Should the legal drinking age be lowered?

[Scot]

This is a topic I did recently in advanced composition. In my opinion, the legal United States alcohol consumption age should be lowered to 18 for many reasons. I'm sure we've all heard the arguments:

-At 18 people become official adults and are given many more rights and freedoms. These rights exclude drinking.

-The U.S. has the highest legal drinking age in the world yet it still has the most problems with alcohol related fatalities. Maybe the high age isn't as effective as everyone thinks.


So I'd like to hear some other stand points on this situation. Thanks.

[joelhaldeman]

i think 19 would be a good age, or at least so people are out of high school before they are allowed to drink

[desertfox]

I like even numbers so I will have to agree with 18.

[pericles]

Scot said:

This is a topic I did recently in advanced composition. In my opinion, the legal United States alcohol consumption age should be lowered to 18 for many reasons. I'm sure we've all heard the arguments:

-At 18 people become official adults and are given many more rights and freedoms. These rights exclude drinking.

-The U.S. has the highest legal drinking age in the world yet it still has the most problems with alcohol related fatalities. Maybe the high age isn't as effective as everyone thinks.


So I'd like to hear some other stand points on this situation. Thanks.

I'm not entirely sure what I think, but here are some thought. The problem is that there are a lot of issues involved.

Americans have a different attitude towards drinking than many other cultures. In Europe, many families will drink regularly - like for meals. The attitude about drinking is that it is a social thing, and is not usually done to get drunk. I have a number of friends who have lived in Europe, and the European attitude that they have about alcohol is much different from the American standard. Teenagers usually drink alcolohol not to get drunk, but in moderation. Unfortunately, in America the norm seems to be that kids drink to get drunk, and have no idea of just drinking a little bit at a meal, or something similar.

It might be that changing the drinking age would also change the attitude of Americans towards drinking. On the other hand, it might not - it is a cultural thing. It would be perfectly fine with me if the drinking age was quite young, provided that people didn't use it as an easy way to get drunk - especially if they intend to drive.

Do you know what the drinking age is in other nations? Is there anything we could compare the U.S. drinking age to? I know it is a lot lower in most of Europe, but I'm not sure.

[bobarian]

Dan, I'm so offended that you're into drinking beer. What would your mother say?

What is the world coming to? What next, Christmas decorations starting before Halloween? Will our society withstand these pressures?

[H-Zence]

You seem brainwashed.

Think outside the box.

[jk]

It is all nice and dandy to say that europeans dont drink to get drunk at a young age but that is highly incorrect. They are just more sensible about what to do when they are drunk. Also in most european countries the driving age is also higher so that you dont have as many drunk teenagers driving around. I have a friend that lives in scotland and she parties occationally and has all sorts of pictures of when she is tipsy. It is just that she is more likely to call her mum and to have her mum pick her up from a party when she knows shes not in any shape to be getting herself home. I have a friend who went to germany for a bit. She could have gotten drunk off her ass every day she was there becasue there were constantly parties to go to. Its just that they stayed at the parties longer until they sobered up a bit before they went back to their houses.
There isnt really though much of a point to lower the drinking age. There are always parties goign on that people under the drinking age can be exposed to alcohol. Also in cases athorities dont really care. Case in point i was at a party at "skate house" which was busted by the police. They said that anyone under twenty one should get out now and so long as you could walk out they didnt say anything to you. I think that at this point teenagers drinking at parties to get drunk is so far ingrained into our culture that it would be hard to get rid of it.

also was confused by the christmas decorations before halloween comment because i have seen the future and it is now. There are christmas trees at one end of the store and jack o lanterns in the other. Christmas does come before halloween. and none of us have perished yet.......I'm Melting.....................ahhhhhh........... sorry just came to mind there at the end

[Scot]

www.icap.org/publications/report4.html
Here are the legal drinking ages in some foreign countries.

JK, I see what you are saying. But then again, I kind of thinking the legal drinking age and the driving age should be about the same. Also, keep in mind that in europe it costs the parents of the kids lots of money to send their kids to the mandatory driver's ed classes. Also, if you get caught drinking and driving in europe, you could lose your liscense for a very very long time....depending on where in europe it is.

[Satori]

Personally I'd raise it to 30 worldwide.