there is debate about changing the drinking age (in the US) from 21 to 18. what do you think?

Question

Personal opinion, if you're old enough to serve our military, and getting married, you should be considered old enough to do EVERYTHING else that is considered legal to all other citizens. I'd love to hear other opinions though, either from those who agree with me, or who strongly disagree

here is the article that I read, leading me to ask this question. And for the record, I am a 24 year old pregnant female who will one day be a mother of an 18 year old (god willing).

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20249460/

Answer 1

I think that the milatary should be raised to 21. The reason behind the drinking age is that the brain is still developing and alcohol could severly damage its functions. If your brain isn't fully devloped enough to drink, then why would it be able to make a life-changing decision like joining the military? As for marriage, you could always get divorced.

So no, I think the drinking age should remain the same and the smoking and military age should be 21.

Answer 2

I'm 36...it seems that they (who are they, anyway?) say that when the drinking age was 18 that there were more drinking and driving accidents. If that is so, then I think that they ought to change everything to 21...voting, volunteering for the military, etc...all adult privileges....or NONE! Anyone who can volunteer to lose their lives in the military, anyone who can help us decide really important decisions like who is going to run our country should be responsible enough to drink a beer!!!!!!!! Could we maybe make up some kind of test or right of passage for today's youth...if they pass it at 18, they can drink, vote, etc....if not, they try again at 19, 20, and then at 21??? It would make more sense than what we have in place now. This is ALWAYS an interesting point, because it shows us how hypocritical this law is.

Answer 3

Right now, there is a lot of underage drinking going on....I know because I was a part of that group when I was in college and not yet legal to drink.

Making it legal to drink at 18 would probably lessen the hype and excitement about making fake IDs and going out to bars to essentially be "cool" and the rebel.

Kids nowadays are drinking in middle school, and I know this because I teach those children. I hear the gossip and see what makes the cool kids "cool". It's drinking, doing drugs and sex....typical as it's always been no matter how wrong or far from the truth it is.

I'm not opposed to lowering the drinking age....I believe it would prevent teens from wanting so bad to do it...making things illegal is very tempting to teens....they want to show they can do anything they want...because afterall, they do consider themselves "grown" and "adults".

Answer 4

If you want my honest opinion here it is:

Drinking, is bad for your body. It can really mess with your head, and cause you not to act like yourself. I was taught in school and at home not to drink, smoke, etc. It may be a person's choice to drink, but I believe it is the wrong choice, to put alcohol into your body, I have never drank any alcoholic drink in my life and don't ever intend to. I am so proud of all the people who try to stop drinking, As for the concept of the drinking age being lowered, I think it should stay 21, that way, you would have been driving longer, and had more time to make the choice. I mean, were people not taught not to drink? I mean, don't they see how everyday someone dies from a drunk driver, intoxicated spouse is abusive, and why do you think you are not supposed to drink when pregnant? You should not drink at any time.


Good Luck with the new baby!

Answer 5

I started drinking at 13 - but then I was born in England, and everybody drinks like a fish there.
Never understood why the age limit was 21 here, and it only happened because our screwy Federal Govt. refused to give States money for road building if they didn't up the age from 18 to 21 (which it use to be)

Answer 6

Well, the drinking age in England is 18, but the driving age is older (I'm not 100% sure). I do know that they have fewer drinking and driving incidences and what not. So yeah, I don't see a problem with drinking at 18, but we shouldn't be able to drive untill later on.

Answer 7

18
why can you be old enough to kill (in the military) but not to drink? Most countries have it at 18, and we have it at 21...It doesn't give a very good impression if we start a war but we can't even take care of our own problems

Answer 8

With the drinking age at 21 the evening news still has a story every night about drunken young drivers hitting trees and killing everyone in their spectacularly-squashed car. If they keep lowering the drinking age the stories will become "Young driver kills car full of friends all of whom were in child-safety seats. Alcohol use is suspected as cause of accident."

Answer 9

I don't think smoking should be legal till your 21 either... I'm opposed to lowering the drinking age to 18, enough young people are becoming alcoholics, we don't need any more.

Answer 10

18 yr olds can vote, join the armed forces and be drafted into them, are legally adults whose parents are no longer responsible for them, can marry without parental permission, can make their own medical decisions, the list goes on and on. They have the same rights as any other consenting adult and I believe that should include the right to drink if they so choose.