Why Is The Minimum Age To Drink Alcohol 21 Or Older?

Question

If You Can Put On A Helmet And Carry A Gun And Die For Your Country, Why Can't You Enjoy A BudLight In Your Own Privacy?

Answer 1

The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 was passed on July 17, 1984 by the United States Congress as a mechanism whereby all states would become thereafter required to legislate and enforce the age of 21 years as a minimum age for purchasing or public possession of alcoholic beverages. Under the Federal Aid Highway Act, a state not enforcing the minimum age would be subjected to a ten percent decrease in its annual federal highway apportionment. [1]

While this act did not outlaw the consumption of alcoholic beverages by those under 21 years of age, some states extended its provisions into an outright ban. However, most states still permit "underage" consumption of alcohol in some circumstances. In some states, no restriction on private consumption is made, while in others, consumption is only allowed in specific locations, in the presence of consenting and supervising family members, and/or during religious occasions.[2][3]

Pressure from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and Candy Lightner, its founder, was credited with passage of the bill

Answer 2

Probably because 85% of the prison population wouldn't be there if they weren't drunk or high when they decided to cross the law.

I don't think that people are finished maturing and growing emotionally when they're 18. When you start drinking, you stunt
yourself emotionally, so goes the theory. In AA, they say that
emotionally you are as old as you were the first time you got drunk. There may be some truth to that.

I don't think that a person is old enough to carry a gun and fight for their country when they are 18. I think that's way too early.
And some kids just will never be cut out for that.

Why can't you just have a glass of Crystal Light in the privacy
of your own home? What's the big deal about alcohol?. I think everyone is brainwashed by the advertising tactics of Beer/Wine/
Liquor companies. It's not sexy. It's a total turn off seeing a guy
get drunk no mater how old he is. If you drink more than 8 beers
in one week, you're headed for a drinking problem.

So, it's not such a bad thing if the Min Age to drink alcohol is 21.
That gives kids a few more years to get an education and not
just get stuck on the same barstool night after night after night.
It is not hip at all to be Norm walkin' in to Cheers. It's actually sad.

Answer 3

You can enjoy a Bud Light in the privacy of your own home. Stay at home, be safe and responsible - until you become of age and can drink in public. It is only because people under age abuse alcohol. Back in the day when I was a teenager (I sound like an old fart) the legal drinking age was 18. We abused it then, therefore the age was promoted to 21. The bad part about it (alcohol) is that it is abused by people of all ages. If only one could learn that it is a luxury, so to speak, not to be abused but to be enjoyed - to relax and have fun - not to be dangerous or abusive or any of the other things that often come along with alcohol consumption. Alcohol isn't all that anyway. There are so many other things in life that you can enjoy without it. Trust me, I am a recovering alcoholic.

At least at the age of 18 when you fight for your country and die it was for a cause, a purpose. When you die as the result of alcohol it is futile and what a waste.

Answer 4

That's a very good question! I think that armed forces personel should have special liberties such as buying alchohol while still excluding the general underaged person.

As a liquor store employee I see many of the young people who come in to buy and honestly most of them aren't mature enough to drink. My Dad told me about a time when they lowered the age for beer sales down to 18 and I did some research on it...Do you know why the legal age went back up? Because drunk driving deaths in that age group QUADRUPLED. That's alot of dead kids.

So, to make a long story short, I think if you can die for your country then you deserve a beer before you go but I also think that half of these kids in the general public don't need to have access to booze, even the older ones. I mean look at all the college deaths from alchohol these days, and many of them are 21 and older...

Answer 5

i agree with Joe Knows

the higher the drinking age, and the harder it is for teens to get it, the more theyre going to want it, and the less responsible they'll be.

most places in europe have the drinking age at 16-18 and the driving age is often older then that. I think its a brilliant idea, because then you can get your drinking 'kicks' out of the way before you get behind the wheel of a car.

i think if it was legal at an earlier age, it wouldnt be such a big deal to young people, and the novelty of it would wear off sooner, and we wouldnt have as many problems

Answer 6

In the united stats the drinking age is 21 and we have more drunk driving accidents than any other country.. in other countries kids can drink before they can drink adn accidents are much lower.

I support that the drinking age should be lowered to 16 years old
and the driving are being raised to 18 years old

Answer 7

I am not exactly sure. They question has been possed a million times. There are large numbers of people in America with drinking problems. When you go to other countries where there isn't a drinking age; they don't have even a remote binge drinking problem except for american tourists.

Answer 8

Because stupid kids don't know when to quit and get alcohol poisoning. It should be 25 or older.Then again I don't think people have the capacity to decide weather they want to die for their country at 21 either.

Answer 9

It's just so screwed up, we are just little pawns in the governments quest for power, our lives don't mean much to them. My family is constantly harassed about going into the army by recruiters and there is never any talk of war just promises of money and career stuff, that's how they trick you into signing up what they don't talk about is that you may not come back alive! I wish I could buy a beer bottle and break it upside their heads!!!

Answer 10

well....im 13, and i have been drinking since i was 2 years old....i mean, i was at a party drinking right in front of a police man and he just laughed, and had a drink too