Drinking? 21 vs 18? What differences would it make?

Question

My husband's family was here this past week with their kids (they live in Italy) and I was talking to my sister-in-law about drinking ages & the # of kids/adults who drink/get drunk silly here in the US vs those in Italy/Europe. (The US has a lot more problems) I've always felt that as a parent (I have 2 17yrs) that if the drinking age was 18 in the US and the laws w/ it weren't so strict like in other countries, there would be less problems with American teens AND adults drinking & getting drunk out of their minds. Drinking & Driving is a popular thing to hear about and I find that sad. For culture/religious reasons my girls have had a lit bit of wine at Sunday dinners since they were young and have been taught the difference btwn social drinking & getting drunk. I think doing so has made them not see drinking as an activity.

What are your opinions on the drinking age (21) in the US? What do you think would think would help kids (adults of the future) see limits?

Answer 1

I do very much understand your point of view and thought process on this and agree. I can also see how many could disagree.
I have triplets, 2 girls and a boy, that are 17yrs. We have wine every Sunday night after church with dinner since my kids were 5ish. They've been spoken to about social drinking and getting drunk, their countries culture etc. Though my son sees drinking as an activity...a sport...a verb. Sad, but that's the enviornment/settings effectiving him. My daughters view it as "What's the point in getting drunk out of your mind?"
I come from a very Italian family and was brought up around wines and other drinks. It was served every night during dinner and I was allowed to have some, even just a sip, for as far back as I can remember. I think because it was an everyday thing for me, I didn't understand why wine, beer, drinks etc were such a big deal to my friends in my teen years. I saw my parents drink all the time but never get drunk out of their minds unlike my friends. I've still yet to understand why getting smashed, having a hang over and not remembering anything is a funfilled 24hrs and I guess I never will. Oh well.
When I got into college it just got worse. I lost 4 friends in one summer from drinking too much, doing stupid things and drinking and driving. All 4 were 21. Not 17, 18, 19yrs. 21. Even at 21+ people do stupid things.
I went to Italy for a year study and where I stayed, there was an American military base. I remember every Sat night these military guys would go over to the bar, get drunk out of their minds and make tons of noise, throw up etc in the streets around the bar. They were looked down apon by the Italians around them for simply not being able to control their liquor and their amounts.
I think here in the United States, we simply do not know how to drink. Period. If it was a cultured thing like it is in Europe and it was introduced at home and children saw how adults drank socially, there'd be a different story. But that's not the case. Kids here start drinking at young ages just to simply get drunk out of their minds. They're going to do that at 15, 16yrs old whether the drinking age is 18, 21 or 51. The age limit being higher here than every where else doesn't stop kids. I see it as pointless being at 21yrs.
I think if you can hand my kid a gun at 18, tell him to fight for his country and lay his life on the line for it, he should be able to come home and celebrate with a drink if he wanted to.
But American teens need to learn to drink socially and they will NEVER be able do that. No one wants to teach them to do this and who's going to, when most adults don't know how to do it either! The country wants to keep things strict. Eventually the balloon is going to burst...and that's why American's drink the way they do.
I don't believe in that crap of the brain is still developing at 18 and that's why they can't drink or because they're still in high school or they're not responsible. Why is a 16yr in Germany old enough/responsible enough/developed enough to drink?? Do they develop faster over there?? No. They're more cultured. They're taught to socially drink. It's in the home from a young age. We don't do that here in America and most likely, we never will.
Best Wishes

Answer 2

At the age of 18, we call them adults. The government will give them high-powered weapons, and ask them to put their lives on the line for their country, and some are even veterans of war, but they are not old enough to have an alcoholic drink.

I think the conciquences need to be stricter for Alcohol related offences so that people would be less likely to abuse the privlage. If there were longer prison sentences, larger fines, and permanant loss of more privelages for even first time offenders( like driver's licenses) imposed it might do a lot for the US's stats. IMO, we're not lenient enough on the age limit (they are legally adults in every other way after all), and to lenient on the conciquences.

Answer 3

I disagree with you "that if the drinking age was 18 in the US and the laws w/ it weren't so strict like in other countries, there would be less problems with American teens AND adults drinking & getting drunk out of their minds."

Perhaps if we had a mandatory death sentence for anyone who, while driving intoxicated, kills another person.

I won't go in to statistics, they can be twisted to support just about any cause. I will say that you seem to have a lot more faith in people (and particularly people that have been drinking) than I do. Having seen the effects of such irresponsible behavior in my life, I am against lowering the limit.

Answer 4

I think you are absolutely right. It's such a big deal to drink here because it isn't allowed for so long that too much focus is put on it. And strict rules? Oh I know about those. In CT, you can only buy until 9 pm, no Sundays, no holidays (not even Labor Day) and up until 4 years ago it was 8 pm. Yet you can go to the bar. Go figure. The laws here are asinine.

Answer 5

the drinking age in the united states is defiantely a little extreme, but in order to make the chage worth it, it would have to gradually phased out. The issue of drinking in other countries such as europe is minimal because the children are brought up areound it. Having the drinking age so high in the US keeps alot of people from drinking, and once they get the chance, are unable to handle it responsibly. This is compounded by the college lifestyle for many people where paries and drinking are so common. Not to mention the fact that illegal and binge drinking becomes commonplace. The age needs to be lowered to minimize curiosity, but we also need parental involveent to make sure proper decisions are made. i believe that your parenting style serves this purpose, congratulations on being a good parent

Answer 6

The US is the only place in the world with such a high drinking age and such strict regulations. I have a house both in NY and in Puerto Rico, where the drinking age is 18. The kids who are aloud to drink at 18 are less likely to drink in excess and abuse because it's not such a forbidden fruit. Kids in the states drink more because it's such a privilege and a big deal to do so. I think if you are aloud to go to war and vote, you should be able to have a glass of wine with dinner. It just makes sense.

Answer 7

The reason the drinking age is 21 instead of 18 is because...Once upon a time the drinking age was 21, they changed it to 18 then death by drunk driving went skyward..They changed it back to 21 and it went down. I think it should be 18 though. People need to know their limits. It just makes 18 year olds want to drink MORE. Its like if lets see, if you were a kid and weren't allowed to jump on the bed..what would you do when your parents aren't looking? jump on that bed like you've never jumped. Its so Hypocritical that at 18, we're considered adults, but we cannot drink alcohol? pfh...doesn't stop me. american laws suck.

Answer 8

I never really found the big deal in drinking at all. Especially at 18. I had a drink on my 21st birthday just to celebrate, but it's nothing to go all out about.

Teenagers are going to do what they want to do. Especially these days. The bad thing is most teenagers are ignorant and will drink and drive and kill themselves or other people. I think the drinking age should stay 21 because my sister almost died in a car accident today. due to a ignorant teenager with a dui.. and i've lost other people to teenager's ignorance and rebeling. These kids "drink" because they think it's "cool". They don't control it. They just do it because everyone else is doing it and they're afraid of not fitting in, apparently.

Answer 9

I feel like if a person is old enough to go and fight for this country and can elect the officials that run this country, they should be old enough to have a drink in this country. The legal drinking age when I was a teen was 18 and you are right we didn't have near as many DUI's or teens killed while driving drunk. We knew we could sit at home and enjoy a few drinks.

Answer 10

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