Why is that in the usa the legal age for drinking is 21 while in ALL OVER THE WORLD the age is 18 yo?

Answer 1

It's not 18 all over the world, in Canada most Provinces are set at 19.

18 is too young because there are those in school at 18, but 21 is too old because, by that time, many people have children and mortgages. It's silly to think that adults are capable of carrying all that responsibility, but not capable of buying alcohol.

Answer 2

Because we recognize the fact that even though people become adults at around the age of 18, they are still making the transition into adulthood and should not allow them the full privelages of things. Not to make it less fun for them, but they just do not really understand the full consequences of life at 18. I don't think they understand at the age of 21, but they have a little more time under thier hat.

We try to take care of our people, not let them run all over the place doing what they want all the time just cause it would be less of an argument.

Answer 3

I think it is 16 here in Belgium... In countries like France and Italy it is common to drink wine at dinner, even for kids. Within a couple of months I'm turning 21, but I cannot imagine that when I go to the US now and order a beer, it will be refused lol. Sounds very weird...

Answer 4

Each state in the US has the right to set their own drinking age at whatever they want, but the federal government has used conditional spending i.e. withholding federal highway funds to states that don't have a drining age of 21. States want the funds so they raised their drinking age.

Answer 5

I think the issue in the USA is that many more teens have driver's licenses than elsewhere. A previous government felt that it would be better to let teenagers drive than it would be to allow them to drink. Drinking and driving don't mix.

Whether the law has had any effect remains to be seen. I suspect any study would be clouded by emotion on both sides.

Answer 6

Because the federal government basically blackmailed the states into agreeing to it. The government dangled the money carrot infront of the States and said you raise the limit to 21 you get money you don't sorry no money for you.

Answer 7

The USA has a lot of different laws as opposed to different Countries. Look at the legal age of sexual consent varies form State to State in the USA. I think it's ridiculous.

Read here:

“The legal age for alcohol in the USA is 21 years old. The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 required all states to raise their minimum purchase and public possession of alcohol age to 21. States that did not comply faced a reduction in highway funds under the Federal Highway Aid Act. The U.S. Department of Transportation has determined that all states are in compliance with this act. The national law specifically prohibits purchase and public possession of alcoholic beverages. It does not prohibit persons under 21 (also called youth or minors) from drinking. The term "public possession" is strictly defined and does not apply to possession for the following:

An established religious purpose, when accompanied by a parent, spouse or legal guardian age 21 or older
Medical purposes when prescribed or administered by a licensed physician, pharmacist, dentist, nurse, hospital or medical institution
In private clubs or establishments
In the course of lawful employment by a duly licensed manufacturer, wholesaler or retailer.” 1 (Emphasis in original. Conspicuously not emphasized is the significant fact that “the law does not prohibit persons under 21 (also called youth or minors) from drinking.”)
The U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) subsequently identified 19 states which did not specifically prohibit the consumption of alcohol by persons under the age of 21. However, those states are in compliance with the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984. It would appear that such states could legally only charge underage persons with public possession of alcohol, not underage drinking.

The title of the legislation itself is clearly misleading in that the National Minimum Age Drinking Act doesn’t prohibit drinking by persons under the age of 21 (so-called “underage” persons) nor does it require the states to prohibit such drinking. In addition, descriptions of the law contribute to the false belief that it does. For example, the assertion that “the legal age for alcohol in the USA is 21 years old” clearly leaves the false impression that the minimum legal drinking age for alcohol is 21.

'-)

Answer 8

,many countries have drinking ages if 16,,, medical science has proven that underage drinking causes many medical problems.. its best to wait till the body has finished growing and the mind can make the right decisions as to how to handle alcohol... after all alcohol is a poison to the human body

Answer 9

Because it gives our young soldiers an incentive to stay alive until they turn 21 and can have full freedoms as citizens!

Answer 10

Beacause unlike the rest of the world, the US has a major drinking problem.