Why is the age limit for drinking in the US so high?

Question

Why is the age limit for drinking in the US so high?
Most other Western countries allow drinking at younger ages. I've heard the argument that drunk driving for 18-21 years was a major reason for the age limit, but is the American youth really more irresponsible than other nationalities?
I'm 18 and my parents and most of my family are from mexico. The drinking age there is 18. Even though I'm an american, i go down there and responsibly drink

Answer 1

because the legal driving age is 16, in europe you can legally drink at 16, but you have to be 18 to drive. and yes, compared to europe, american teens are much more irresponsible.

Answer 2

The America society is very individualistic. This breeds a certain level of egocentricity, especially in the youth, that is not seen in most other countries. This egocentricity results in poor impulse control, in addition to: A) Many people not having a sense of responsibility and therefore not caring if they get caught drinking and driving, or B) Feeling that they're too smart to get caught drinking and driving. I'm sure there are other reasons people do it as well, but these seem to be the big ones.

Answer 3

It's because the insurance lobby is big here in the states... raising the age was a stopgap solution to the problem of young drunken driving accidents... it really doesn't do much except drive teenagers to try and circumvent the law to get their hands on alcohol... Maybe if teenagers were a little smarter about drunk driving, the age would have stayed at 18 and not been raised in the early 80's !

Answer 4

Because most teens here in the US have a car and are driving on public roads/freeways the second they turn 16......the #1 cause for deaths of American teenagers is car accidents. Add some booze into the mix, the # of teens killed each year will surely double - even triple!

Answer 5

there's a brilliant distinction in the adulthood point of a sixteen twelve months previous and an 18 twelve months previous. there is likewise a computer virus distinction in the adulthood point of an 18 twelve months previous and a 21 twelve months previous. i've got self assurance that the legal age of alcohol regulations are designed to guard society from the immature 18 twelve months olds who choose to drink and tension to electrify their friends. i've got self assurance that the 21 twelve months previous playing regulations are designed to guard the immature 18 twelve months olds who might blow by all of their money in the casinos. considering maximum casinos, if no longer all, additionally serve alcohol on the tables and slot machines, they can't threat an underage participant getting beverages or they're going to stand heavy fines and probable lose their liquor license or their license to function. As a teenager, you will no longer savor those regulations. As you become previous, you will see them in a various easy and, maximum in all probability, trust them. each and every of the superb to you!

Answer 6

maybe if the people under 21yo were more responsible they would be trusted to drink at a younger age.
when babies stop having babies
when kids start making proper decisions about their lives
when our youth start acting properly and not like a bunch of freaking monkeys and degenerates...
maybe then the powers that be will think about lowering it...
but i doubt that will happen

you are a minority when it comes to being responsible i'm afraid

Answer 7

it all has to do with $. in 1984 i think, they passed this act.
Each state had set their drinking age to 21 in order to receive millions of $ in highway funds. Any state *I Think* could opt out, but would lose millions of $ in highway funds.

Lame huh?

The states would probably make more $ lowering the age than they would with it being at 21. Think of how many would buy alcohol.

But thats the government in the good ol USA. Crock of shi* in my opinion.

They can send millions of $ to other countries who are so against us, YET they can't even do more important stuff in this country such as lowering taxes, etc.

Wheres the common sense? idiots.

Answer 8

You got it with the Americans being irresponsible. We as Americans over do everything and at an early age. The government stepped in because we were killing ourselves

Answer 9

Really i think its too old, some people are immature when there 18 some are until there 45. you know its like i dont think i will change my level of immaturity from now until im 21. but i do it anyways

Answer 10

Because the ninny teens scre-wed up for everyone..
keep a watch here.
how many question about how to get drunk
Or about their hangover
just stupid.