The Drinking Age Should be Lowered to 18

[Fitswimmer]

That is the way I feel as well which is why I think the age to enlist in the Military should be raised to 21. To many 18 year olds fall for the advertised version of the Army - pay for college, travel the world, an ability to self-procolmate honor. When the truth is that it is a potentially very DANGEROUS decision that may cost you your life. And that you EARN honor by choosing to be there because of that reason - you are willing to put your life on the line for the greater good.

Smoking should be illegal to 21 as well - although I seriously doubt it would do any good. I smoked from the age of 13 to the age of 17 and then quit. Right before it became "legal" for me to do so.

Voting is the only item I would like to see stay at 18.

~Amanda

I'm with you-raise it ALL to 21. My DN just turned 21 this year and she really is far more mature than she was at 18, she admitted it herself.

I don't have a problem with 18 year olds voting, but to be consistent it would probably make sense to raise it to 21.

 

[PatsGirl]

I'm not sure what the "magic age" is but I think that all legalities need to start at the same time: serving in the military, voting, drinking...

Drinking age was 18 when I grew up and it didn't do much harm to me but I have a son turning 18 in a few weeks and OMG, that poor boy has enough trouble trying to keep his head on straight without adding alcohol

On the other hand, he's signing up for the military and I expect he will be leaving sometime this summer at age 18 1/2 and I really believe that if he can fight for this country he can have a beer at the end of the day (another reason why all things should become legal at the same time) -- in a perfect world, he wouldn't be allowed to sign up just yet.

I'm thinking 20 years old is probably a good compromise. Most college kids would be entering their junior year and have two solid years of being "almost on their own" under their belt, the ones who go to community or junior colleges would have just graduated and be starting out on their own. This would also give those kids that really don't want college but haven't a clue what they want a few years to weigh out their options, including the military, before they make decisions that WILL affect their lives forever.

So, how come nobody has brought up the marijuana issue? Seems this debate has stayed pretty civil (surprisingly so) and thought I might just play devil's advocate for minute -- hope you don't mind my joining you Dawn.

 

[TCPluto]

Because teenagers would then to be able to "party" at home with their parents (and friends) and not die because of alcohol intoxication or drunk driving.

Yeah, if the drinking age were 18, they wouldn't want to go to the bar to hang out with their friends and with their peers, they'd want to stay at home and get their drink on with mom and dad....

 

[basas]

Because teenagers would then to be able to "party" at home with their parents (and friends) and not die because of alcohol intoxication or drunk driving. Furthermore, kids and their friends would be happy to be able to get drunk in the safety of a parental supervised party. What do you think?

Well I'm going to have to disagree with you on this one. There is no way it should be lowered. If anything, it should be raised with harsh punishments put in place for those who cannot follow the rules.

So, how come nobody has brought up the marijuana issue?

Throw anyone using it in jail.

 

[manning]

What's stopping me from letting kids drink at home is that it's against the law. And there are stiff penalties I don't want to subject myself to. If it were legal, I'd feel differently, but that was the number one rule for my high schooler, along with don't ever get in a car if the driver has had anything to drink - don't ever put me at risk by letting anyone drink at our house.

Even if it was legal you would still be subject to being sued if someone was traveling home from your party and got into an accident.

It's happened.

 

[Nancy]

I think they should lower the age too.

It was 18 when I was younger and I don't think I did an excessive amount of drinking in my home with my parents. (Who would really WANT to get drunk with their parents )

For the record I have a 19 1/2 year old and a soon to be 18 year old. My oldest can go to Canada and legally drink, but she doesn't. That said I could see my middle DD going up there as soon as she hits 19.

If you can smoke, vote and join the military at 18 I see no reason for the drinking age to be 21. Maybe they should raise the age for voting, smoking and military service instead since at 18 they are still teenagers and not capable of making good decisions.

 

[shortbun]

Why not just lower the drinking age to 12? Then they'd really be trained to enter the real world by 18!!!

 

[golfgal]

For the most part that is because parents have not taught their kids to drink responsibly. Those 18 year olds who drink irresponsibly will not magically improve at 21, or even 30.

Actually, she has a point. A 21 year old is significantly more responsible then an 18 year old for the most part. They have a few more years under their belt and generally have lived somewhere besides home and have had to have some kind of responsibility for their actions without mom or dad being there.

Allowing 18 year olds to drink just isn't the answer. Most 18 year olds are still in HIGH SCHOOL and that just provides way to easy access for younger kids. Also, if they are legal to drink at 18 they are NOT going to stay home with mom and dad to drink, they are going to go out to the bars with their friends mix that with maybe two years of driving experience and you are just asking for trouble. Most 18 year olds are NOT going to feel drunk enough NOT to drive home--wouldn't want to ruin the reputation now would we because getting the approval of your friends is still a very big deal to high school kids.

Now, moving the drinking age to 19 gets alcohol out of easy access of the 15 year olds, puts most of the drinking age kids in college or on their own. Perhaps our efforts should be better spent raising the age for entrance to the military to 21?

 

[bluefairy13]

Actually, she has a point. A 21 year old is significantly more responsible then an 18 year old for the most part. They have a few more years under their belt and generally have lived somewhere besides home and have had to have some kind of responsibility for their actions without mom or dad being there.

Allowing 18 year olds to drink just isn't the answer. Most 18 year olds are still in HIGH SCHOOL and that just provides way to easy access for younger kids. Also, if they are legal to drink at 18 they are NOT going to stay home with mom and dad to drink, they are going to go out to the bars with their friends mix that with maybe two years of driving experience and you are just asking for trouble. Most 18 year olds are NOT going to feel drunk enough NOT to drive home--wouldn't want to ruin the reputation now would we because getting the approval of your friends is still a very big deal to high school kids.

Now, moving the drinking age to 19 gets alcohol out of easy access of the 15 year olds, puts most of the drinking age kids in college or on their own. Perhaps our efforts should be better spent raising the age for entrance to the military to 21?

Why don't you decide for your 18 year old and I'll decide for mine. Basically that's what I did anyway.

The government does not have the right to tell me how to raise my child. As long as we aren't causing harm to anyone and he doesn't drink and drive, it is really no one else's business but ours as a family.

If you need the government to tell you how to raise your child, there are lots of parenting books that will do the same job.

No Republican, has answered my question about how they can justify wanting small government and yet their love for telling me how I must raise my family and what I can do with my own body.

 

[DawnCt1]

Well I'm going to have to disagree with you on this one. There is no way it should be lowered. If anything, it should be raised with harsh punishments put in place for those who cannot follow the rules.



l.

I actually agree with YOU!

 

[golfgal]

Why don't you decide for your 18 year old and I'll decide for mine. Basically that's what I did anyway.

The government does not have the right to tell me how to raise my child. As long as we aren't causing harm to anyone and he doesn't drink and drive, it is really no one else's business but ours as a family.

If you need the government to tell you how to raise your child, there are lots of parenting books that will do the same job.

No Republican, has answered my question about how they can justify wanting small government and yet their love for telling me how I must raise my family and what I can do with my own body.

Overreact much??? No one is going to arrest you or do anything to you if you serve your 18 year old or 12 year old for that matter a glass of wine with your dinner. If you serve that to OTHER people's kids, that is a different matter. If you don't want the government interfering with your life then move to a remote island. If you want to complain about government interference and stay hear go right ahead but don't forget that same government protects you, puts out your house fire, educates your children, etc.

 

[chewbacca]

I'm not sure what the "magic age" is but I think that all legalities need to start at the same time: serving in the military, voting, drinking...
Drinking age was 18 when I grew up and it didn't do much harm to me but I have a son turning 18 in a few weeks and OMG, that poor boy has enough trouble trying to keep his head on straight without adding alcohol

On the other hand, he's signing up for the military and I expect he will be leaving sometime this summer at age 18 1/2 and I really believe that if he can fight for this country he can have a beer at the end of the day (another reason why all things should become legal at the same time) -- in a perfect world, he wouldn't be allowed to sign up just yet.

I'm thinking 20 years old is probably a good compromise. Most college kids would be entering their junior year and have two solid years of being "almost on their own" under their belt, the ones who go to community or junior colleges would have just graduated and be starting out on their own. This would also give those kids that really don't want college but haven't a clue what they want a few years to weigh out their options, including the military, before they make decisions that WILL affect their lives forever.

So, how come nobody has brought up the marijuana issue? Seems this debate has stayed pretty civil (surprisingly so) and thought I might just play devil's advocate for minute -- hope you don't mind my joining you Dawn.

I totally agree it should be the same age for everything across the board.

My parents were the type that if I wanted a drink, I had to do it at home. They did not want me to sneak out and get wrapped around a telephone pole. That is probably why I don't drink...never had to sneak it and it was never a big think for me! I know alot of ppl don't agree with this but it worked for us! Flame away!

 

[bluefairy13]

Overreact much??? No one is going to arrest you or do anything to you if you serve your 18 year old or 12 year old for that matter a glass of wine with your dinner. If you serve that to OTHER people's kids, that is a different matter. If you don't want the government interfering with your life then move to a remote island. If you want to complain about government interference and stay hear go right ahead but don't forget that same government protects you, puts out your house fire, educates your children, etc.

I don't believe I am overreacting at all. This country's love for making my personal decisions for me is a huge problem and I am speaking out against it. If we wanted to let my 17 year old have a glass of wine with us, which we did, we had to hide in our house unless we were in Europe.

The government can and should make laws for the common good, but they can stay away from my family and my body and I will continue to protest their interference.

Again, no republicans explaining the justification for this.

 

[golfgal]

I don't believe I am overreacting at all. This country's love for making my personal decisions for me is a huge problem and I am speaking out against it. If we wanted to let my 17 year old have a glass of wine with us, which we did, we had to hide in our house unless we were in Europe.

The government can and should make laws for the common good, but they can stay away from my family and my body and I will continue to protest their interference.

Again, no republicans explaining the justification for this.

You don't see that drinking age laws are for the common good? Auto accidents already kill more teenagers then any other cause, now you put a bunch of drunk 18 year olds on the road and they are killing other people as well. I know more teenagers that have died in drunk driving accidents then 18 year olds being killed in Iraq. Then, factor into the drunk driving incidences that don't kill but mame someone, the costs associated with their care, court cases, etc. and it is astronomical. Again, no one is going to do ANYTHING to you if you serve your OWN child alcohol, unless of course you allow them to drink to excess and they end up in the hospital but an occasional glass of wine/beer with dinner is NOT going to land you in jail.


I found this website--in MN it is NOT illegal to serve minor children in your own home "Possession is prohibited WITH THE FOLLOWING EXCEPTION(S):
• parent/guardian's home"

Here is a link to the site I found:

http://www.alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov/stateprofiles/

See, the government isn't interfering with your body. They are just protecting your child from someone ELSE serving them alcohol.

 

[bluefairy13]

You don't see that drinking age laws are for the common good? Auto accidents already kill more teenagers then any other cause, now you put a bunch of drunk 18 year olds on the road and they are killing other people as well. I know more teenagers that have died in drunk driving accidents then 18 year olds being killed in Iraq. Then, factor into the drunk driving incidences that don't kill but mame someone, the costs associated with their care, court cases, etc. and it is astronomical. Again, no one is going to do ANYTHING to you if you serve your OWN child alcohol, unless of course you allow them to drink to excess and they end up in the hospital but an occasional glass of wine/beer with dinner is NOT going to land you in jail.


I found this website--in MN it is NOT illegal to serve minor children in your own home "Possession is prohibited WITH THE FOLLOWING EXCEPTION(S):
• parent/guardian's home"

Here is a link to the site I found:

http://www.alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov/stateprofiles/

See, the government isn't interfering with your body. They are just protecting your child from someone ELSE serving them alcohol.

Who is putting drunk teenagers on the road? I would argue that it is the current outrageous and puritanical way we look at drinking in this country. If the 21 drinking age is working so well, explain the huge increase in binge drinking.

Again, we let dd drink and she didn't drink and drive. How about all parents just take care of their own kids. The ones that don't aren't going to be affected by the drinking age no matter what it is.

Why is the 18 year old drunk driver any different than the 25 year old drunk driver? There are laws in place for drunk driving.

 

[golfgal]

Who is putting drunk teenagers on the road? I would argue that it is the current outrageous and puritanical way we look at drinking in this country. If the 21 drinking age is working so well, explain the huge increase in binge drinking.

Again, we let dd drink and she didn't drink and drive. How about all parents just take care of their own kids. The ones that don't aren't going to be affected by the drinking age no matter what it is.

Why is the 18 year old drunk driver any different than the 25 year old drunk driver? There are laws in place for drunk driving.

Did you read my post, in most states it IS legal to serve alcohol to your OWN children. There is not an increase in binge drinking, like child abductions, you just hear more about it. Binge drinking has gone on as long as alcohol has been available.

 

[bluefairy13]

Did you read my post, in most states it IS legal to serve alcohol to your OWN children. There is not an increase in binge drinking, like child abductions, you just hear more about it. Binge drinking has gone on as long as alcohol has been available.

And in some states it is not legal. But that is not the point. If we want to go to dinner at JIKO at WDW and try one of the lovely African wines, dh and dd and I, when she was not yet 21 she could not have any. Stupid, stupid, stupid. She was not driving, and she was on vacation having dinner with her parents. It infuriated me. I should be able to make this decision for my child.

And it is not just this issue, but I have hesitated to bring up the others and get off topic.

 

[bluefairy13]

Binge drinking has gone on as long as alcohol has been available.

So you don't believe all the studies that show an increase in binge drinking?

Even if you don't all you have to do is ask any college student. It certainly is different than when I was in college. We drank, but we didn't drink like these kids do!

 

[NYBlue1]

The drinking age is just simply irrelevant, kids are drinking and doing drugs today as low as 10 years old, yes 10 years old, more common for the 12-13 year old crowd. Kids can get alcohol if they want alcohol, they can get drugs if they want drugs, make the drinking age 16 18 20 40 is not going to matter one bit.

What does matter parents taking responsibility for their children. You should know where your kids are and what they are doing. You should know if they are always at a friends house, who the friend is and what they are doing, you should have rules with your kids, talk to your kids about drugs and alcohol and when your kids come home at night, which should be a normal hour depending on age , talk to them look at them and make sure they are not drunk or on drugs. More importantly try being home for your kids.

Parents that do this will have well adjusted kids with common sence and ability to make intelligent choices when it comes to their lives, drugs and alcahol more often than not.

I have seen too too many parties with parents present for high school seniors that result in children with alcohol poisoning and hospital visits ,kids that I have found three houses down passed out in bushes, nobody even knows they are there, after all the parents are watching the kids at the house drink into poisioning.If I EVER found out a parent was serving my kid alcohol they would be sued within an inch of their lives. For what? make them do years of community service with kids that have been effected by underage drinking, I dont want a cent of their money.

Kids that are 18 should not be in wars, they should not be voting and they certainly should not be drinking, you are a CHILD at 18 years old, like it or not. But thats just my opinion. If you dont agree with it, I honestly could care less.

 

[mjkacmom]

Raising the drinking age to 21 saves lives. If you want your 18 year old to have a glass of wine at home, fine. My parents allowed us to drink wine at home starting at 16. However, the fact that your 18 year old can't order a glass of wine in a restaurant does not warrant risking the lives of others. Your 18 year old might be responsible about drinking and driving. However, there are many more 18 year olds who wouldn't think twice about getting drunk at a bar, and driving. http://www.why21.org/history/