To Lower the Drinking Age to 18 or Not?

[ideliver]

Originally Posted by AwesomeM3

What's next, lowering the driving age to 15?

some states it is (well 15.25)

[Year's_End]

Originally Posted by lecatrache

I think the only folks voting for 18 are the under-18 folks!

i'm sure anyone <21 is voting for 18.

it's ridiculous that it's pretty much 18 everywhere else in the world. americans just don't understand how to portion what they consume.

[asdflkijd]

I think if they change anything, they should lower the drinking age to 18 and up the driving age to 21..... seriously, when you teach someone to use a gun, do you teach them how to pull the trigger first or how to aim/ hold the gun first?

I think we'd have less alcohol related deaths involving teens and vehicles if they knew how to control their alcohol first before they step behind the wheel of a car.. just my opinion.

[aut0sh0cker]

Originally Posted by asdflkijd

I think if they change anything, they should lower the drinking age to 18 and up the driving age to 21..... seriously, when you teach someone to use a gun, do you teach them how to pull the trigger first or how to aim/ hold the gun first?

I think we'd have less alcohol related deaths involving teens and vehicles if they knew how to control their alcohol first before they step behind the wheel of a car.. just my opinion.

That is one of the smartest ideas posted in the OT section period.

[Universal_Magnetic]

18-19 sounds alright to me. if kids want to, which i did and i know a lot of members here did when they were younger, they will find ways to drink anyways. same goes with smoking, drugs, etc.

[Scimitar335i]

American teens are too irresponsible with alcohol. Leave the age the way it is.. trust me.. I have seen the worst of people who drink.. especially when these kids drink the liquid courage and how they sob like little girls when they get hooked up...

[aut0sh0cker]

Originally Posted by Scimitar335i

American teens are too irresponsible with alcohol. Leave the age the way it is.. trust me.. I have seen the worst of people who drink.. especially when these kids drink the liquid courage and how they sob like little girls when they get hooked up...

You are 100% right, but let's try to think about why this is. I think that so many kids are irresponsible with alcohol very early on is because they have not been properly exposed to it.

For example, if your first experience with alcohol is getting trashed at your friend's party you are much more likely to abuse alcohol (driving, or not) than if you grew up learning to consume it in moderation at a younger age. The rest of the world provides sufficient example for this point.

-Scott

[asdflkijd]

Originally Posted by aut0sh0cker

You are 100% right, but let's try to think about why this is. I think that so many kids are irresponsible with alcohol very early on is because they have not been properly exposed to it.

For example, if your first experience with alcohol is getting trashed at your friend's party you are much more likely to abuse alcohol (driving, or not) than if you grew up learning to consume it in moderation at a younger age. The rest of the world provides sufficient example for this point.

-Scott

Europe for example... they drink wine like we drink sodipop

[M3-ADDICT]

I think it's actually 18, but state's get more funding if they leave it at 21.

[Scimitar335i]

Originally Posted by aut0sh0cker

You are 100% right, but let's try to think about why this is. I think that so many kids are irresponsible with alcohol very early on is because they have not been properly exposed to it.

For example, if your first experience with alcohol is getting trashed at your friend's party you are much more likely to abuse alcohol (driving, or not) than if you grew up learning to consume it in moderation at a younger age. The rest of the world provides sufficient example for this point.

-Scott

Teens see this as a rite of passage.. its also touted as the great "college experience" and another taste of "freedom" from no longer living under their parents rule. I used to be a cop on a college campus and worked a couple of rape cases where these jack-asses would throw parties just to get girls wasted and then have sex with them.. i managed to convict one and his loser ass is sitting in prison but the other one the charges were dropped... can't win them all...

needless to say i left that dump for a municipal position. i could not stand the pre-pubescent angst and high school behavior. i've seen drunk idiots have brawls in dorms, pass out on lawns, and jump out of 2-3 story dorms..

when i say the drinking law should stay at 21, i mean it. these fools see it as something cool where they can drink and act stupid rather than what it truly is a nice cold beverage you enjoy...

[asdflkijd]

Originally Posted by Scimitar335i

Teens see this as a rite of passage.. its also touted as the great "college experience" and another taste of "freedom" from no longer living under their parents rule. I used to be a cop on a college campus and worked a couple of rape cases where these jack-asses would throw parties just to get girls wasted and then have sex with them.. i managed to convict one and his loser ass is sitting in prison but the other one the charges were dropped... can't win them all...

needless to say i left that dump for a municipal position. i could not stand the pre-pubescent angst and high school behavior. i've seen drunk idiots have brawls in dorms, pass out on lawns, and jump out of 2-3 story dorms..

when i say the drinking law should stay at 21, i mean it. these fools see it as something cool where they can drink and act stupid rather than what it truly is a nice cold beverage you enjoy...

I understand where you are coming from but please dont categorize us "teens" as the same... Idiots will be idiots, no matter how old or experienced they are.

I can speak for all my responsible peers when I say dammit I want a nice cold beer off tap while enjoying my wings and watching the game... not "DUDE LETS GET WASTEDDDDDDDD ".... haha,

Have you ever heard of the concept of early and late bloomers? Well, early bloomers are considered the ones that are exposed to alcohol and drugs at an early age.. These are the guys that are usually the designated driver (or drink and don't) in a group of friends or the one that can hold down his liquor at a party, and the one that knows his/her limits.. The late bloomers are the ones that are usually the ones that have been shielded from the world (by their parents and the law) and deprived of alcohol (in this case, could be other things).. They are the ones that get wasted off their ass's, THEY are the ones that drink and drive.. And even after all that, you still can't hold them responsible for what those fuckshits did to that college girl... Alcohol was just an accomplice to their dirty acts (rape, fighting, etc), the teens themselves were low life's...

[Scimitar335i]

Originally Posted by asdflkijd

I understand where you are coming from but please dont categorize us "teens" as the same... Idiots will be idiots, no matter how old or experienced they are.

I can speak for all my responsible peers when I say dammit I want a nice cold beer off tap while enjoying my wings and watching the game... not "DUDE LETS GET WASTEDDDDDDDD ".... haha,

Have you ever heard of the concept of early and late bloomers? Well, early bloomers are considered the ones that are exposed to alcohol and drugs at an early age.. These are the guys that are usually the designated driver (or drink and don't) in a group of friends or the one that can hold down his liquor at a party, and the one that knows his/her limits.. The late bloomers are the ones that are usually the ones that have been shielded from the world (by their parents and the law) and deprived of alcohol (in this case, could be other things).. They are the ones that get wasted off their ass's, THEY are the ones that drink and drive.. And even after all that, you still can't hold them responsible for what those fuckshits did to that college girl... Alcohol was just an accomplice to their dirty acts (rape, fighting, etc), the teens themselves were low life's...

agreed.. i am not saying all are like that, there are very responsible ones as well who actually register their parties with residential advisers, they are quiet and well behaved. Just imagine my view though.. I am the one who used to roll to these things to break them up, arrested the drunk drivers, and have to deal with rape victims... rough stuff...

[asdflkijd]

Originally Posted by Scimitar335i

agreed.. i am not saying all are like that, there are very responsible ones as well who actually register their parties with residential advisers, they are quiet and well behaved. Just imagine my view though.. I am the one who used to roll to these things to break them up, arrested the drunk drivers, and have to deal with rape victims... rough stuff...

those guys should get a taste of their own medicine in jail

[Buffalo_Bush]

lower the drinking age. to 18, 19 what ever. but raise the driving age a little, not much, just a year or so but require much more education and training to gain those driving privileges. if you make it harder and more expensive to get your drivers license i thinik people will be less inclined to screw it up and drive drunk.

[ZJP]

Driving should be a privilege, not an option. Think about how many less accidents and deaths would occur over the years.

The US should definitely be more like Germany with their licensing rules. For example...

A German driver’s license costs about $1500-2000, after a minimum of 25-45 hours of professional instruction plus 12 hours of theory, and such a license is good for life.