I'm a 20 year old American college student and I find it a bit absurd that I cannot legaly drink alcohol. Here are some things to consider:
a) I signed up for the draft. (I could be sent to war and die for my country)
b) Most college students will drink anyhow.
c) The city police bring in a lot of money by "busting" these college students.
d) Am I a lot more responsible now than when I was 18?
e) College students have little need to drive.
In Manitoba, Canada, we can legally consume alcohol at the age of 18. 
God, Canada is awesome!In Italy there is no legal drinking age. In Denmark the legal drinking/smoking age is 16. In Australia it's 18. And just because most 18 year olds in America drink, it shouldn't make it legal. It's like saying that just because most 16 year olds in Australia drink, they should make it legal (which is true).
| mschnell wrote: |
I'm a 20 year old American college student and I find it a bit absurd that I cannot legaly drink alcohol. Here are some things to consider:
a) I signed up for the draft. (I could be sent to war and die for my country)
b) Most college students will drink anyhow.
c) The city police bring in a lot of money by "busting" these college students.
d) Am I a lot more responsible now than when I was 18?
e) College students have little need to drive. |
a) Do you really think that they will start the draft? I don't see how dying for your country has anything to do with drinking. I could be a 12 year old kid and go die for my country. Besides, as far as I know, if you are in the military, you can drink.
b) Yes, illegally, and they can get busted for it. Many of them do. And if you can't legally drink, why not join "most" of the college students?
c) Isn't that a good thing? Cities need money too!
d) I couldn't really tell you
e) What about visiting home and things of that nature? I'm sure many college students drive, and it only takes a few sips of alcohol for someone to become impaired, whether they notice or not.Ive been to mexico and jamica on vacations and they didnt have a legal drinking age there. As long as your head was over the counter. . .(which was at like 3.5 feet) you could order anything
in england we have to be 18 to drink.... but i think its bad
bein 23yrs old on the 26th jan, wen i look how street-wise i was at 18 todays 18 yr olds are so imature!!!
| Slick wrote: |
| wen i look how street-wise i was at 18 todays 18 yr olds are so imature!!! |
No, you've just grown extra-mature and probably have a gelled-up mushroom haircut.In sweden we can legally consume alcohol at the age of 18 but most bars have an age limit at about 20 years of age.
and is sweden you can only buy low alco% beers and ciders (2% alco) in the local stores to get the bit hevyer stuff like vodka wisky ect you hafto visit "the state-controlled company for the sale of alcoholic beverages" (systembolaget in swedish) and the age limit ther is 21 i tink not sure i dont hafto care any more
The government have hade control over the alcohol consumtion here for a long time so the government have monopoly over all alcoholic beverages in sweden i dont tink thats a bad ting tho | madsencarl wrote: |
| In Italy there is no legal drinking age. In Denmark the legal drinking/smoking age is 16. In Australia it's 18. And just because most 18 year olds in America drink, it shouldn't make it legal. It's like saying that just because most 16 year olds in Australia drink, they should make it legal (which is true). |
Thank god its only 18 here...
I still can't believe the Yanks make their legal drinking age 21. 
Here in Brazil, you can legally drink if you are 18, but actually anyone can drink when wants...
The fiscalization is so poor that I already saw 12 years old people drinking a lot.
I think that the fiscalization should be more intensive and the legal drinking age should be 17, as you are already mature enough (in my opinion) to do what you want.
I never saw whats so great about drinking anyways. Doesn't it kill your liver, give you a headache and etc etc etc? Maybe they're doing you a favor.
Maybe people would be more wise about drinking if it was something learned in the family, rather than the forbiden fruit that most older teens seek to grasp...
I believe the drinking age should not be so strict as it is. The higher the age, the more people are going to want to do it now. Example: when all alcohol was completely banned, people began making their own and went crazy with it. I figure, you let loose on the rules and people would be less likely to be over zealous with it in general.
Or.... people could just take complete advantage of the lowered age... 
But, my mother "let" (well, not "let" but she allowed me to have a few sips of her drinks if I were to ask, or a very diluted wine spritzer on say a cruise line) from when I was younger, so now - even though I'm not near the legal drinking age yet - I don't really care about drinking, it's just not a priority to me.
Also... speaking of odd ages for drinking and smoking,
I remember reading somewhere that in some states (I don't know if this is national) that the legal age to have sex is 15/16 (with another person the same age, not over seventeen not under 15/16). There's some maturity theory that goes along with this that the government coined up... I really can't recall, i read the article awhile ago - but if anyone knows more about it or a link or something I would argue that the legal age does encourage drinking in high quanitites as rebellion/social mechanism.
However, when the drinking age was 18, there were a lot more drunk driving accidents with people in that age group. Raising the age it did lower that from happening, so it did have some positive effects.
From what I often see, people abuse alcohol much more before the age of 21, when it sort of loses its appeal. In traveling, I've often noticed that in places with lower drinking ages that drinking is a much smaller part of social culture. On college campuses in the US, drinking is the social scene.
There is the argument that asks, "what's the point in having a law that is no observed?" But in this case, it clearly has had a positive effect for safety. Additionally, it does offer some protection. Think speed limits.
If the speed limit is 45mph and you speed, you might go 50. Maybe even 60. More than that and you'd be scared to be caught. However, if there was no speed limit, you might go much much faster. The same can be said of alcohol, but in the quantity imbibed, the decision to drive, and even the age at which you start drinking.
In Hungary it is 18 years, but usually who looks like that old, gets any drink. (I started around 15.)
Sometimes strange cases may happen: check this two out:
1. An approx. 12 year old boy came to my friend (27 years):
- Excuse me, Sir. Would you buy a glass of wine for me? Here is the money.
- Why, aren't you 18 yet?
- Well, not really...
2. An approx. 12 year old girl came to our company:
- Excuse me, could you give me a cigarette, please? It's not for me, it's for my elder brother.
- And how old is your elder brother?
- 17.
- Then sorry, we can't give you any.
She went away, and after a few minutes she ran back, shouting:
- He's 18!!! My elder brother is 18 years old!!!!!
I believe the drinking age in the US should stay at 21, but allow me to qaulify that....
Yes, you could possibly be drafted and die for your country, BUT once your in the military and on base you are an emancipated adult and allowed to drink.
Yes you can vote, but the percentage of 18-21 year old voters who actually vote is at the lowest it has EVER been in history.
Why keep it at 21? Because between the ages of 18 and 21 your going to grow tremendously in terms of maturity, but then again I know 40 year olds who shouldn't be allowed to read books.
You yourself may be mature enough to drink responsibly, but you are not a public indicator of all people your age. And I AM NOT saying all kids are dumb and immature.
I'm 44 and have never had a drink in my life, I have 7 computers they suck enough life and money out of me so why drink??
nuff said.
the legal drinking age..... I think it has its faults and its good points too
good points would be you woudn't have a handfull of immature people drunk and causing wrecks and such....
and like you said your 20 and you signed up for draft (as we all have to) so if you look at it that way.....yeah it should be at 18
| Marston wrote: |
| In Manitoba, Canada, we can legally consume alcohol at the age of 18. God, Canada is awesome! |
Omfg you are propper lucky:(how about we dont use age to figure out how if people are responcible or not. I know to many wisened kids and idiot adults to see how this age thing is supposed to be working. I was mature enof to handle drinking at the age of 12, I have a friend now who cant handle it at 30. I was mature enof to drive at 14. I dont feel the same applies to the 16-twently something guys drag racing down the main street I live near. I was ready to have kids at 19, I dont feel the same is true for the woman who lives next door to my coworker, she sends her kid out for crack in the wee hours of the morning. People tell me it's to hard to change the system. why?
--take it all in before you tear it all down.
I am 25 years old, so I have been of age for quite some time now. As a part time bartender, I see alot of people that think they are responsible with their drinking, but quickly prove themselves wrong. Now I am not saying that at the age of 18 everyone is still not mature enough to drink. I believe many people are. However, many people are not.
I have always agreed with the argument that if you are old enough to die for your country, you should be old enough to have a drink. But to that extent, I think they law should be re-written to include that scenario. If you enlist(or are drafted) into the military, you should be allowed to drink, but in order to do so you must provide military ID.
in belgium we only need to be 16 to buy alcholic dranks in shops and cafes so i think its legal form our 16(yes 1 year more ) Honestly these age limits are absurd. I mean its your body, You should do what you want with it. Putting a limit make you no better than a dictator. Plus what diferrence does it make, People will just drink anyway. There is no way that the cops will even find out since they can be there 24/7 365. Also what I find more absurd is that in some areas. People can get a criminal record just for drinking "If caught" under the age limit, Sometimes its a fine or a warning. It really depends who the cop is and how you treat him.
| lord020 wrote: |
| in belgium we only need to be 16 to buy alcholic dranks in shops and cafes so i think its legal form our 16(yes 1 year more ) |
6....6....16!!! Darn, In Canada its 18. Lucky you. | alkady wrote: |
| Honestly these age limits are absurd. I mean its your body, You should do what you want with it. Putting a limit make you no better than a dictator. Plus what diferrence does it make, People will just drink anyway. There is no way that the cops will even find out since they can be there 24/7 365. Also what I find more absurd is that in some areas. People can get a criminal record just for drinking "If caught" under the age limit, Sometimes its a fine or a warning. It really depends who the cop is and how you treat him. |
While it is your body, and you may want to do whatever to it, it's when your choices about your body start affecting other people's bodies.
Including, but not limited to, car accidents that injure/kill people just because someone thought it was alright to drink and drive.
Alcohol is a very powerful substance, and if the limits were removed, it would be so heavily abused that accidents, injuries, and deaths would skyrocket.I'm in Ontario (where the legal age is 19) right now, and I'm currently going to school in Ottawa (I'm roughly a 5 minute drive from Quebec where the legal age is 18 and no border to worry about) and I'm 21 so I can drink whenever I want, where ever I want... thus I don't drink often anymore. I can't imagine how bad of a boozer I would be if I had to wait until 21 to drink legally, I'd have probably become an alcoholic 1st year university and never gone back.
I life in Holland, and we can smoke or drink if were 16, to get hard liquor..we have to be 18.. if you wanna buy some weed @ a coffeeshop you also have to be 18.. Holland is one of a country..
I do not oppose the us drinking age at all...
We have some of the worst drivers in the world...and we have some of the most leanient dwi laws
18 year olds w/ car keys w/ drinks....not good combination...and especially when you have such leniant driving laws
jeez, when lived in germany, we couldnt talk on the cell and drive...and they are safer because of it.
| mschnell wrote: |
I'm a 20 year old American college student and I find it a bit absurd that I cannot legaly drink alcohol. Here are some things to consider:
a) I signed up for the draft. (I could be sent to war and die for my country)
b) Most college students will drink anyhow.
c) The city police bring in a lot of money by "busting" these college students.
d) Am I a lot more responsible now than when I was 18?
e) College students have little need to drive. |
a)Ok, should you actually get called to war (like there is really one still happening 
we are LEAVING Iraq, remember ) then l'm sure you will be allowed to consume all the mind-poisoning intoxicating hell you wish
b) l don't care, if all your friends jumped off a bridge, should your mother let you?
c) They also burn alot of man-hours doing it when they could be out busting the drug dealers ever think about that ? And are you saying you want to be caught with alcohol?
d) When you turned 6 where you really that much more responsible than when you were 4? The only thing that really changed now, is that mommy probably doesn't pay the bills (l should hope ) or pack you a little lunch and do your laundry (yes, l realize you probably did these at the end of high school, l am just trying to make a point )
e) Like hell they don't l see those bastards driving to partys all the time! | alkady wrote: |
| Honestly these age limits are absurd. I mean its your body, You should do what you want with it. Putting a limit make you no better than a dictator. Plus what diferrence does it make, People will just drink anyway. There is no way that the cops will even find out since they can be there 24/7 365. Also what I find more absurd is that in some areas. People can get a criminal record just for drinking "If caught" under the age limit, Sometimes its a fine or a warning. It really depends who the cop is and how you treat him. |
That's the same argument that was made in the smoking ban thread. As was mentioned before, personal freedoms go away when your decisions affect others. If you're in your house drinkng responsibly, with your parents there or not, you're not going to be caught by police. However, if you go to loud parties, get in illegally to bars, or drive drunk, the odds of your decisions harming someone else are much much higher and you move from the realm of personal choice to the realm of public health.
No college kid likes drinking ages, but then again, how many college kids are prevented from drinking? the laws just try to limit the damage that's done, and they have dont a substantial amount of good, no matter how pointless they are to the people that break them.yeah, i heard that in the navy the goverments even gives you marijuana. Ofcourse no is supposed to know, but a friend of mine that joined told me they gave him some weed, for those freezing mornings in the upper san diego base. I am they get to drink too fo sho' but it's just a safety measure
| todabeat wrote: |
| yeah, i heard that in the navy the goverments even gives you marijuana. Ofcourse no is supposed to know, but a friend of mine that joined told me they gave him some weed, for those freezing mornings in the upper san diego base. I am they get to drink too fo sho' but it's just a safety measure |
What do you mean? It doesn't freeze in San Diego?!?They really should lower the drinking age in the US.
It would suck to cop a fine and community service - *shudder* - for such a stupid thing.
It's pretty ridiculous. However, it changes the culture of drinking, for better or worse. Having a drinking age of 18 was great for me. But then, we don't have laws that STOP us from drinking under 18, just laws that aim to stop us or other people buying it for us.
i am so happy i live in holland (exept for the gay mariage). I was able to get beer when i was 12. Drinking is legal if you are 16 exept for whisky or wodka... everything above 15% is prohibited until you are 18. Just like weed, and mushrooms.
| madsencarl wrote: |
| In Italy there is no legal drinking age. . |
so, this means that any child can drink alcohol in Italy?
in Russia leal age for drinking, smoking, and other slow-self-killing is 18Well, it's a bit abusive to put a drinking age at 21... I think that the 18 drink age is fair. Like in Canada, and there's less problem then in US... The drinking age is not really the problem.
