Do you think the drinking age should be 18 again?

Sums it up!

I think it should have stayed 18 and should go back to it. :salute:

i think it should be 16.

Its not like it stops kids anyway!

I think if you are old enough to fight for this country - then you are old enough to have a beer (or whatever) IMO :salute:

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Originally Posted by lenastorms

I think if you are old enough to fight for this country - then you are old enough to have a beer (or whatever) IMO :salute:

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Military folks are able to drink at 18 on base. Personal experience and many, many fuzzy nights. :gj:

see i agree with you 200%. if you an go fight and die you are more then old enough to have a beer or case if you like.

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Originally Posted by lenastorms

I think if you are old enough to fight for this country - then you are old enough to have a beer (or whatever) IMO :salute:

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I think that 18 was fine. At 18, we can legally buy cigarettes as well as do a number of other adults-only things legally. Why the disparity?
I laughed at my sister years ago. She turned 18 in the year that they changed it to 21!

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Originally Posted by Shadera

Military folks are able to drink at 18 on base. Personal experience and many, many fuzzy nights. :gj:

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Really?!? 18 years as a military wife and I had no idea. :confused:

I wish they would enforce more smoking rules for kids. It is perfectly legal for a parent to offer there child alcohol in there house!

I agree with everyone who thinks it should be 18, if people can sign up and fire a gun and go kill people for our country they damn sure can have a drink.

I'm of the mind, that YES! If you can fight for this country, smoke, gamble, vote, and any other number of adult things, then YES, you can drink.

I agree 1000% with the heads of colleges, that lowering the drinking age WILL bring those issues into the open and they can more easily deal with it.

Also, if kids are drinking at 18, and more than likely still at home with mom and dad, the parents will be able to take more of a hand in it.

I'm not that far from 18, and certainly closer to 21, kids will do what they want. It's time we stop trying to shovel the problem under the rug and address excessive drinking in the open by first making it legal, which will make it easier to talk about it without fear of ramifications, and having kids drink WITH adults and not just with other underage kids!

i dont think the age should change to 18 again, for the simple fact yea they are gonna drink anyways if they can get it, but think about how many deaths by drinking and driving is already if you get a new person behind the wheel at 18 and they have been at the bar thats just gonna up the death toll. i dont know i guess because im from jersey and the driving age is 17 for permit and 18 for your actual lisencse. and to me a newly driving person who is drunk is at more risk and might not know how to react to certain situations. well i might be biased since i was in an accident with a drunk driver. i dont think the cops give enough tickest for drunk driving. (sorry if it seems outta sequance but its how my thoughts linked together.)

In Canada the drinking age is 19, and the age to buy porn is 18.

I believe that the drinking age should be 19 in the US, as well. Heck, in many European countries it is even lower, but, in fairness, the culture is different as well. Alcohol is not considered a raging 'taboo' in places like Greece, where older children are served a small glass of wine at the dinner table. I believe that the lack of taboo about alcohol contributes to the fact that many European countries have far fewer cases of alcohol related crimes, like impaired driving. Maybe they’ve built a higher tolerance for the stuff, or they’ve had longer to lean the value of moderation and responsible drinking. Either way...

I also believe the drinking age should be lowered for purely logical reasons. For example, in light of the fact that you only have to be 18 to join the Armed Forces. So, putting this into perspective; you can join the Army, get taught how to kill people, get handed live firearms and grenades, drive a freekin' tank, and get sent overseas to die for your country... but you are not considered "mature enough" to drink a beer in the privacy of your own home.

Ridiculous! Let them drink (legally, because we all know it happens anyway.) Ditto for porn!

I voted Yes, but just to play the devil's advocate:

What about the fact that most kids turn 18 while they are still in high school? Wouldn't this mean that it would be MUCH easier for high schoolers to have access to alcohol?

Knee-jerk response = they have access to it anyway from older siblings, friends, cousins, etc. But I would argue that this source is limited. When I was in high school most people just didn't have a source to get alcohol from on a regular basis. Many 21+ siblings are off at college or busy working or in the military, where they can't pick up for their siblings.

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Originally Posted by NightLad

In Canada the drinking age is 19, and the age to buy porn is 18.

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In Ontario the age for consensual sex is 14. You can do it when you are 14 but you can't read about until you are 18. :confused:

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Originally Posted by Monty

i dont think the age should change to 18 again, for the simple fact yea they are gonna drink anyways if they can get it, but think about how many deaths by drinking and driving is already if you get a new person behind the wheel at 18 and they have been at the bar thats just gonna up the death toll.

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Just been at the bar? Well, lets also take into account how many older more weathered people are at the bar as well? I'd say they'd be outweighing the 18 year olds by a good number. I think drunk driving is a serious thing, but I also know that in a large number of kids DO have a DD, or stay where they are drinking. Or, like in Mount Pleasant, call the private taxi service to take you to Lil' chef at 2 am to eat before you walk off to the dorms.

Our driving permits here in michigan can start at 14 and 9 months of age, you take drivers ed at 15, and get your license at 16. Maybe we just grow up faster around here, but that's not my point.

They are legally adults, they should be able to make decisions for themselves.

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What about the fact that most kids turn 18 while they are still in high school? Wouldn't this mean that it would be MUCH easier for high schoolers to have access to alcohol?

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Which highschoolers? How do you think they dealt with it before when it was 18? Where are the parents?? Why aren't they still parenting their under 18 year old teen? Hmm??

I've always been of the mind that I'd rather my kid was in my house, not driving, not away on some farm in the middle of nowhere, drinking with their friends under my supervision. Not god knows where sneaking some whiskey with a bunch of other underaged kids.

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Originally Posted by dsirkle

In Ontario the age for consensual sex is 14. You can do it when you are 14 but you can't read about until you are 18. :confused:

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Actually, the Federal Government changed the age of consent to 16 in a bill passed earlier this year.

haha even if it doesnt just head up to canada!!!!!!!!! i am like an hour from it. but who are the people who said no on this poll??? your crazy . kids gotta party:banana:

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Originally Posted by Shadera

Military folks are able to drink at 18 on base. Personal experience and many, many fuzzy nights. :gj:

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Nope nope....we weren't allowed to drink on any of the US bases if we were under 21, when I was in the Army.

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Originally Posted by CeraDigital

Nope nope....we weren't allowed to drink on any of the US bases if we were under 21, when I was in the Army.

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Maybe it's a base by base thing? ;)

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Originally Posted by littleindiangirl

I'm of the mind, that YES! If you can fight for this country, smoke, gamble, vote, and any other number of adult things, then YES, you can drink.

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Connie, the voting and drinking age was lowered in Michigan to 18 during the VietNam war for the reasons that you mentioned. I was 19 years old at the time and was in the Army. Due to disproportionately irresponsible behavior by those under the age of 21 engaged in drinking, it was put forth before the voters who overwhelmingly voted to move the drinking age back to 21 in the late '70's. :8:

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Originally Posted by NightLad

Actually, the Federal Government changed the age of consent to 16 in a bill passed earlier this year.

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I was not aware of that. I knew that it had been under discussion for consideration of raising the age.

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Originally Posted by littleindiangirl

Just been at the bar? Well, lets also take into account how many old weathered people are at the bar as well?

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Hey Now!!!!!

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Originally Posted by dsirkle

Hey Now!!!!!

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LOL!!

Anywho, I think only in America would the lowering of the drinking age cause some catastrophic event.

I think if the rest of the world is still carrying on living and prospering with the age set to 18 or none, why is it going to be so different for America?

Just look at how many 21's you find, and how many "none" in Europe.... Me thinks the motherland is on to something! (speaking from my European descent. :P)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_drinking_age

The drinking age is never fair when your underage.:rolleyes: Fact is... No matter what the law is... 18 is still young...and Prime age for making bad decisions. Put 18 yo olds out on the roads with the ability to drive to the bar with their friends...and watch the tragedy rate jump drastically, I guarantee it. I was 18 and I know exactly how it was, at least we had to worry about getting our License stripped until the age of 21 if you were caught driving with anything in your system. As soon as I was legal to drink... The best part was NOT HAVING to drink at home. You could go order a drink wherever you were. At 18 you have barely started experiecing the harsh realities of life, and you still go about life like you are invicible. I lost several freinds afer turning 18 from auto accidents that were both the result of alcohol, and plain immature foolishness. It is rare to find an 18 yo who will be the voice of responsiblity in a group of partying friends, I see high school kids racing their cars, and driving completely erratically every day, and if you ask me to give them the option of adding booze into their system is a big mistake. There is a reason Issurance rates are so high for young drivers... It is the same reason young people should not be able to drink... You can't expect an 18 yo to be responsible with a newly acquired privledge. It was changed for a reason, people were tired of seeing their youngster kill themselves by making stupid decisions, It was a big enough problem that they put forth the effort to change the law. Soon enough you will be all grown up and able to do whatever you want... Until then I think you should accept that the current poilices are in everyones best interest. We have already learned from everyone elses mistakes... Why would you want to take a step backwards?

Shoot... Thinking about this leads me to the thought that it might be better to lower the drinking age to 18... and raise the driving age to 21. I think cars are more dangerous than booze... But the mix of the two has proven to be a horrible idea... And if you offer up both privlegdes at the same time to a young person who has been waiting for both... It is a recipe for disaster.

I was raised by very protective parents, but like was said... Doesn't matter if it is illegal, or if your parents don't want you to do it, You are probably going to do it anyway, and most of us did. Parenting is a huge factor, but You can't put everything on the parents, because all kids aim to break their parents rules, no matter how strict the 'rents are. It is part of the job of a parent to allow your kid the appropriate freedoms at the appropriate times. The parent will never be there to blame 100% of the time.

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Connie, the voting and drinking age was lowered in Michigan to 18 during the VietNam war for the reasons that you mentioned. I was 19 years old at the time and was in the Army. Due to disproportionately irresponsible behavior by those under the age of 21 engaged in drinking, it was put forth before the voters who overwhelmingly voted to move the drinking age back to 21 in the late '70's.

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Exactly!

i think it should be a state to state desicion honestly. for the less populated states yea go for it but for crowded states like new jersey new york places like that i would say keep it as it is.

Either it should go to 18 or they should raise the age for people to enlist in the army to 21.

I find it interesting that the countries that introduce alcohol to the young don't seem to have anywhere near the amount of incidences as we do here in America.

Another thing is a lot of people do it because they're not supposed to. For a lot of people, the thrill of getting away with something they're not supposed to gets their jollies going. I know I was like that when I was a teen...we all were. When 21 rolled around, I was like "eh...booz...whatever...."

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Originally Posted by CeraDigital

Nope nope....we weren't allowed to drink on any of the US bases if we were under 21, when I was in the Army.

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Well things must have changed. I went in the Army at 18 (1979) and was able to drink on any base that I went to.

I'm kinda split on how I feel about changing the legal age to 18. On one hand, I see how allot of the kids are with alcohol around this area and I dont like it...on the other hand, if 18 is when you are an adult, then an 18 year old should be able to do anything any other adult can do.

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Originally Posted by SoCaliSon

I was raised by very protective parents, but like was said... Doesn't matter if it is illegal, or if your parents don't want you to do it, You are probably going to do it anyway, and most of us did.

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Is drinking and driving the SOLE reason you believe the drinking age should be 21? Nothing else comes to mind? Is drinking to blame for it all??

I too was brought up strict, I didn't drink until I moved out... I drank, then when I turned 21, I drank some more in public. In all, I drank heavily after turning 21 for only a few months... Now I haven't really had a drink since.

If raising a child in a super protective environment has bad results when they get out on their own and party hard, then how is it any different if we "protect" them from alcohol and then let them loose? I don't see the difference, and I strongly believe that making alcohol not a BIG deal, we'd see less stupid mistakes made when kids are either out of the parents house or turn 18.

The reality is drinking and driving is illegal no matter what age you are so what difference does the drinking age make?

If you want to drink you are gonna get alcohol one way or the other. Drugs are illegal yet young people can get those quite easily.

In my opinion many laws are self righteous. You can kill for your country at 18 as long as you don't drink to it. Whats worse folks killing or drinking?

Like many mentioned earlier alcohol is available to minors in many European nations and ironically they have the least amount of youth related drinking problems. It teaches you something about human nature, when you tell someone(especially young people) they cant do something it makes it that much more desirable and exciting. It is only wrong because we think its wrong. In other places its not wrong so they dont think it's wrong and no one cares.

I think we need to get over ourselves and be realistic not self righteous.

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Originally Posted by CeraDigital

Nope nope....we weren't allowed to drink on any of the US bases if we were under 21, when I was in the Army.

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That sucks. I served on active duty between 93-98 at WSMR and was freely allowed to drink in any of the on-post clubs or buy beer from the shoppette if I wished. Also spent quite a bit of time at Ft. Bliss partying there too. I figure that's why when I hit 21 I didn't even feel like partying anymore - got it all out of my system early. LOL

I think it should be 18 again. Alcohol was never really a big deal in my house, in fact I can remember being 12 and allowed to drink a glass of coke with some red wine in it. It was completely normal to me and there was no mystery behind it when I was in my teens. I attended parties and drank before I was 21 but never did I drink to the point of incapacitation; I just never saw the point to it. I rarely drink anymore; and most likely when I do its a bottle a wine I share with my brother when he visits or at family functions.

It just never made sense to me that I could fight for my country and get married, but not have a glass of champagne to celebrate.

If you can fight and die for the US of A, why cant you drink?

I said yes- and in response to those saying that there will be more drinking and driving accidents, none of my friends ever did drink and drive ever, always had a DD. Also, the one person we did know that got a DUI was the one buying it for us, and he was 27- we; we had been telling him not to drive! Now a days I think that a lot more kids are growing up faster and learning responsiblity- and the fact that theres a cop at every corner lol.

Something to consider . . . in some circumstances parents have a legal responsibility for children 18-21 that live at home.

in costa rica its 18

yes they do.... very good point. i voted to keep it 21.. personally i think more bad then good will come of it if that changed.

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Originally Posted by marmie

Something to consider . . . in some circumstances parents have a legal responsibility for children 18-21 that live at home.

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The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 was nothing more than an intiative set by the Federal Government that restricted the amount of federal revenue that the states could receive, specifically for interstate highway maintenance if I remember correctly.

Its going to take a long time for this country to get over a lot of the Puritanical influence within our society and our own minds.

Logically, it makes sense to say things like, "I can join the Marines and kill terrorists but I can't drink to it in most places."

The only thing I want to point out is that 21 is like the new 18. In the US, adulthood seems to get pushed back later and later into life, and it seems like your average 18 year old today is far less developed from a maturity standpoint that an 18 year old thirty years ago was. Should these "children" be allowed to run rampant at your favorite bar? I know I don't want them at mine!

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Originally Posted by elevatethis

The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 was nothing more than an intiative set by the Federal Government that restricted the amount of federal revenue that the states could receive, specifically for interstate highway maintenance if I remember correctly.

Its going to take a long time for this country to get over a lot of the Puritanical influence within our society and our own minds.

Logically, it makes sense to say things like, "I can join the Marines and kill terrorists but I can't drink to it in most places."

The only thing I want to point out is that 21 is like the new 18. In the US, adulthood seems to get pushed back later and later into life, and it seems like your average 18 year old today is far less developed from a maturity standpoint that an 18 year old thirty years ago was. Should these "children" be allowed to run rampant at your favorite bar? I know I don't want them at mine!

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I'm really setting myself up here, but it does seem that people put on the mantle of responsibility at a much later age than they did 30 years ago, IE: leave home, get married, have children, assume financial responsibility etc, and that they seem to bear this responsibility with much less success today. I know the age statistics of the forum members. I am prepared to get it with both barrels.

Since this country is an alleged Republic, I say leave it up to each state's voting populace to determine the laws for their state, including the drinking age.

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Originally Posted by dsirkle

I'm really setting myself up here, but it does seem that people put on the mantle of responsibility at a much later age than they did 30 years ago, IE: leave home, get married, have children, assume financial responsibility etc, and that they seem to bear this responsibility with much less success today. I know the age statistics of the forum members. I am prepared to get it with both barrels.

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Yea! What's up with these kids sitting around playing games all day! They should be working! Get down in those coal mines you wussies! Knit that sweater! Bend that metal rod!!!

I voted "yes", but I do have a few thoughts about the issue from both sides.

I do believe that if you can die for your country, and kill for your country, you should be able to have a beer if you want it.

I also think that there would be more accidents as a result of a lower (or no) drinking age. It IS true that Europeans have a statistically lower rate of alcohol-induced accidents in teens. Consider this, however: how many teens own their own vehicles in Europe? Gas (petrol) is really expensive in Europe ($8+ per LITER in some places), and younger kids just don't own their own vehicles, and their parents may only own one or none, depending on how rural they are.

In many European countries, they have an AMAZING public transportation system, so if kids DO go out to drink, they're taking the bus/train home. I would imagine this could account for the statistical discrepancy. In the USA, public transit is mediocre at best. In my small town, we don't have any sort of public transit available--not even taxis--and the only real clubs, etc. are 45 minutes away. I'm not much of a partier, but my sister is. She's 22, and has spent her fair share of nights driving home drunk from clubs--in spite of offers to come get her if she needs a ride.

In my family of 5, we're all what I would call "lower middle-class" as far as income goes. All 5 of us have cars--and my siblings and I all owned our own cars by the age of 17. I'm willing to bet that sort of statistic doesn't exist in European families with any sort of frequency. If you're not driving at all, you can't drive drunk, and you also can't create statistics.

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Originally Posted by littleindiangirl

Yea! What's up with these kids sitting around playing games all day! They should be working! Get down in those coal mines you wussies! Knit that sweater! Bend that metal rod!!!

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Wasn't work that I referring to but all the young people that I see that take out loans for cars, boats, toys etc and then make bad on the loans. All the young people that I see that make babies and the father runs off and the mother just brings the kids to her parents and just expects them to support and raise them too. I meant not responsibly shouldering responsibilities that people have voluntarily assumed. It really didn't used to be like that. And it's not just a bad economy causing this. The economy was worse when I was young than it is now. I never made bad on a debt or failed to support my family. It's different values. Most poor people that I see today have satellite tv dishes, big screen tv's, x boxes, cell phones, lottery tickets, alcohol and cigarettes, all things that they should be doing without in my opinion if they are having a tough time making it. Now I'm really going to get it.

I voted No on this poll but I think I'll have to take a yes and no stance. First let me say I don't think they should change the overall age back to 21. But if you fight for this Country maybe you should be allowed certain privileges. So if you have a military I.D. you can purchase alcohol.

Sorry, in my above post I noticed I said not to change the age back to 21. What I meant was that it should not be changed back to 18.:rolleye2:

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Originally Posted by snakecharmer3638

I voted No on this poll but I think I'll have to take a yes and no stance. First let me say I don't think they should change the overall age back to 21. But if you fight for this Country maybe you should be allowed certain privileges. So if you have a military I.D. you can purchase alcohol.

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I have not voted because I believe that anyone in the military should be allowed to drink while I feel that 18 is too young in most cases.

Personally, I think it should be 18..... we can die for our country at 18, we can pick a world leader at 18..... we should be able to drink at 18 as well!

Maybe we should be talking about instead raising the age to go into the military, vote, etc, to 21 from 18...I know more than a few 18 years olds that wouldn't even be able to point to Afghanistan or Georgia (the country) on a map, much less made educated decisions on politics, public service, and alcohol consumption.

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Originally Posted by Shadera

Military folks are able to drink at 18 on base. Personal experience and many, many fuzzy nights. :gj:

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Only at some overseas bases. In the states it is 21 on or off base. We have so many of our new kids get in trouble for this.