Should America lower the drinking age?

Question

I beleive that If kids are introduced to alcohol early on, they wont be so anxious to go after it. Plus in the bible, it says that you should drink and be happy (right?) but never go as far as to get drunk. So making the drinking age 21 is frustrating to kids because most people who are under the age of 21 have problems that many adults today face, and the adults are able to drink to ease their problems. Im not saying to let kids get drunk and act stupid, but to let them take part in what older people do.

Answer 1

I think if you are old enough to vote...get drafted and die for our country....then damn right you should be allowed to drink. Either that or up voting and draft age to 21! And this is coming from a mother of 3!

Answer 2

Yes absolutly, the current drinking age is an absolute abomination and farce. The fact is that total prohibition of alcohol did not work in the 1920s, and it is not working for the 18-20 year old age group now. Neo-prohibtionists claim that the 21 age has saved lives, but they ignore other other variables that contributed to accident reduction such as education concerning drunk driving, designated driver programs, increased seat belt and air bag usage, safer automobiles, lower speed limits and free taxi services from drinking establishments. Canada's drunk driving accidents have decreased at a parrellel rates compared to the US, while they have maintained 18 or 19 year old drinking ages. Right now 18 year olds in many areas can vote, purchase tobacco, serve in the military, enter in contracts and even purchase guns. Isn't it rather silly to trust an 18 year old with a rifle but not a budweiser? The drinking age wasn't always 21, as before 1984 drinking ages were a state matter. For example here in New York State, the drinking age was 18 from the repeal of prohibition to 1982, when it was raised to 19 and then in 1985 it was raised to 21. We got along just fine during that period. Additionaly the 21 age limit has caused young people to drink at underground parties(the speakeasies of the 1990s and 2000s) where sexual assaults and illicit drug use are more prevelant instead of controlled environments like bars and resturants where moderation is encouraged. Lets remove a whole class of so called "criminals" and end Neo-Prohibition for legal adults and restore the drinking age to 18 or 19.

Answer 3

First off, drinking to "ease your problems" is a serious mistake and a sign of alcoholism. Drinking for that reason will only increase your problems.
That said, YES the drinking age is too high. I firmly believe this. There are many reasons to lower it. But the main reasoning by my way of seeing things is this: People generally don't drink to excess. Most of them. They learn their limits and learn to control it. When I was in HS the drinking age was 18. So, if anyone who was younger than that wanted to drink, they could usually manage to go to a party or get hold of alcohol from another High School kid. Those who drank too much learned their limits before graduating from HS. With the age raised to 21, no one in HS can do this anymore. They have to wait until college, at which time they go overboard with the new freedoms of being out of the home for the first time in their lives.
When I entered college, the kinds of wild drinking parties college kids have now were rare, and those that did happen did not spill out into the streets and cause riots or near riots. Why? Because those kids had already learned their limits, and it was only the relatively small group of alcoholics who drank to excess.
It is also massively insulting to our young people to call them adults, give them the vote, and even ask some of them to die for their countries, but tell them they cannot enjoy the adult privelege of drinking until they are 21. Rediculous! Lower it back to 18!

Answer 4

how can you be old enough to DIE for your country and you can't even go out and have a beer after a long day. BS!!!

I think they should lower it to 18. we are one of the only countries who have a drinking age of 21 and look how many problems we have. if parents would help their children understand alcohol at an early age I don't think we would have as many problems. all you ever hear is don't drink, don't drink, don't drink, so what do you think almost every kid is doing in high school, drinking. might as well lower the age so adults can keep an eye on them.

Answer 5

I believe it should be lowered to the age of consent or otherwise known as 18. This is the age we can vote, go to war, get a job, etc. But you can't have a drink until 21. However, I believe that if that were to happen, I believe that you should have some new laws instituted so that people don't become reckless...After all that I said, now I understand why it is 21. I think I can wait two more years...

Answer 6

I agree with you completely. I think that if children are raised to handle alcohol responsibly, they won't go out and get into trouble at parties and things like that because they don't know what their limits are. Personally, I think that a good drinking age would be 18 - especially since you can serve in the military at 18! Ideally, with the lowering of the drinking age, parents would also take more responsibility in teaching their kids about responsible alcohol consumption. Is that going to happen? Hm, probably not, but it should really be encouraged.

Answer 7

I agree that if kids are introduced to alcohol earlier, binge drinking won't have the appeal that it does when you hit 21, and there won't be the attraction of doing something illegal for those who are under 21. But simply changing the legal age will just move all of the problems we have at 21 to whatever age you change it to. Countries like Germany, where you can drink beer at 16, don't have anywhere near the problems America does. But this difference is societal, not because of the law. The law in Germany reflects a societal attitude where alcohol is not something to be feared, but something that is taught with responsibility. The true solution is to get American parents to teach their kids when to drink and not to drink, what to do and not to do when you've been drinking, and to get them to drink responsibly. Just changing the law won't do that.

Answer 8

I believe that Americans fail to teach their children how to drink responsively. I realize that the drinking age of 21 has made some impact on less fatal car crashes, but for the most part a lot of teens partake in drinking anyway.Since kids 18 can vote, go to war,and are legally adults, it makes sense to me that the drinking age should go back to 18.Responsible drinking can be taught. Many tend to not educate and parent their own children. It would only make sense to either drop the drinking age to 18 or make the legal age of adulthood 21. Thank you for posting your question.

Answer 9

I think it's a good thing that it's 21. Kids need to the time to let their brains developer properly and if they get into anything mind controlling too young it can really do sever damage. They shouldn't be so frustrated, it's a shame some people put so much stock into drinking as a sign of being an adult. I say when you can hold down a job and your own home is a better detector of adulthood. Parents can teach kids how to be resposible drinkers before they're allowed to drink themselves. My mother did wonderfully with all 6 of us kids.

Answer 10

I think for me, when I was 18... I hated the 21 age limit b/c I couldn't go into clubs and go dancing with my friends. It just seems stupid. Other countries do not make it a big deal and don't have as stringent a drinking age, they actually have less trouble with drunk drivers. I think the bars/ drinking establishments should have to pay bigger fines for over serving a customer.

Answer 11

Just answered another question like this -

"Its all about culture. In the UK you only have to be 18 to drink in a pub, 16 to drink in a restaurant with food (Beer, cider or wine only) and legally you can drink alcohol from the age of 5 if your parents provide it for you, although most don't.
In France children are given wine that has been watered down from a very young age. You don't see many teenagers binge drinking in France, because it isn't a novelty."