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What should the ideal drinking age be?

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With men and women across the United States able to go to war, own a vehicle or house, and typically in charge of all finances and education they can handle - the thought that something as simple as alcohol not being available to these individuals confuses many. While said young adults are able to smoke as many cigarettes as they would like, alcohol was decidedly put on a much higher age restriction - a tall 21 compared to 18 of all other things. Should the United States lower their drinking age, or should other countries raise theirs? With many areas such as the Bahamas having "lax" drinking ages into the very early teens, what exactly should the ideal drinking age be?

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Tiddy-bits:

In my opinion I think the age requirement for one to gain a license in other countries is way too low but I feel for this to be justified the age for drinking has been made higher to accommodate.  Is this the right or wrong thing to do?  That is the question.

In order to mature the person a huge responsibility is given allowing a drivers license to be obtained so young.  With maturity (leading up to the drinking age) and this responsibility it is presumed alcohol abuse would be less likely or that's the way I see it.

Here in Australia the legal drinking age is 18 and you can obtain your full drivers license at the same age.  I used to be a member of our State Emergency Service, specialising in 'road accident rescues' and saw many incidences where both were involved, car and alcohol, with so many young people the offenders and victims.

Should the legal age be dropped?  I'm unsure. I think its education on these topics that needs to be concentrated on, the cold hard facts in the faces of first timers.  Some might see this as scare tactics but others see it as reality, either way put it out there. 

 

If the age for driving was increased, would there be reason to lower the age for drinking?

A little off topic there ^^^  but as far as age limit is concerned I do feel it should be uniform across the states, not different dependent on where you reside but other countries could have a different age, but again keep it uniform across the states.

 

 

 

 

*I was heavily distracted typing this response so if you would like me to elaborate into more detail please post so.  It does read a little sketchy :blush:

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Well, I live in America, so we have it at 21.

You've got alcohol (age 21) which is one poison, and you've got a commercial cigarette (age 18+) which can be hundreds of poisons (not to mention some bad breath). Of course, you've also got driving drunk leading to highway crashes, but adults of just about any age do that.

Another thing to consider is that lots of people who start drinking do it before the drinking age. Growing up, I didn't see a lot of people who said "When I turn 21, I'm going to start drinking." They were usually either already drinking or they were never going to drink in their life. Hell, I know someone who drank when they were 12. A lower drinking age may not be as negative as we think.

The problem with alcohol is not that it's being sold to young adults, but that it's being sold to idiots. Changing the drinking age to 18 will not change the number of idiots in the world, and they probably already drink. Do it.

Of course, I don't think it'll change much of anything, and you risk making it more available to irresponsible adults. Just because someone's law-abiding doesn't mean they're particularly smart.

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Skeezix the Cat and Daywu like this

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The problem with alcohol is not that it's being sold to young adults, but that it's being sold to idiots. Changing the drinking age to 18 will not change the number of idiots in the world, and they probably already drink. Do it.


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I think that all of this should be based off of a scientific perspective in every country. I mean there is a certain point in life where when you turn a specific age, that stuff wont affect you mentally or physically as much as it would a 15 year old.

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In my opinion I think the age requirement for one to gain a license in other countries is way too low but I feel for this to be justified the age for drinking has been made higher to accommodate.

The legal drinking age should have nothing to do with the age you can drive from. In Australia i think we've done the right thing in making it illegal to have a blood alcohol over zero for the first 4 years your able to drive (Learners 1y, red provisionals 1y, green provisionals 2y).

But one thing everywhere is in the wrong is drink driving penalization, In Australia its worse to do a burnout than to be drunk and drive. That to me is ridiculous, Drinking and driving should be heavily penalized so that people dont dare do it.


I think that 21 being the legal drinking age is good, Alcohol damages developing minds along with the fact teen agers are already willing to do stupid things as it is without the help of alcohol. I'm only 18 and i can tell its taking its toll on my mental faculties. Though no matter what the legal age is there will always be poeple that break the rules if they feel like it so meh.


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The legal drinking age should have nothing to do with the age you can drive from. In Australia i think we've done the right thing in making it illegal to have a blood alcohol over zero for the first 4 years your able to drive (Learners 1y, red provisionals 1y, green provisionals 2y).

But one thing everywhere is in the wrong is drink driving penalization, In Australia its worse to do a burnout than to be drunk and drive. That to me is ridiculous, Drinking and driving should be heavily penalized so that people dont dare do it.


I think that 21 being the legal drinking age is good, Alcohol damages developing minds along with the fact teen agers are already willing to do stupid things as it is without the help of alcohol. I'm only 18 and i can tell its taking its toll on my mental faculties. Though no matter what the legal age is there will always be poeple that break the rules if they feel like it so meh.

 

What I was trying to say is that for the legal age limits to be set as they are, I presume the thought has been put into the combination of both alcohol and driving being legal at the same age.  Alcohol in the hands of anyone can be abused no matter what age.

I've often given thought whether we, in Australia, have the age limit set at an appropriate age compared to that of 21. 

 

 

In Australia i think we've done the right thing in making it illegal to have a blood alcohol over zero for the first 4 years your able to drive (Learners 1y, red provisionals 1y, green provisionals 2y).

 

 

I totally agree :)

 

 

But one thing everywhere is in the wrong is drink driving penalization, In Australia its worse to do a burnout than to be drunk and drive. That to me is ridiculous, Drinking and driving should be heavily penalized so that people dont dare do it.

 

 

And yes on this one too.

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Quite honestly, I don't believe in having a single blanket drinking age. Since alcohol can be used irresponsibly, it should be introduced gradually into someone's life as they mature. In my ideal world, the drinking ages would be 14/15 for a beer or half a glass of wine with their parents, 16 for beer and (light) wine in restaurants and pubs and 18 for everything else. 

This is because it introduces the concept of alcohol gradually. It allows people to become acquainted with it, rather than simply turning 21 or 18 and going all out. Ruling it like this turns alcohol and drinking into a part of life, rather than teenagers treating it like a forbidden fruit.

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Quite honestly, I don't believe in having a single blanket drinking age. Since alcohol can be used irresponsibly, it should be introduced gradually into someone's life as they mature. In my ideal world, the drinking ages would be 14/15 for a beer or half a glass of wine with their parents, 16 for beer and (light) wine in restaurants and pubs and 18 for everything else. 

This is because it introduces the concept of alcohol gradually. It allows people to become acquainted with it, rather than simply turning 21 or 18 and going all out. Ruling it like this turns alcohol and drinking into a part of life, rather than teenagers treating it like a forbidden fruit.

I agree. 


You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.

-Plato

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