, and when they got to college and had no one breathing down their back about it, they went wild to experience the stuff for themselves - some end up not liking it, some are like 'w/e nothing amazing', and some cant get enough of it.

Point being that if you allow controlled exposure to it beforehand, then it will most likely be fine. Like for me, my dad always was like "want a beer" on some random (more than just holidays etc.) occasions. It's not amazing to me, but i drink when i goto some small parties with friends, not to get smashed, but to do w/e and socialize -- not that you need alcohol to socialize or anything...

i dunno, i just get disappointed when i see some peers of mine doing dumbass shit to get drunk, while getting drunk, and while smashed -- but it's not like that will ever go away.

 

[Theyoungman]

I bet you never speed in your car! Let's face it, they set speed limits artificially low knowing that people are going to speed. When the majority of people speed in a particular location, there is something wrong with the limit. Laws should fit society, not unjustly restrict it.

You sound a very liberal to me... Thats fine, but too much liberty is a bad thing. (If you dissagree on that second sentence, then you need to study peoples behaviors a little more)

Do you know why people speed? Because no one is there to enforce the law and teach them the lessons they need to learn...

Here where I live everybody speeds over the limit on the highways and the cops don't do anything, but you know what. I hardly ever see cops on the high way...

If no ones is there to stop them, then they will take it for their advantage...

 

[doctorsun]

No, I don't speed, thank you very much. I got one $150 speeding ticket. It was my first and last. I can't afford to take the chance of getting another one.

People are missing the point entirely. The question isn't whether or not the drinking age should be 21. I don't think it should be, either. However, it IS the drinking age and until that changes, it is very wrong to drink before you're 21. It is illegal...you are breaking the law...that is NEVER okay.

For the record, I also believe that marijuana should be legal...or rather, I believe that it doesn't make a difference either way. It's certainly not putting a halt to its use being illegal. However, since it IS illegal, it is WRONG to use it.

As I've said before...just because you disagree with a law doesn't mean you are entitled to break it.

 

[torontoguy22]

21 years is insane. Here in Canada it's 19, which is reasonable, but everything should be at 18 years old. If you're responsible enough to vote, buy lottery tickets, and buy porn, you should be able to handle alcohol. At the university I go to there's tonnes of underage drinking. It's part of the university experience. I grew up with wine at the dinner table. It was no big deal, and I never became an alcoholic. It's by keeping something away from a person that makes them want it more. By restricting alcohol until 21, the government is just asking people to drink underage.

 

[columbusguy]

i'm 18. i drink. i don't see a big problem in it. i don't get behind a wheel of a car, i know when i've had too much, and i'm not a complete douche bag doing outrageous things, and most everyone else i've been around who is underage and drinking acts the same way. yeah you get a few who don't know when to stop, but that's not just underage drinkers... every party i've been to we either stay the night or have a DD there who drives us home. a lot of underage drinkers are smarter than what most give us credit to be.

and to whoever said it was illegal, check your sources. there are only 7 or 8 states in the whole country where alcohol consumption is actually illegal under the age of 21. in over 15 states, though you may not buy alcohol under the age of 21, there are no laws against the consumption of it. the rest of the states have exceptions such as parents are allowed to buy drinks for their children or if your spouse is 21+ and you are say like 18.