If the American drinking age was lowered, would we have less of a problem with irresponsible drinking?

Question

Teens drink behind their parents, gaurdians etc. in europe its low and there aren't many problems.

Answer 1

Yes. I believe part of the "thrill" of drinking when you're a child is knowing you're not allowed to do it. I say we get rid of the drinking age all together, but there would be consequences -- almost an entire generation would be getting drunk and partying LEGALLY, and since the law couldn't stop them, they'd probably get themselves killed even more than usual. Natural selection at its finest. -_-

Once that chaos is through, though, we'd have much less problems with drinking all together, like Europe. Not to say they'd be gone, but less of an 'epidemic".

Answer 2

I wouldn't necessarily say lowered. The funny thing is in European countries, children are served red wine as well as with the adults along dinner, and they learn to be more responsible drinkers. So I'm not saying to go out and get your kid drinking, but american parents are quick to think they are educating their children by just telling them they can't drink until they are 21, when we all know we have all drank before then. How many parents tell their children 'how' much to drink ? We don't! So the idea is to get plastered when you get legal. But in a way I believe if the age was lowered, you wouldn't have so many cases of the sneak drinking and drunk driving.

Answer 3

No. Legal age has nothing to do with being responsible. While I agree that there is a lot of underage drinking going on, these people are also hiding to keep their secrets. If they could drink legally, we would just have more people drinking and not worrying about their actions. This is proved at Spring Break sites where most of the drinkers are of legal age but not responsible drinkers.

Answer 4

They do here also. I think it's more about how they are raised and what they are taught by their parents. My parents both drank and let me drink around the house. There were always limits and I learned how to handle alcohol. By the time I was 16 I had a fake ID and was going out to clubs and drinking, but because of what my parents taught me I never drove drunk, never got a ticket and never had a wreck. I am now 53 and drink everyday after I get home from work. I have one measured shot cocktail an hour. I still never drink & drive and my doctor tells me I am in perfect health.

Answer 5

I believe so --- if simultaneously comprehensive alcohol education were taught in high school. Also, I would limit the first year or two of legal drinking to be beer and/or wine with meals at restaurants or with parent or guardian.

Answer 6

NO!! Europeans have always been drinking and because their culture, most people drink reasonably and "getting drunk" is not something they go out to do. BUT changing a law now would only cause more problems because younger kids wouldn't drink in moderation and I think this would create more safety concerns.

Answer 7

I do not know where you get your info.

Saying there aren't many drinking problems among teens in Europe is totally false and irresponsible

http://www.parent-teen.com/newsreleases2001/eurodrinking.html

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2001-02-21-teens-drugs-europe.htm

http://www.jointogether.org/news/research/summaries/2005/youth-drinking-worse-in-than.html

Answer 8

its a good question. here in the UK we now have 24/7 drinking allowed in the belief that people wont binge drink if they can get it anytime. i guess most do drink underage, seems strange you can get married vote etc but you arnt deemed responsible to drink at a lower age.

Answer 9

Probably. If you are 18 you can buy a gun, get marry, etc. but you are not allow to drink alcohol. You need more years to be ready to drink??

Answer 10

i think that even though a lot of people would say we would have less of a problem, i think it would be more of a problem because more people would drink because its not seen as a bad thing to do and if you were seen drinking no one would care