Is it time to lower the drinking age to 18?

[straydog]

Hello, this is my first post here. I was a longtime lurker on the old boards but never got around to posting.

With two wars, and possibly more military interventions coming down the road, I will ask the question: Is it time for us to lower the drinking age to 18? After all, most of our military are probably around that age, right?

I am not a military man myself-never served. But I think that instead of just waving a flag or showering them with praise, wouldn't the best honor that you could give our young veterans is just to give them their rights back?

I am in my late 40s now, and I believe that I just made it when all the states started raising the drinking age to 21. But if I had been 18 at the time, then I would have been pretty upset.

I know that some will say that it is too dangerous and that we will be less safe if we were to do that. However, I believe that the powers that be will use the excuse of 'safety' to eventually destroy all our freedoms and liberty. I for one will risk the danger, just give me more liberty and freedom. I don't need the government to watch over me.

One more thing about this, we give them the right to vote, and as far as I'm concerned, voting is a much bigger responsibility than drinking.

Just imagine if the U.S. had experienced a terrible crisis that came close to putting the republic into complete turmoil. And then along comes a charasmatic candidate, someone who was much different than any other candidate then most of us had ever seen. And what if that candidate won? And instead of being the great hope that he promised to be, turned out to be someone who seemed intent on destroying the republic as we know it?

[Deleted]

Totally agree with you! I've always thought that the "forbidden" holds an element of allure.

[billisonboard]

Many individuals turn 18 before the end of their senior year of high school. Setting the legal age for purchase of alcohol at 18 would go a long ways in helping supply our high school population with drink for their parties.

[Tennesseer]

"I know that some will say that it is too dangerous and that we will be less safe if we were to do that. However, I believe that the powers that be will use the excuse of 'safety' to eventually destroy all our freedoms and liberty. I for one will risk the danger, just give me more liberty and freedom. I don't need the government to watch over me."

I don't care if some inexperienced 18-year-old drunk driver with five other drunks in the car crashes into a tree and they all die. That was all their choice.

I just don't want them crashing into me, my family members and friends. That is not our choice.

[Deleted]

And do you REALLY think "enforcing" a legal drinking age of 21 stops those under 21 from drinking? uh, no

[ed1066]

Mar 15, 2011 22:37:26 GMT -5 @rosebaby said:

And do you REALLY think "enforcing" a legal drinking age of 21 stops those under 21 from drinking? uh, no

Sure it does! Just like all the gun laws we have stop all the gun-related crime! In Mexico, private citizens can't own guns and they have no crime there, right?

[Deleted]

I'm guessing here that Bill & Tenn are of the age where when they were 18 drinking was legal and are posting from personal experience

[billisonboard]

Mar 15, 2011 22:47:57 GMT -5 @rosebaby said:

I'm guessing here that Bill & Tenn are of the age where when they were 18 drinking was legal and are posting from personal experience

I was seventeen and drinking on base with my Navy ID.

[marjar]

I think we already had this conversation. Nice try, though.


notmsnmoney.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=politics&action=display&thread=4497

[Deleted]

So, now our solders can be on base at 18, but can't drink until they're 21? Sounds a little like "do as I say, not as I do..."

[Deleted]

Mar 15, 2011 22:52:25 GMT -5 @marjar said:

I think we already had this conversation. Nice try, though.


notmsnmoney.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=politics&action=display&thread=4497

I don't come over there that often. Thanks for posting the thread, I'll glance through it if I get a chance.

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

I'm with you. Have been for a long time.

[Tennesseer]

Mar 15, 2011 22:47:57 GMT -5 @rosebaby said:

I'm guessing here that Bill & Tenn are of the age where when they were 18 drinking was legal and are posting from personal experience

Your guess would be wrong. I had to wait until I was 21 to legally drink. Although I could drive to upper New York from Western Massachusetts to drink at 18.

[Tennesseer]

"One more thing about this, we give them the right to vote, and as far as I'm concerned, voting is a much bigger responsibility than drinking."

Both are equal in responsibility-they can get someone killed.

[Frappuccino]

Once the soldiers reach age 21, they won't care what the drinking age is. It's also fun to look forward to one more birthday. your 16th, then your 18th, then your 21st. After finally reaching the drinking age, there are not too many milestones left to look forward too. Therefore, I vote to keep the drinking age at 21.

[straydog]

Mar 15, 2011 22:15:51 GMT -5 @rosebaby said:

Totally agree with you! I've always thought that the "forbidden" holds an element of allure.

Thanks!

[straydog]

Mar 15, 2011 22:52:25 GMT -5 @marjar said:

I think we already had this conversation. Nice try, though.


notmsnmoney.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=politics&action=display&thread=4497

Sorry, missed that one.

[WolfNoMate]

Mar 16, 2011 5:48:37 GMT -5 @toughtimes said:

The other day, a manager a few years out of college politely explained how one can add wine to dry ice and enhale the vapors to become as drunk as a skunk without tasting the fruit of the grape. He warned me that one possible side-effect might be death by alcohol poisoning.

I'm calling BS on this. An extensive search of bar, party, and drinking sites turned up zip on this. How to use CO2 to cool drinks or make cool special effects (fog), yes.

The "vapor" you would be "inhaling" would be the frozen carbon dioxide (dry ice), changing (sublimating) from a solid to a gas (CO2), which is not alcoholic in nature.
One possible side effect might be death by suffocation from breathing too much CO2! (Sounds like this "manager" has come close to this perhaps one time too many.)

IF this method got you drunk, you would still show positive for alcohol on a breath test or blood test.


Why not just drink it? We know this method works, and if used responsibly, won't kill you!

[WolfNoMate]

Mar 15, 2011 23:15:23 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

"One more thing about this, we give them the right to vote, and as far as I'm concerned, voting is a much bigger responsibility than drinking."

Both are equal in responsibility-they can get someone killed.

Therefore they should be able to do both...when they turn 21, and not before. Semi-kidding. I have known 19 yr olds who were much more responsible than some 30yr olds. Yes, I used the "R" word. IMO that is the real problem in our society today, the lack of PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY! That is my concern with the drinking age issue.

For morbid fun sometime research drunk driving in New Mexico. The results are disgusting! What do you do to someone who kills an entire family or has racked up 20+ DUIs?


Folds up soapbox and wanders off in search of shiny objects and windmills.

[Bluerobin]

18 yo are too young to drink or vote. Time to raise the age back to 21. They are perfect for fighting though, with all that testosterone.

[ugonow]

In Mexico, private citizens can't own guns and they have no crime there, right?

And everyone over the age of 12 has a gun in Detroit and there is no crime there either. Maybe it's the air?

[swamp]

The only thing a higher drinking age does is forces the teen and young adult drinking underground where they drink as much as they can, as fast as they can to get wasted before they get caught. Let them drink in bars and socialize while they're drinking and you'll reduce the binge drinking.

[ChiTownVenture]

The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 states that revenue will be withheld from states that allow the purchase of alcohol by anyone under the age of 21. Prior to the effective date of that Act, the drinking age varied from state to state. Some states do not allow those under the legal drinking age to be present in liquor stores or in bars (usually, the difference between a bar and a restaurant is whether food is being served). Contrary to popular belief, since the act went into law, few states specifically prohibit minors and young adults from consuming alcohol in private settings.

As of January 1, 2010, 15 states and the District of Columbia ban underage consumption outright, 17 states do not specifically ban underage consumption, and the remaining 18 states have family member and/or location exceptions to their underage consumption laws.Federal law explicitly provides for religious, medical, employment and private club possession exceptions; as of 2005, 31 states have family member and/or location exceptions to their underage possession laws. However, non-alcoholic beer in many (but not all) states, such as Idaho, Texas, and Maryland, is considered legal for minors (those under the age of 21).[14]

By a judge's ruling, South Carolina appears to allow the possession and consumption of alcohol by those 18 to 20 years of age,[15] though a circuit court judge said otherwise.
United States Virgin Islands 18[16]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_drinking_age#Americas

I like the idea of having the family member/location exemption, maybe even expand it to an adult age 21 or over present.

My only concern is would allowing people 18-21 to drink cause their auto insurance to go up even more (assuming more 18-21 yrs old would be driving under the influence). It's already expensive to get insurance at age 18-21, would this make it impossible?

[jkapp]

Mar 15, 2011 22:29:04 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

"I know that some will say that it is too dangerous and that we will be less safe if we were to do that. However, I believe that the powers that be will use the excuse of 'safety' to eventually destroy all our freedoms and liberty. I for one will risk the danger, just give me more liberty and freedom. I don't need the government to watch over me."

I don't care if some inexperienced 18-year-old drunk driver with five other drunks in the car crashes into a tree and they all die. That was all their choice.

I just don't want them crashing into me, my family members and friends. That is not our choice.

What's the difference between an 18 yr old drunk driver hitting you and your family and a 21 yr old drunk driver hitting you and your family? Or a 25 yr old drunk driver...or a 31 yr old drunk driver...or a 57 yr old drunk driver? Eh, you see where I'm going with this

[floridayankee]

Mar 15, 2011 23:07:11 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Your guess would be wrong. I had to wait until I was 21 to legally drink. Although I could drive to upper New York from Western Massachusetts to drink at 18.

That's funny. I used to drive from southern RI to little Portugal (that's Fall River, MA for you non New Englanders) because the liquor stores would rarely card me.

[swamp]

Mar 16, 2011 7:56:09 GMT -5 jkapp said:

Mar 15, 2011 22:29:04 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

"I know that some will say that it is too dangerous and that we will be less safe if we were to do that. However, I believe that the powers that be will use the excuse of 'safety' to eventually destroy all our freedoms and liberty. I for one will risk the danger, just give me more liberty and freedom. I don't need the government to watch over me."

I don't care if some inexperienced 18-year-old drunk driver with five other drunks in the car crashes into a tree and they all die. That was all their choice.

I just don't want them crashing into me, my family members and friends. That is not our choice.

What's the difference between an 18 yr old drunk driver hitting you and your family and a 21 yr old drunk driver hitting you and your family? Or a 25 yr old drunk driver...or a 31 yr old drunk driver...or a 57 yr old drunk driver? Eh, you see where I'm going with this

I think the reasoning is that 21 year olds are more likely to have developed the judgment necessary to drink responsibly. I'm not saying I agree, but that's the argument behind it.

[swamp]

Mar 16, 2011 8:04:32 GMT -5 floridayankee said:

Mar 15, 2011 23:07:11 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Your guess would be wrong. I had to wait until I was 21 to legally drink. Although I could drive to upper New York from Western Massachusetts to drink at 18.

That's funny. I used to drive from southern RI to little Portugal (that's Fall River, MA for you non New Englanders) because the liquor stores would rarely card me.

I grew up on the Canadian border, the drinking age is 19 in Ontario, 19 in Quebec. Boat trips to the Beer Store in Canada were a regular occurence, as were Friday nights in Canadian bars.

[billisonboard]

Mar 16, 2011 7:53:31 GMT -5 ChiTownVenture said:

...
I like the idea of having the family member/location exemption, maybe even expand it to an adult age 21 or over present.
...

Bet you can find a few 21 year old males more than willing to chaparone underage parties.

[floridayankee]

Mar 16, 2011 8:05:09 GMT -5 swamp said:

Mar 16, 2011 7:56:09 GMT -5 jkapp said:

What's the difference between an 18 yr old drunk driver hitting you and your family and a 21 yr old drunk driver hitting you and your family? Or a 25 yr old drunk driver...or a 31 yr old drunk driver...or a 57 yr old drunk driver? Eh, you see where I'm going with this

I think the reasoning is that 21 year olds are more likely to have developed the judgment necessary to drink responsibly. I'm not saying I agree, but that's the argument behind it.

This is from a law group so I'm trying to find more up to date info:

The 21-24 age group accounted for 34% of all alcohol-impaired-drivers who died in accidents in 2008.

[teppe2]

Snerdley,

the legal drinking age in Germany is 16 for beer, wine and other soft liquors, 18 for hard liquors. Yes, binge drinking has increased since I grew up but it is still way less than in most other countries.
You have to be 18 to get your driver's license though (and the requirements are pretty extensive compared to the US as well as expensive, it cost me well over a thousand dollars to get it 25 years ago so people tend to be protective of it :-))