Americans and Underage drinking?

Question

Why are Americans so against drinking under the age of 21? Is it really because of the law or does it have more of a religious reason?

I'm 21, been drinking since I was 12. Here 16 is the legal age. But drinking beer in a bar or at a party at the age of 13 is normal. What do you think of that? Do you think that affects our society or makes us different? Please speak your mind and explain some things to me.

Answer 1

The religious basis, if it could be called that, is probably due to the fact that the Methodists and Baptists pretty much frown on drinking. Predominently Catholic and Lutheran (and even Anglican) countries don't have as much bias against alcohol. The Baptists make up the largest single denomination in the US.

Although the anti-booze leanings of the Baptists and Methodists were initially developed as a point of denominational discipline during the early industrial revolution, it has evolved in the US as a touchstone of their beliefs. It has taken such prominence that alcohol use is equated with sin of the foulest nature. Just open a can of beer at a church picnic and see what happens. When pressed, however, most ministers will admit that the temperance required by their denomination is more socially, not Biblically, based.

The laws are a reflection of those who passed them, or allowed them to be passed. The US is still in the grips of a puritanical mindset where, to be the keeper of one's
brother, one is required to be an unsufferable, meddlesome busybody.

Answer 2

Well, I think the age should be changed to 18. You're a legal adult and can do basically anything else, so why not?

For me, it's a personal thing. I have had alcohol before but I don't drink "regularly". I'd rather not become an alcoholic, thank you.

By the way...there's nothing they can do about underage people drinking, unless it's in public. You just can't BUY alcohol under 21.

Answer 3

It's mostly the law, I don't have a problem with 18+ people drinking, neither did my parents (gave me drinks at that age), but 12 and 13 is way too young to be drinking excessively. MAYBE an occasional glass of wine, but when kids start getting drunk at that age they are excessively more prone to becoming alcoholics.

Their has been some talk of lowering the age back to 18, and I hope it happens. 21 is ridiculous for the legal drinking age, 16 seems a little young, but I understand Germany and other European countries are a lot more permissive on drinking. But no matter where you are, I think 12 is way too young for drinking.

Answer 4

There has to be a minimum drinking age. It used to be 18, now its 21. It could be 38, or 70, for all it matters.

I'm not a drinker-- I have had a couple of glasses of wine over a span of the last six months or so, but I don't give a flip whether adults drink daily or nightly or whenever--so long as they don't do it and drive.

But I don't think supplying alcohol to minors and young adolescents is a good idea. A sip of wine with communion, or a glass of champagne on New Years' ( supplied by a parent) isn't a problem. Binge drinking by children is a problem.

Adults set the rules. In the USA, the adults say you need to be 21 to buy alcohol. What they do elsewhere is their own account.

Answer 5

Personally, I think the destructive affects of alcohol, like the fact that's it's a toxin, should cause everybody to back away from it instead of consuming it liberally. And you wonder why people get drunk... it's your body reacting to the toxins. You're actually poisoned, but thankfully, your kidneys know what to do with it.

Now, do you really think letting growing bodies consume a known toxin is a good idea? I understand making that choice once you're actually mature enough, but that would mean some people would never get to even make that decision. So what do you do? You set a drinking age, and generalize the whole thing.

Just so you know, almost nobody under the age of 21 is against it, just the stingy adults are (like me).

Answer 6

yea i always thought the age limit for drinking was kinda rediculus.....nobody really follows the driking rule in america and the cops really dont enforce it...ie been 2 quite a few parties and im underage and ive seen alot of people under even 18 drinking...as long as the parents or the people who own the house make sure nobodys driving i think its ok to do it once and a while...

Answer 7

where are you from?
in europe drinking is a casual thing, in america a lot of times your drinking to get drunk off your as s. lol.
my social teacher last year whom was also the socielogy teacher, would always tell us how casual drinking is overseas, and how its not abnormal for children to drink wine with thier dinner, but here people are so against underage driking that it makes children rebel.
i think that if we had a lower driking age in america, there would be less of a problem with drinking/acholics, ect.
seriouslyy.

Answer 8

I'm 41 years old and for years I felt the drinking age should be 18, If you can vote, Join the military, Get tried as an adult, Then I feel that your old enough to drink....

Answer 9

There is some odd reason that once you are 21, you are an "adult" (I hear that snickering in the back, so STOP IT!)

Thus the age requirement

Answer 10

Americans have no self control. That's about the only point.