The "Lower the Drinking Age" movement

[DaveTV]

I am all for it.. - If you are old enough to join the military and kill people, you are old enough to handle drinking.

[Jim S]

And if you are old enough to handle drinking, then you are certainly capable of killing people.

I think they should have link to WebMD Fetal Alcohol Syndrome too. You are just never too young to imbibe firewater.

[flatlander#2]

As long as you're not doing all at the same time.
I dunno, I work in the booze industry and am not sure it's that neat of an idea. Both that is.

[DaveTV]

I am old enough to have lived in the 18+ age, and it was no big deal. What say our non-American mags?

World drinking ages
16-18
Belgium
China
Denmark
France
Germany
Italy
Netherlands
Spain
Thailand

18
Australia
Bahamas
Brazil
Czech Republic
Ireland
Mexico
New Zealand
Puerto Rico
Romania
Singapore
South Africa
Sweden
United Kingdom

18-19
Canada

[uglymoney]

I agree with the movement entirely. Lowering the drinking age would bring our communities closer together. Right now its impossible to have mixed events with adults and minors if alcohol is involved because of the threat of legal retribution to all parties involved. Minors go off and drink by themselves. Adults drink by with themselves. Its segregation by age and it has consequences that are negative to cohesive communities.

The drinking age has always been silly, has never worked, and I've never gotten over the idea that I was once 18, 19, 20, living on my own, paying my own bills, being responsible and yet not legally able to consume a bottle of beer.

Finally it does nothing to deter irresponsible alcohol use in my eyes and so it is pointless.

[BLOOD SWEAT STEEL]

I am all for it.. - If you are old enough to join the military and kill people, you are old enough to handle drinking.

I agree 100 percent - if you actually join the military, and you are on a military installation. If not, you're just manipulating someone else's hard work as a way of twisting a situation to your own benefit. Put up or shut up, I say.

[flatNshallow]

The 18 yr olds ought to be able to vote drunk like the rest of us.

[DaveTV]

I agree 100 percent - if you actually join the military, and you are on a military installation. If not, you're just manipulating someone else's hard work as a way of twisting a situation to your own benefit. Put up or shut up, I say.

You miss the point, but whatever.. Also illustrates just how conversative the US has become.

[BLOOD SWEAT STEEL]

No, I didn't miss the point. Your analogy - not mine. I agree completely with your statement.

[KillingCokes]

Out the alias

DaveTV = Pete Coors

[GBB]

Well I'm for it. Having lived in Germany and being able to drink beer whenever I pleased and then moving here and not being about to drink didn't make much sense to me.

BTW the drinking and driving penalties in Germany are harsher than they are here.

[KillingCokes]

By the way I think it's a good idea. I also think that they should decriminalize drugs.

[DaveTV]

Out the alias

DaveTV = Pete Coors

More like "Jim Cook"...

[bcrider]

I hear you on the fact that if you're old enough to die for your country you should be old enough to legally drink a beer.

The caveat though is that Alcohol is VERY dangerous drug. Look at all the alcoholics and associated deaths that come along with the legalization of alcohol. I guess my point is that marijuana is considered a much milder drug but its illegal.

We do live in a hypocritical society though so I guess it makes sense.


Good luck with your movement Dave.

[DaveTV]

It's not MY movement, homie - I stumbled across that article and thought I would generate a lil debate on a boring summer aftermoon at work(beats talking about ISKIBC, huh? ) - why would I care..? I can drink all I want. Just having been legal since I was 18 myself, I think it is absurd that 20 year olds have to hide in a cellar to have a few beers - we are are almost alone on this one, see my world list - now if I were STARTING a movement it would to ban cell phone use while driving, but that's for another thread.. I bet there is already a movement for that out there

[laseranimal]

I'm all for it, but if you're going to lower the drinking age to 18 but in concert with that I'd also like to make the penalties for drunk driving and underage drinking harsher

My father was telling me that in Germany on trains they don't bother checking train tickets, but everyone buys them, cause the penalty for getting caught without one is so large that nobody bothers taking the risk

[squirrelmurphy]

if you are 18 and in the military, can't you drink by flashing your military ID card? i also don't really like that argument.

however, i fully support most other arguments on why we should be able to drink at 18. its only a big deal if you make it one

[TahoePowShredder]

i agree entirely with the point. If you can go to war, you should be able to enjoy a cold one legally.

BUT, you have to consider why the law is in place in the US. Nowhere else in the world do be people rely desperately on cars for transportation. You need a car to go buy milk and eggs from the store. Most places everywhere else aren't like the US. You can walk out your door and walk to the local watering hole in most places. Teenagers aren't the most responisble people when it comes to making the right decision to not drink and drive. Not to say there aren't 21+ year olds that would make the same retarded wrong move. If it really does reduce the amount of people driving drunk, i'm for it. If not, drink up youngins. Being over 21 doesn't mean that much anyways friend, the only difference is that you're gonna drink less than you did when you were a reckless teenager. Enjoy these young years you have, it doesn't last long.

[Mr.Scruff]

They're now talking of raising it over here, seems the new trend for underrage drinkers is to kick innocent pedestrians to death for no reason

[dork69]

Why is there even a debate? Young drunk people to take advantage of, umm hello.

[laseranimal]

18 is about the limit for me, personally I really don't think anyone under that really NEEDS to be drinking

If you're old enough to vote and die for your country then you should be able to drink, if you're not, then you shouldn't

[AsheanMT]

Thinking of running in '08, my platform will be the decriminalization of marijuana, lowering the drinking age to 18 and raising the enlistment age to 21. Oh yeah and universal health care. Think I'll win?

[DaveTV]

I'd also like to make the penalties for drunk driving and underage drinking harsher

I concur on drunk driving, but they are pretty harsh already, ask someone who's been DUI'ed recently- but what are you accomplishing with making "underage" penalties harsher?
This is all about entering "adulthood" and accepting the responsibilities that come with the privileges.

[Cirquerider]

I haven't seen the age laws as effective in keeping kids from getting alcohol. It does encourage them to hide alcohol use, and makes it so early drinking is more like binge drinking than mainstream social drinking (i.e. bar, restaurants, home). In Europe, drinking is no big deal, and that's what it should be.

[telepow]

I'm into it, although now the drinking age is 21 and we all started when we were what...14 or 15? So if it were 18 would we have 11 year olds boozin?