Date: 8/19/2008 10:19:00 AM
From Authorid: 13636
I think more teenagers should be able to drink. That way, when they get drunk and act dumb, they can contribute to my population control theory. Teenagers, do your part to lower the gas shortage. Weed yourself out of the gene pool.  |
Date: 8/19/2008 10:20:00 AM
From Authorid: 49546
Yes, make it legal. I agree with you, if you can serve the country, why not be legal? Over here, legal drinking age is 18, but ironically, we can't learn to drive till we hit 21.  |
Date: 8/19/2008 10:22:00 AM ( From Author )
From Authorid: 12103
You cant learn to drive till your 21?! That's unreal. I think THAT should be outlawed!!! How can you get a job if you cant drive to it? OMG!! I'm just floored.. Here we can drive at 16  |
Date: 8/19/2008 10:31:00 AM
From Authorid: 46527
Over here it's legal for anyone to drink in a public bar at 18 years old. 16 year olds may drink wine with a meal in a restaurant. As for drinking at home...believe it or not, the legal age is just 4! The UK has a huge problem with teens binge drinking (with the obvious results) so, given that the age is already 18 over here I'd suggest that the USA leave well alone and stick with the current 21.  |
Date: 8/19/2008 10:33:00 AM
From Authorid: 63026
I agree whole heartedly. I know alot of underage drinkers who are under 18. And the parents allow it. And not all teens who drink are bad people. It's the ones who drink excessively, are the problems. My friends drank in highschool, but they were great people, and served their schools proudly in student council, and other positions.  |
Date: 8/19/2008 10:34:00 AM
From Authorid: 15228
Actually, if you serve your country you can drink on military bases, so that excuse doesn't quite work there. I read where colleges are hoping that by lowering the drinking age that it will stop binge drinking. I don't know about that, maybe it will work.  |
Date: 8/19/2008 10:35:00 AM
From Authorid: 23207
The drinking age used to be 18, then they raised it and people were doing the same things then that they are now. It's not going to change the age at which kids start drinking. It's just going to make it easier for them to have access to it. JMO.  |
Date: 8/19/2008 10:39:00 AM
From Authorid: 8024
I think we should reinstate prohibition.. c  |
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Date: 8/19/2008 10:43:00 AM
From Authorid: 63026
cc28, no way should we bring back prohibition....It would be worse than the 1920's. Beer is a controlled subtance, and if people knew their limits, then we woudlnt have deaths caused by drunk driving. |
Date: 8/19/2008 10:52:00 AM
From Authorid: 2030
As Kelly mentioned military personel in most cases can drink on base. So from that standpoint I'd keep the drinking at 21 for civilians just so they can enjoy one advantage.  |
Date: 8/19/2008 11:00:00 AM
From Authorid: 998
I'm sure that most 18 year old people will say that they will drink responsibly if this bill were to pass. However, add a couple of decades to a person and they might look back and say .. 'Gosh, I would have killed myself if I were allowed to drink unrestricted when I was 18'. I'm positive that the death rate will raise dramatically from accidents and alcohol poisoning if this passes. :(  |
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Date: 8/19/2008 11:07:00 AM
From Authorid: 998
Oh and the Great BCAR weights in on this one ... LOL. On the military bases, there is a great deal of pressure to not over imbibe no matter what the age. Your commanding officer becomes aware of EVERYTHING you do, and your standing under their command is affected. So to equate under age drinking with how it is done on a military base is not apples-to-apples comparison. |
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Date: 8/19/2008 11:19:00 AM
From Authorid: 2030
True, 18 year olds drinking on a military base or drinking in bars and then roaring off down your local interstate are two completely different scenarios. |
Date: 8/19/2008 11:39:00 AM
From Authorid: 37900
Ideally, laws should not reflect the whims of a majority; they should define and enforce standards of decency that preserve and promote a culture. There are activities—such as excessive drinking—that do not promote either decency or the culture. Therefore, citing “they’re doing it, anyway” as a justification for lowering the drinking age serves only to open the floodgates and unleash lower levels of behavior. If some choose to continue “doing it anyway,” I would be content to see all the money from fines used to lower my taxes.  |
Date: 8/19/2008 12:15:00 PM
From Authorid: 10657
It used to be 18 a long time ago lol. Personally, I let my step son drink at home a glass of Champagne when, he graduated from high school and then again on the day his father and I were married.  |
Date: 8/19/2008 12:16:00 PM
From Authorid: 64197
I think that making the legal age 18 is asking for trouble. I drank when I was 15, 16, 17, 18. Looking back, I was stupid for doing it, I drove and rode with people who had been drinking. I/we could have killed ourselves or someone else. Serving our country and voting at 18 is a responsbility that has a priviledge with it. I don't think alot of 18, 19 & 20 yr olds can handle the responsibility that offers this priviledge, they just aren't mature enough to make the right decisions. I have seen this with my own stepchildren and their friends. Think about how frustrated you get when you see a teenager driving down the road talking on their cell phone or text messaging, now through in the fact that they are drunk or buzzing, they are dangerous enough behind the wheel with just a cell phone, why allow them to through alcohol into the mix?  |
Date: 8/19/2008 12:43:00 PM
From Authorid: 21903
I don't think 21 year olds have a good enough head on their shoulders to be drinking in some cases...I certainly don't think 18 year olds should (though I did a little when I was 19--illegally like so many others). Its just, when you're so young, you don't tend to make the smartest decisions b/c reasoning skills aren't always that developed yet. I used to think this as well...but I think we'd have a lot MORE drunk drivers (and wrecks, and deaths) if we let people legally drink at a younger age. Just my opinion though. As for that last part about if you're married....that is kinda silly b/c of what you said: what if you're married at 16 or 15!? Thanks for the link, it might be interesting to check out! *HUGS*  |
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Date: 8/19/2008 12:59:00 PM
From Authorid: 8024
smiles..I was jus kiddin..c when I was 18 it was legal to buy booze.. |
Date: 8/19/2008 1:05:00 PM
From Authorid: 58078
Maybe they should change the age to serve our country and to vote to 21. The last thing we need is more drunk drivers on the road especially ones that have only been driving a year. Then again....they find a way to get alcohol anyway so what difference does it really make.  |
Date: 8/19/2008 2:26:00 PM
From Authorid: 12072
Personally I don't care anymore, not being 18--though it sucks my 20 year old best friend can't go out even dancing (to the best of my knowledge there are no clubs that are 18+ around here). As for my future children, beer and wine will be fine in moderation at about 16-17, no hard liquor til they're 18--though those will be at home rules only of course. :) Oh, and one small sip of whiskey or tequila at whatever age they question alcohol--LOL I'll never forget my dad giving me a sip of his whiskey at about age 8 or so--I thought it was the grossest thing ever and never had a desire to touch the stuff. Before anyone flips out though, we're talking the tiniest of sips, just enough to taste though it left a pretty impressionable memory. :)  |
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Date: 8/19/2008 2:27:00 PM
From Authorid: 12072
One thing that could be done is cracking down on drunk driving laws--Germany for instance, though they may seem liberal in ways of alcohol, one drop you're done for good. No fines and slap on the wrist, we're talking "your liscense is gone forever" done. Makes people think twice about drinking and driving because they know there is NO tolerance. |
Date: 8/19/2008 2:37:00 PM
From Authorid: 64365
They lowered the drinking age to 18 the year I turned 21. It wasn't long before they returned it to the former 21 years of age.  |
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Date: 8/19/2008 2:38:00 PM
From Authorid: 64365
I'm talking about where I live. |
Date: 8/19/2008 3:07:00 PM
From Authorid: 33401
since most 18 year olds drink anyways why not. I'm not much of a drinker so really I don't care. Love,  |
Date: 8/19/2008 4:18:00 PM
From Authorid: 42945
Over here in Australia the drinking age allowed is 18, and it was only on tv recently with the statistics of binge drinking and kids being rushed to hospital with alcohol poisoning,....stay with 21yrs.  |
Date: 8/19/2008 4:44:00 PM
From Authorid: 63961
I'm definitely against the drinking age being 18. People think that buying and consuming Alcohol is a RIGHT. But it's a privelege. It really doesn't matter what age the legal age is set to, there is always going to be problems. 16, 18, 21, 25 and even 40...there will always be problems. Because there are two kinds of people--people who can drink a few and leave it that, and people who have a genetic disposition to want more after their limit. It's all about knowing your limits. But being 18...nah. That's the stupidest and most irresponsible thing I've ever heard.  |
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Date: 8/19/2008 4:49:00 PM
From Authorid: 12072
"That's the stupidest and most irresponsible thing I've ever heard" lol don't tell that to Europe and most the rest of the world ;) Way I see it, if you're going to drink, you're going to drink. End of story. So what's the difference if it's legal or not. |
Date: 8/19/2008 8:03:00 PM
From Authorid: 64123
Here in Canada the legal age is 19 in most provinces and 18 in some. As far as I'm concerned, 21 is a little high. Once you're out of school, working, considered an adult in so many other ways, why should the drinking age still be restricted?  |
Date: 8/19/2008 8:29:00 PM
From Authorid: 62849
I think the drinking age should be lowered and the driving age should be raised. But for selfish reasons, I would rather the drinking age stay at 21 (or be raised).. honestly? I don't like hanging around most 18 year olds when they're sober.. I really don't want a bunch of kids stumbling around the bar while my friends and I are trying to watch a playoff game or something..  |
Date: 8/19/2008 8:54:00 PM
From Authorid: 63871
Kids are going to drink. The ones that plan on abiding by the law and waiting until they're 21 to drink are the ones who would drink responsibly at 18 if it was legal, kids who are going to drink at 18 anyway are going to be irresponsible whether or not they're at the legal age to consume alcohol. I think the real solution would be to slap more penalties on under age drinkers, similar to what a lot of states are doing with drunk drivers. Slap a HUGE fine on them, make the alcohol safety and awareness programs mandatory with the first offense, etc. Schools need to put more penalties on students for partying on campus as well. Some schools have, others generally just let it go. Underage drinkers need to see the law enforced, just knowing the government says they shouldn't isn't really an effective method of controlling it.  |
Date: 8/20/2008 2:06:00 AM
From Authorid: 62983
This is common where I am (Austria). I think the system is interesting. Starting at 16 you are allowed to drink beer & wine, no hard alcohol. You are allowed to buy it at the store or a gas station, and it is allowed to order at a restaurant. You have to be 18 here to be allowed to go into the bars or night clubs, and also to get a drivers license. It seems to work in this small country, but i don't know if it would work in the States.  |
Date: 8/20/2008 9:14:00 AM
From Authorid: 4144
i think they should raise the voting age and the military age to 21 and keep the drinking age at 21. 18 years old in 2008 is not the same as 18 years old in 1988 or 78 or 68.....  |
Date: 8/20/2008 10:39:00 AM
From Authorid: 14754
i like it at 21  |
Date: 8/20/2008 10:52:00 AM
From Authorid: 63366
Drinking age on Military Bases is in accordance with the local law. So if Korea has 20 its 20. Or if the base is located within 50 miles of a younger than 21 area they can reduce it mainly to reduce accidental deaths from DUI's according to the DOD. But this is on the judgment of the base commander. Read more at:http://usmilitary.about.com/od/justicelawlegislation/a/drinkingage.htm  |
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Date: 8/20/2008 4:58:00 PM
From Authorid: 63961
To each country their own, every country is different. I wasn't referring to Europe, I was referring to America. But really, lets be realistic. I agree with Rebekah, people are going to drink no matter what. It's just the way society is. And if they think it's going to solve any problems in this country, I think they are sorely mistaken. |
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Date: 8/20/2008 5:12:00 PM
From Authorid: 63961
Sorry if that comment sounded rude, just frustrated. lol. |
Date: 8/20/2008 9:26:00 PM
From Authorid: 27403
Not a good idea. Even if you are 15 or 16, if your spouse is of age or you have a parent with you, you can drink. I think@ LOL
Love and Light  |
Date: 8/21/2008 2:22:00 AM
From Authorid: 18928
AS the mother of a soon to be teen, I say lets raise the drinking age and the driving age! :)  |
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Date: 8/21/2008 10:17:00 AM
From Authorid: 63366
^^^^MEAN MOMMY ALERT^^^^^ LOL J/k |
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Date: 8/22/2008 4:15:00 AM
From Authorid: 18928
lol!^^^^^^^^^^ |
