do you think that if kids could drink they're whoel lives that there would be so much drinking and driving and stupid things that happen because of alcohol? i'm sure there wuld still be drunkards and things but do you think there would be so much? so many kids think its like the 'cool' thing to do... and so many kids do it... because of the thrill that there not aloud. where i am from the age is 21 and when kids by the time kids turn 21 they are bored with drinking and they dont really do it anymore. what if you could always drink? do you think your partying years would come earlier? whats your views?
2007-12-27 05:54:21 · 9 answers · asked by Kyrstin 4 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
No, there will always be people who are alcoholics.
But the 21 age limit isn't helping things. We have the highest drinking age in the world, and we have major problems.
2007-12-27 06:00:39 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I think alcoholism is something that a lot of people develop based on their upbringing and surroundings. I was friends with a foreign exchange student a few years ago (I was maybe 15 or 16) and she was from Spain. She claimed that you could drink alcohol when you were 12 (I could have my age a bit off) in Spain. She claimed that over there drinking wasnt a big deal. She didnt understand why being able to drink was such a big issue for us.
I think kids drink because it is a way to rebel. If you tell them no, they just want to do it even more. My parents let me drink at home with friends (whos parents also allowed it) when we were in highschool. We were NOT allowed to leave. By the time we were all in college we knew how to handle alcohol responsibly. I think the kids who felt they had to hide drinking from their parents or did not drink at all were the ones who "hurt" themselves the most when they turned 21.
On the same note, there are plenty of 40 year olds who arent nearly as responsible as some 17 year olds. I think that if a 16 year old wants to drink they should be able to. It is up to the parents and family to teach the child responsibility.
2007-12-27 06:41:33 · answer #2 · answered by kty_weber 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Our culture and degree of personal freedom has something to do with many citizens difficulty with all substance abuse. Some people can responsibly handle freedom, others don't have the inner locus of control, and become addicts.
I can say this. I was stationed in Germany for 3 years, and in their gasthaus', I see families enjoying pork, strong cigarettes, and some of the best beer in the world. Kids are right there. The parents aren't driving after drinking. They have trollies, bus', and cabs. The place that serves the beer is not closed to minors. The parents actually model responsible drinking behavior. The kids observe the behavior more than the words.
Yes, some kids could drink and handle it. I just don't know if it fits in the US "do as I say, not as I do" culture.
2007-12-27 06:01:19 · answer #3 · answered by Yahoo Answer Angel 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
No. While Europe has fewer alcohol issues and lower ages (or no age limit) they also have a completely different view of alcohol that I believe helps to limit the attraction that kids have. Simply removing the age limits without a change in how alcohol is viewed would be like handing a loaded pistol to a 4 year old.
Kids that grow up in homes where they are allowed to consume alcohol in moderation and their parents do the same seldom have the issues we see. It loses it's mystery because it is not the forbidden fruit.
2007-12-27 05:57:06 · answer #4 · answered by davidmi711 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
This is what the underage kids are wanting to happen. No age limit to drinking will increase the problems of alcoholism and its dangers. Everything and anything that is wrong are the fun things that many of the kids want to do today to keep themselves from being bored.
I don't know of one 21 year old who is bored from drinking and don't want to do it anymore. This is the age where they want to do it the most. Kids don't know how to entertain themselves without the vices around them. They want the wealth without working for it.
2007-12-27 06:07:02 · answer #5 · answered by airlines charge for the seat. 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, I don't think it would solve the problem. Some people seem to be born with a predisposition to alcoholism and they're hooked from the first drink.
2007-12-27 05:58:32 · answer #6 · answered by ConcernedCitizen 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no to alleviate drink problem is a very complex issue.
the single best thing that could be done would be to nationalise alcohol retail , restrict hours of purchase.
2007-12-27 06:03:34 · answer #7 · answered by ADad 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
i don't think it would change anything. it's more cultural here, then an age thing.
2007-12-27 06:00:06 · answer #8 · answered by jack spicer 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
NO
2007-12-27 06:02:22 · answer #9 · answered by FAN 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋