Should the legal drinking age change?

luckystar said:
I dont really want to comment on the matter of the legal drinking age. However I kinda find this statement degrading. I am 21 and I think myself to be fairly mature. I do not think maturity level lies in the hands of age. It rest upon your perspective of all around. How you react to things, what you have experienced, the ability to know right from wrong, and execute them in the proper manner. I know you might not have meant your statement to down others, but since I was hit hard with it, I felt I should share my point of view. Also how you were raised, and your morals that were set forth to you also plays the biggest role in ones level of maturity..
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I think u misunderstood me, I was very mature at age 18 just alike u. :) I do know what u mean . I was stating the fact because of my experince around them and I am older now and mother of two young adults and their peers. I observed many 25 years old who were immature, does not mean u but they were allowed to do many things that many 18 years old are not allowed. I believe age 18 is a legal adult and they should be allowed to do many things alike drinking without get in big trouble with law since they are still do it anyway. Since your 21, you have more freedom than 18, 19 and 20 years old. But something your not still out of wood alike rent a car which my son was not able to rent a car after had a car accident last year ( he was 22 then) and need another car to go to work. The rule there is u have to be 25 years old to rent the car. Life sucks esp for anyone who is under 25. My point here, it is okay for 30 years old to get drink but not for anyone under 21. because they believe anyone who is under 21 are immature and not ready for the responsiblity I was stating President Bush was not mature when he was drinking and caught with dui I believe he was 30 years old at that time. Ages does not matter, it is the person who drink are matter if they become irresponsible and endanger other life.
I am sorry if you thought I degrade anyone who are younger than 25 I don't mean it. I have an issue with drinking no matter what age really esp I knew too many people who got killed by dui, most drivers with dui who killed them are older than 25.
 
Sweetheart said:
Since I turned in 21 yrs old in July 2005. So, I consider that law should keep 21 years old to allow drinking but I dont think its good idea to change to 18 yrs old since because mostly people who are under of 18 yrs old tend to be friends with 18 yrs old people because I remember I used to smoking cigs when I was underage and asked my friends who are 18 yrs old for cigs. So they can ask their friends for wine, beer etc like that if laws change to 18 yrs old.. I dont think its good idea. But all of schools should have education for kids to learning abt drunking and driving since I dont have ONE at my school and my best friend learned abt it and knew abt it, of course I knew abt it but why not all of schools have that so we can learn something abt it and we will know why and understand? :dunno: I just wanted to tell ya'll abt it..

Since, I have a friend who died by drunking and driving. He was only 19 yrs old. He did drinking some of beer and got in car accident, he is not driving, his friend is but she did DRINK one bottle of beer. Another truck whose hit that car where my friend in was VERY drunk and hes only 23 yrs old. So, all of them(a man who drove the truck, a girl who drove in the car and another guy in the car with them) plus kids who bought beers got in jail for that happened. Everybody felt bad abt it. I knew him for whole of my life since I born. I want all of schools to having that education like healthy, sex, etc. Why not they have edcaution for drunking and driving? Teach kids abt it so they will learn. Even show them how feel during they get in car accident if they are drink and explain them abt that stuffs like that even if they want someone speech abt their experience drunking and driving. Since my friend killed by that. I consider schools should have that... I will understand if some of you disagree with me but I thought they should do that.. Since, I heard abt that in Wisconsin School of the Deaf(I think or another I forgot which one) have that education and they did watch the movie and see how they get hurt, bleed, etc like that. They learned alot abt it.. So... I think should be stay 21 yrs old because mostly of % people who turn in 21 and they are adult and reponsibility more than 18 yrs old people.. Thats why I think its better idea. Thanks :)
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I think it is wonderful idea for school to have education about drinking and driving but that is not only problem teens have. Many of them are into drugs, unsafe practice sex and many other stuffs just alike any adults I have witness. Honestly when I was 20 my then boyfriend ( now my husband) bought me a wine cuz he was 21. I was more mature then him. Really 18 or 21 does not make any different. Many 18 years old married 21 years old and they can't have any alcohol, should they be fined if they caught with it? My future daughter in law is year and half younger than my son, he bought her beer once awhile before she turned 21. It does not make any different since she is more mature than my son. Should she get in trouble with law because she was under 21?

Too many adults are irresponsible with drinking also. They are bad teachers.
 
Cheri said:
How does that supposed to help? I've heard some underage steal vehicles when they aren't 16 yet nor haven't learned to drive yet. You think when they drink they won't do anything foolish? Think again. Once they take a glass of any alcohol beverage, they are going to keep on drinking until they are messed up in the head. That doesn't solve anything. Curiously gets you in deep sh*t. Not worth it, not to me it isn't. ;)
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Don't forgot many adults are doing same things.
 
jazzy said:
Don't forgot many adults are doing same things.
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I am aware of that, I care less about adults because they should know a lot better than that, but they don't use their brains before hitting the bottles, Underage youths are too precious to me, They are young and they have so much ahead of them in life. Would not like to see them missing out that opportunity. :thumb:
 
Cheri said:
I am aware of that, I care less about adults because they should know a lot better than that, but they don't use their brains before hitting the bottles, Underage youths are too precious to me, They are young and they have so much ahead of them in life. Would not like to see them missing out that opportunity. :thumb:
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18's. 19's, and 20's are not underage youths, they are just responsible adult as any age. I agree with u I do not want to see them miss out the opportunity but if they are old enough to die in the war then they are old enough to drink. U know war in Iraq makes me angry cuz many of my son's buddies are over there. Hope they dont come home in coffin. Maybe the age should raise to 21 for them to go to war. so it gives them time to grow up before turn 21.
 
jazzy said:
18's. 19's, and 20's are not underage youths,
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Did I say 18 and 20? Mostly my point was age of 16 because some members here are stating that 16 should be allowing to drink. ;)
 
Either lower the drinking age to 18 or increase the drafting, smoking, marrying, abortion, voting and driving age to 21. You're an adult at one age or the other there shouldn't be a double standard for what age is considered adult
 
Cheri said:
Did I say 18 and 20? Mostly my point was age of 16 because some members here are stating that 16 should be allowing to drink. ;)
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Thank u for clearing this one, I agree no one under 18 should drink. I misunderstood u cuz this thread says lower drinking age from 21 to 18.
 
mlkshkgrl said:
Either lower the drinking age to 18 or increase the drafting, smoking, marrying, abortion, voting and driving age to 21. You're an adult at one age or the other there shouldn't be a double standard for what age is considered adult
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Honestly, I don't want to be responsible for my kids under 21, I like to see them to be on their own after they turn 18 or after graduate from high school. Alike a mother bird push youngsters out of her own nest and force them to fly on their own. they have to learn how to live their own life by working, paying the rent and get in trouble once awhile to learn their own lessons. It is only way for them to grow up. Otherwise they would live with us till 35. No thanks. Lower age to 18.
 
TweetyBird said:
yea i agree with u... i rather stay the age of 21....
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:thumb: I'm agree with you!! However, I am 21, and I am strongly anti-alcoholic!
:topic: I has been tried Rum, and it horrible taste ever I had to drink, it tastes looks like cranberry, :barf: but look seems like Coke. So I never drink a
darn alcoholic beverage anymore, I am finished up with that!!! :dizzy: :confused: then just seems to be near-bit of the depressed.
so now, I get another wine that is non-alcohol just makes me happy again, to be refreshing for New Year eve to midnight! It's great time! :party:

Back to the topic: I voted to keep for 21-year old to drink, it's no one under
21 to be drink. Because between 18 and 20-years-old are not enough
to be responsibility to drink. It might increase drink and drunk and crash.
I don't like to see about that.
 
Cheri said:
How does that supposed to help? I've heard some underage steal vehicles when they aren't 16 yet nor haven't learned to drive yet. You think when they drink they won't do anything foolish? Think again. Once they take a glass of any alcohol beverage, they are going to keep on drinking until they are messed up in the head. That doesn't solve anything. Curiously gets you in deep sh*t. Not worth it, not to me it isn't. ;)
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You're one of those people who think that teenagers have no control and will go wild with drugs, sex, cigarettes, and alcohol. You're taking a group of people who are doing things because it's illegal and rebellious and thinking they'll do it WORSE when it's legal and not taboo.

Rock and roll was HOT when it was taboo. Swing dancing was considered too risque and people tried banning it, only making it more popular.

It is MUCH friggin' harder to drive a vehicle, even illegally, than it is to get a drink or get drunk. The problem is, drinking is not something you can simply figure out your limits on, it's something you need to experience to find your limits on. Until we allow people to find their limits SAFELY, we will CONTINUE to be plagued by deaths that are caused by drinking.

Banning drinking until they're older doesn't help.

Allowing people to learn their limits EARLIER does. You think 16 year olds will simply keep drinking until they die? You're paranoid. They have to pay for the alcohol. They have to legally go to school the next day. They have to have a parent or guardian look after them, instead of being 21 and having no one watch over them.

Curiousity gets you in deep shit? Look, you're against alcohol because you had it drilled into you that alcohol is scary and may cause you to do bad things. The rest of the world doesn't work that way. The rest of the world doesn't get a chance to have that kind of exposure, and for the rest of them, alcohol actually makes them feel good.

I don't want people to die for any reason whatsoever. I just think that doing it this way isn't working and you "21 or older only!" guys don't see it because you don't care about alcohol, you would welcome prohibition again.

If you make alcohol a crime, only criminals will have alcohol.
 
Dennis,

I don't appreciated the name calling such as being paranoid, I do have an opinion and do have every rights to say what I feel. My ex boyfriend is an alcoholic been drinking since the age of 12, He never had a stable place to live, all he does is drink every single weekends, been up in jail almost all his life, all he does is spends his money on bottles. I didn't know he had an issue with drinking until after we were in a relationship, He hit bottom every weekend he became violence, of course he went on drugs too. So, Don't tell me I don't know anything. Just because I am watching out for those youngsters doesn't make me a bad person or paranoid. Please watch what you say to me otherwise I'll put you on block for your rude remarks. My opinions doesn't make it wrong. Just remember that Dennis. Thank-you. ;)
 
CCfan said:
:thumb: Back to the topic: I voted to keep for 21-year old to drink, it's no one under
21 to be drink. Because between 18 and 20-years-old are not enough
to be responsibility to drink. It might increase drink and drunk and crash.
I don't like to see about that.
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Not true, about age between 18 and 20 years old increase drink and drive and crash. I have seen too many drunk drivers out there and they are not in that age bracket. Also they are old enought to make the decision if they are old enough to die for America. They should be allow to drink. I don't like it either but also I don't like anyone who drink either. it is not my place to tell them what to do with their body.
 
Cheri said:
Dennis,

I don't appreciated the name calling such as being paranoid, I do have an opinion and do have every rights to say what I feel. My ex boyfriend is an alcoholic been drinking since the age of 12, He never had a stable place to live, all he does is drink every single weekends, been up in jail almost all his life, all he does is spends his money on bottles. I didn't know he had an issue with drinking until after we were in a relationship, He hit bottom every weekend he became violence, of course he went on drugs too. So, Don't tell me I don't know anything. Just because I am watching out for those youngsters doesn't make me a bad person or paranoid. Please watch what you say to me otherwise I'll put you on block for your rude remarks. My opinions doesn't make it wrong. Just remember that Dennis. Thank-you. ;)
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I am sorry u went thru this. Alcohloics are serious problem in our country and rest of the world. Not how it happened with my dad when he was kid, it happened after he went to war. He became alcohloic because he was a weak and not able to handle nightmares he had. He drank to forgot the past. It took years for him to sober up and get well. I was around alcoholics alot and see them struggles to stay sober and went to AA. But today it is not same thing, most kids are turning on drugs. Many kids are smoking weeds and many of them already hook on meth. It is nightmare right now in this place. And guns too.
 
True, 18 year olders do have a choice in this since they are allow to live on their own and etc, but if we were to change the laws back by allowing 18 years old to drink, how is it going to help the situation by keeping these kids from drinking so much, or become an alcoholic and ruin their life by allowing their dreams to effect them from following it because they already started drinking in a younger age, and it's not going to help these kids to do what they want out of this life beside drinking .... I feel as a parents that 21 years old is reasonable age and I wouldn't mind seeing the law changed to the age of 25 if that going to help these kids to stay in the right track.....

I know kids are still going to drink even the laws says 21, but once they're behind the bar, that might think twice before taking another sip of alcohol.... :bye:
 
I'm a mother so I have my input how I feel about underage drinking issue. We as a parent are responsible for our children until the age of 18, So if some people feels that laws should be change to the age of 16 for them to drink that means if they go out and drink get drunk, come home crawl on the floor, vomit everywhere, possible alcohol poison, possible getting in a huge car accident. We the parents have to witness this, That is some heart wrenching thing to watch, that is something I do not want to see happening. Of course we have no power to tell them to stop drinking none, why? because it's legal for them to drink. (giving an example). They're not going to listen to you, They have the law on their side, giving them rights to drink at this certain age.

I've heard some people I've used to work with who are in their 20's have said "I cannot wait until I'm 21 to drink" I'm thinking to myself why is it important to drink? What is so excite about it? They think it's so cool to get messed up in the head. It's not cool. Now I've said pretty much my piece, You can disagree with me all I care but that doesn't change the fact that I do care enough not to see them ruining their life. That's a big "If" ;)
 
Cheri said:
Dennis,

I don't appreciated the name calling such as being paranoid, I do have an opinion and do have every rights to say what I feel. My ex boyfriend is an alcoholic been drinking since the age of 12, He never had a stable place to live, all he does is drink every single weekends, been up in jail almost all his life, all he does is spends his money on bottles. I didn't know he had an issue with drinking until after we were in a relationship, He hit bottom every weekend he became violence, of course he went on drugs too. So, Don't tell me I don't know anything. Just because I am watching out for those youngsters doesn't make me a bad person or paranoid. Please watch what you say to me otherwise I'll put you on block for your rude remarks. My opinions doesn't make it wrong. Just remember that Dennis. Thank-you. ;)
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Well, Cheri, I apologize that you think I'm calling you names and being rude. I'm not trying to be rude, I'm trying to point out that you're basically saying all teenagers are this way while I believe they're not.

I'm sorry that you had a bad experience with a drunken boyfriend. Please don't let that one boyfriend make you think that most everyone else will be like that. The law obviously didn't mean anything to him, NO MATTER THE LEGAL DRINKING AGE. He would have drank if the legal age was 12, 15, 18, 21, 25, 45, whatever. He drank and did drugs and he hid his habit from you until you started dating him. Again, I'm sorry, and I apologize for your terrible experience.

ButterflyGirl said:
A question for ya, Dennis. Do you have kids of your own?
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If you're asking your question as it relates to this topic, then I don't see what a difference it makes if I have children or not. I'm responsible for my older and younger siblings in a single parent home, I mentor deaf high school kids in a variety of programs including alcohol and substance abuse, and I have close family members who have succumbed to the lures of alcohol and drugs like cocaine and pot.

I don't allow underage people to drink in my home at parties I host, I personally smacked down underage people who openly drank at my wedding, and I believe that the law must be followed UNTIL I CHANGE IT, not sitting back and waiting for someone else to decide for me.
 
jazzy said:
Honestly, I don't want to be responsible for my kids under 21, I like to see them to be on their own after they turn 18 or after graduate from high school. Alike a mother bird push youngsters out of her own nest and force them to fly on their own. they have to learn how to live their own life by working, paying the rent and get in trouble once awhile to learn their own lessons. It is only way for them to grow up. Otherwise they would live with us till 35. No thanks. Lower age to 18.
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I agree with you. I wouldn't want to be responsible until they are 21 either.
 
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