Link to article

 

 

 

Do you support this?

 

 

 

I think it is a good idea. This will allowing college freshman to legaly drink at parties.

Horrible idea. DUI deaths a year are already too high. Why allow for more legal oppourtunities. Giving people a legal means to party isn't going to help.

I support this 100%. Not only would this allow college freshmen to drink, it would allow me to legally drink in 7 days ;) But I do think it would help stop some of the bringe drinking that happens at colleges and maybe lower the number of alcoholics we have in this country.

 

 

 

 

 

@NoMoreDead: If you take away the part of it being illegal, it's less fun and less rebellious. And it's not like you're making it easier to get. I can easily obtain alcohol and I'm only 17.

I don't support lowering the drinking age to 18 simply because of our culture.

 

 

 

Compare the number of alcohol-related fatalities and crimes in the United States among 16-24 year olds with, say, Switzerland, where the legal drinking age for wine and beer is 16, and you may see that the problem isn't perhaps with alcohol but with the way our culture treats alcohol. And good, I mean really good, wine and beer there cost a fraction of what they do in the United States. Change the culture. This is what I always end up saying about everything. We run around trying to fix all these little fringe issues all the time - it's like a doctor treating a cancer patient's pain and night sweats but refusing to actually do anything about the cancer.

 

 

 

We're going about this in the wrong way, just like we are with gun bans. The problem is the culture...

Allowing our 18-year olds to go overseas and kill people, but not allowing them to drink a glass of beer, I'm all for this idea.

I support this 100%. Not only would this allow college freshmen to drink, it would allow me to legally drink in 7 days ;) But I do think it would help stop some of the bringe drinking that happens at colleges and maybe lower the number of alcoholics we have in this country.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It seems like it would make sense to me. Seeing as history has shown that banning things, from alcohol to gambling to guns and drugs has constantly done nothing to curb crime and other undesirable behavior lowering the drinking age would do nothing but ease up on the workload of police. I know for a fact that just about all collage students, weather they are 21 or not, drink on a regular basis so it would make sense.

I think it should be 18 anyway. If you can die for your country, you should be allowed to drink alcohol...

 

 

 

But magekillr is right. Don't be under any illusions this would cut binge-drinking. It's 18 here and there's still a problem with alcohol consumption, in both 18+s and under-18s. In fact, it's probably worse here than anywhere else. Unless you make it the cultural norm to drink responsibly it really doesn't matter what age you can legally buy alcohol.

Lowering the drinking age isn't a bad idea if you look over at Europe and there's no drinking ages in a lot of the countries...

Even though it would personally be nice, I just don't think America could handle it. We're not mature enough. Take a walk through an average high school for a day - you'll see what I mean. Sorry but I don't want these kids drinking anymore than they already do because it's just far too dangerous.

In my opinion they should be limiting the amount in relation to the age of the drinker. It would work a bit better that way.

I love the limit of 16 over here :P !

The drinking age here is already 18, and it leads to some pretty nasty statistics; 1,630 people aged 15-64 in Finland died of alcohol poisoning in 2006. [source] So you could say that in all, about 2,000 Finnish die every year (All ages) of alcohol poisoning.

 

If 2,000 died in one year in a war, it would be a tragedy. About 800-900 people die in a year of the Iraq war, for comparison.

The drinking age here is already 18, and it leads to some pretty nasty statistics; 1,630 people aged 15-64 in Finland died of alcohol poisoning in 2006. [source] So you could say that in all, about 2,000 Finnish die every year (All ages) of alcohol poisoning.

 

If 2,000 died in one year in a war, it would be a tragedy. About 800-900 people die in a year of the Iraq war, for comparison.

 

The only reason why I would limit alcohol is by the deaths of innocent people dying, such as in a drunken car accident. But killing themselves, I couldn't care less.

In my opinion they should be limiting the amount in relation to the age of the drinker. It would work a bit better that way.

 

 

 

Do you mean limiting the amount you drink at certain ages? If so, it's completely unenforceable.

Even though it would personally be nice, I just don't think America could handle it. We're not mature enough. Take a walk through an average high school for a day - you'll see what I mean. Sorry but I don't want these kids drinking anymore than they already do because it's just far too dangerous.

 

 

 

You do make a good case. In my opinion, lowering to 19 and mandating some REAL education about what alcohol does to your system would be very beneficial. Start mandating it at around grade 7, and keep it on for a good bit after. However, going over only the negative effects is counter-productive. There ARE some good effects of some SENSIBLE drinking, such as some bacteria that boosts your own system, among other things. Source: the episode of [bleep]e TV's Manswers which touches on how long someone can go on booze and water alone. And yes, it's hazardous to do that stunt. You'd die inside of 2 months for your efforts. :roll:

We can die for the country but not have a beer. What a shame.

I don't think the number of DUI's and drunk-driving accidents would increase that much. The people that would actually drink and drive are already doing it now, regardless of whether they're 21 or not.

 

 

 

I still say that what we need is more alcohol education in schools. As it stands now, schools are basically saying that you shouldn't ever drink alcohol, and just dropping it at that. However, it doesn't take someone with a phd to know that people are going to drink, regardless of whether or not they're told not to. People need to be taught to use safe alcohol practises and to not abuse it.

^^ I don't know what school you went to. At mine my bio teacher basically told us we could drink as much as we want and we wouldn't get alcohol poisoning because we would throw up before we died. Then like two weeks later she told us what is really happening when you pass out. :ohnoes:

 

 

 

It's not like it would make any difference at all. Maybe less people would be given tickets or whatever citation they give you for uderage possesion of alcohol.

Lower it to 16, then maybe I can get a few beers without pestering my brother :-w

It is already 18 in my country, and there thinking of raising it to 21. I say good on them, Its a really brave move. If you can die for your country (you have to be 21 to get into the army methinks), surely you can be allowed to die for yourself?

After reading te comments thus far, I am in more stronger support.

 

 

 

"If we can die for our country at age 18, why not have a beer?"

 

 

 

I was wondering the same.

 

 

 

I turn 18 in 11 days =p.

^^ I don't know what school you went to. At mine my bio teacher basically told us we could drink as much as we want and we wouldn't get alcohol poisoning because we would throw up before we died. Then like two weeks later she told us what is really happening when you pass out. :ohnoes:

 

 

Well I'm going to be the first to tell you that your "bio teacher" was full of it. I've had 3 close friends have alcohol poisoning. It's not something to laugh about or just let it roll off the cuff. It happens, and it happens because kids are stupid. Personally, I could be more prone to alcohol poisoning because I do not throw up as easily as others, and due to my size (6'4" 220), I do not feel the affects of alcohol as soon as a smaller person may. I can take in more alcohol than an average person, but not feel as drunk. I've been drinking for a couple years now and I have never thrown up from drinking. I have put down 3/4 or a 1.75 of Captain Morgan in a night, and didn't throw up. I'm not trying to brag here, just trying to say that alcohol affects different people in different ways. It's quite easy to get alcohol poisoning.

 

 

 

That said, I think that the drinking age should be lowered. But I don't really care because living in Wisconsin, I can drink anytime I want as long as my parents are present, and they don't care if I drink or not.

The drinking age here is already 18, and it leads to some pretty nasty statistics; 1,630 people aged 15-64 in Finland died of alcohol poisoning in 2006. [source] So you could say that in all, about 2,000 Finnish die every year (All ages) of alcohol poisoning.

 

If 2,000 died in one year in a war, it would be a tragedy. About 800-900 people die in a year of the Iraq war, for comparison.

 

The only reason why I would limit alcohol is by the deaths of innocent people dying, such as in a drunken car accident. But killing themselves, I couldn't care less.

I'll be honest, that's quite selfish of you. Any death is a tragedy.

I'll be honest, that's quite selfish of you. Any death is a tragedy.

 

Suicide isn't a tragedy. Suicide is stupid.

Ya, like I want more drunken idiots on the road.

 

 

 

It's unfair but if the law saves lives, the law saves lives. I drink at parties even at an illegal age, and I wholeheartedly support the war-alcohol analogy, but dropping the drinking age is just going to dramatically increase alcohol related deaths, which are bad enough as is here in the States.

 

 

 

If people could learn not to be stupid, I'd be fine with decreasing the drinking age (if not for also dodging the cops). But until that day comes in the US, if it ever does, I'd rather save some lives than let college students be even dumber they're freshman year.