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Thread: United States-Should the drinking age be 18 again?

  1. #1
    Border Rebel travlnman2's Avatar
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    Default United States-Should the drinking age be 18 again?

    My opinon is that.

    Here are things we are allowed to do at 16/18

    Drive a car.
    Vote
    Buy Marriguana(Where Legal )
    Buy Lottery Tickets.
    Join the Military
    Get A Job
    Buy Cigaretts.(Not actually doing this myself)

    So like we are allowed to join the millitary and even die for the country but not allowed to drink Alcholol?
    Now my father is from Italy and in Europe threy have no Drinking limit and Imo it allows parents to educate children when they are young and kids my age wont be currious and do something stupid. Its called the Forbidden fruit syndrome

  2. #2
    Stuck on the Border WalshFan88's Avatar
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    Default Re: United States-Should the drinking age be 18 again?

    I'm actually with you on this TM2. And I have no dog in this fight (I'm already over 21 and don't drink but once a year or so)...so I have nothing to gain by saying I think drinking age should be 18, or everything at 21. I don't understand why someone at 18 can do all of the things you suggested but can't drink.

    And again, I really don't have anything to gain by wishing for it but I do wonder about that now and again.

  3. #3
    Border Rebel travlnman2's Avatar
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    Default Re: United States-Should the drinking age be 18 again?

    I am sure some of your favorite Eagles did some underage drinking

  4. #4
    Stuck on the Border WalshFan88's Avatar
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    Default Re: United States-Should the drinking age be 18 again?

    Quote Originally Posted by travlnman2 View Post
    I am sure some of your favorite Eagles did some underage drinking
    Ya think! lol

    I have nothing against alcohol if done responsibly (meaning no harm to others, and no drunk driving and no acting out in the open in public.

    I'm all for the drinking age being 18. Just so you know, I'm with you on that.

  5. #5
    Border Rebel RudieCantFail's Avatar
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    Default Re: United States-Should the drinking age be 18 again?

    In several states, there's an outright ban on alcohol consumption under 18, but in most other states, you just can't purchase it if under 21. You can drink at home under 21, and personally, I don't think it's good. However, you're at home, so you're hopefully not going to go anywhere. If you're out and about drinking, then I don't think being under 21 is good.

    The brain is still developing at 18 years old, so I don't think alcohol or marijuana really helps it at all. I think it stunts it to an extent but more so w/ marijuana's long term effects. The part of the brain that's affected is the prefrontal cortex, which is where you may or may not make impulsive decisions. Alcohol is bad for that, since people can do dumb things that they don't normally do under the influence.

    I'm 18 years old, and I haven't consumed a serving of alcohol. I've taken small tastes and I don't really like it. Although it sounds like I'm a stickler for it, I don't mind as long as it's an occasional drink. However, I don't trust people my age to make it a once in a while thing, and I wouldn't want them to be more susceptible to abusing it. Then again, there are those who are doing god knows what at college. It would affect those like me who aren't that inclined to drink in the first place, since the barrier has been lowered and we might start earlier than 21. For those who want to, the age doesn't matter, since they're going to do it anyways. Let's face it, teenagers and those slightly younger than 21 do drink.

  6. #6
    Moderator Glennsallnighter's Avatar
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    Default Re: United States-Should the drinking age be 18 again?

    In Ireland its 18. Although officially illegal many kids do manage to procure alcohol and drink it if they want to. Its illegal to drink in public bars before 18 but in the privacy of your own home its at the discretion of your parents/guardians. You can be carded up to about age 25. I was amazed I was carded in Albuquerque during the summer!! Lets say i'm the wrong side of 40 and I had 2 teenage kids with me!

    I think 18 is a reasonable age. 16 might be too young but if you are legally an adult at 18 (ie you can sign stuff in your own name, take a mortgage, be drafted and really qualify as an adult in everything else) I think its unreasonable to have to be 21 to be able to drink. JMHO!!
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    Stuck on the Border Delilah's Avatar
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    Default Re: United States-Should the drinking age be 18 again?

    In Texas, it is legal for underage people to consume alcohol in the presence of a parent or guardian.

    There is no question that traffic fatalities decreased among young people once the 21 age limit was implemented by all the states (granted, under threat by the feds to withdraw highway funds from those states that didn't). Today, there are even more risks are on the roads, with the ever present texting and driving as well as an increasing population of older drivers (the population of individuals 65+ is expected to double in the next 40 years, while the subset of "elderly" 90 and over is one of the fastest-growing age groups, see https://www.census.gov/prod/2010pubs/p25-1138.pdf).

    I sympathize with all the reasons why the drinking age should be lowered to 18, but from a public health standpoint, the current age restriction helps to save precious lives.

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    Stuck on the Border buffyfan145's Avatar
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    Default Re: United States-Should the drinking age be 18 again?

    I say to keep it at 21. Of course I'm in my 30s now so it doesn't effect me but if I ever have kids it would. From what my parents have told back when it used to be 18 most of the alcohol wasn't the hard liquor that is out now. They mostly drank the cheap beer at that age which was what they could afford and it wasn't even as high in alcohol content as it is today. Plus teens/early 20 year old drivers are already distracted from texting and using their cell phones while driving that we don't need this as it would increase drunk driving.

    Also, my city Columbus is getting ready to vote to raise the age to buy tobacco products to 21 and it's likely to happen as a lot are for it and some of the local suburbs already have passed it.
    ~*Amanda*~
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  9. #9
    Border Rebel Victim of Love's Avatar
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    Default Re: United States-Should the drinking age be 18 again?

    I say keep it at 21. Although there are some responsible young people under that age, I feel that for the most part too few have the ability to make sound, reasonable, mature choices when it comes to alcohol/liquor in this day and age. Years ago many states only allowed the sale of what was called 'low beer' (3.2% alcohol content) to be sold to anyone 18-20 while beer as we know it today was restricted to 21 and older. "Kids" would buy pitchers of 'low beer' and sip it thru straws to get buzzed faster and nobody had ever uttered the phrase 'designated driver' yet we seldom heard reports of alcohol-related fatalities because young people were taught the risks and understood the potential consequences. Sadly that is no longer the case in too many instances. Just my opinion.
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    Stuck on the Border WalshFan88's Avatar
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    Default Re: United States-Should the drinking age be 18 again?

    Then I think at the least the rest of everything TM2 mentioned should also be moved up to the 21 age mark... I mean to me if someone can join the military or be drafted and die for the country, but yet isn't "mature enough" to drink, I have a problem with that. I think all of that stuff should be at the same age level be it 18 or 21.

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