Is there a reason other than drunk driving that the drinking age is 21 rather than 16?

Answer 1

Since alcohol already makes some people do crazy things, the thinking is that underage drinkers, who lack the experience and judgement of most adults, are more prone to destructive behavior after they've had a few drinks. You might argue that even adults do crazy things like DUI but I think there would be even more accidents if they lowered the drinking age to 16.

Answer 2

It's a cultural thing. Who knows why? People say maturity, drunk driving, whatever. And yet, in England the legal drinking age is 16, and I had no problem drinking there when I went on my class trip when I was 15. Other places in the world it's not 21, often much younger. In Canada, it's 19. In the US, until recently it used to be 18. So why are we right and the rest of the world is wrong? I don't know. I think it's ridiculous. Just like sex, if we just acknowledged that people are going to drink in their teens and didn't make a big deal out of it and expected them to exercise some responsibility, maybe things would be different. As it is, we're in a culture of denial.

Answer 3

Yeah, maturity, like Steph said. Ya know rental car businesses won't rent to people under 25. I read that's based on statistice. Young people aren't as responsible with vehicles. This is a window into age/maturity. I read in National Geographic Magazine that the human brain doesn't stop growing until around age 28. So, like our hands and mouth and heart and skin and every other part of us is done growing around age 20 or earlier? But our brains take a lot longer. And the brain is pretty important yo

So we have these half wits

And once the brain is developed it's time to think. But most of us have made major life decisions by then.

This may sound wierd, but i have done a lot of thinking. I use to eat honey with a spoon when i was around 25 to give my brain more glucose (which is what brains run on). Now that i'm 40 (it doesn't have to suck i picked up a girl and rocked last night), i actually believe i am ready to make some major life decisions. Because it takes a while to figure society/culture/people out.

(and what do you think of my blog on my 360 site? I want to know.)

Answer 4

Most of the time it dont matter, if 16 year old really wanna drink theres always a way, im not saying it should 16, But at 18 definitly, But Im 20 now so I dont have long to wait, even though everyone i work with is over so no biggie

Answer 5

I think 16 is much too young, because you're still in high school, and not fully grown at that point. However, I think it is strange that at 18 you can pick the president, and go to war for your country, but not order a drink in a bar. So, personally, I think 18 is a good compromise. At different points in time there were different age limits, and they set it based on what happened during those times, etc.

Answer 6

They historically think that young people loiter and get into trouble and that booze doesn't help. When the drinking age was 18, it was easier for an underage person to pass. It is harder for a 16 year old to pass for 21.

Answer 7

society is making it so cool that 16 yr olds want to drink more and more. They overdo everything as well as alcohol so i think 21 is a good age. Now all they need is to raise the driving age to 21....

Answer 8

Hopefully by 21 you've grown up enough to be able to resist the urge to drink. Not drinking is the goal of a minimum drinking age, not a certain maturity level for "safe and sane" drinking. There's no such thing. People drink to escape, to remain in denial, to hide from their problems. It's bad for everyone. And once you get addicted, you're screwed.

Answer 9

In Australia the legal drinking age is 18 and I think that it is still too young. At that age there is a lack of maturity and self control.

Answer 10

Not 16, cos you're still a minor. 21 is stupid, IMHO. If an 18 yo is old enough to vote or take a bullet for Uncle Sam, they are old enough to drink a beer.