Drinking Age

[DerMißingno]

This came up a couple times in the thread about voting age, so I figured I would start a topic.

The drinking age is 21 in the United States and a maximum of 18 in most of the world. Discussed whether you think the age should be raised or lowered, or maybe you think alcohol should be made completely illegal.

Here is a map of drinking age throughout the world (note: map is from 2009, may be out of date):

Spoiler

Respect other people's opinions and stuff I guess.

 

[Jolene]

I have no strong opinion on this mostly because I don't drink. On one hand keeping it at 21 doesn't prevent teenagers from accessing alcohol. Lowering it to 18 would just let people be able to buy it earlier. It seems that no matter where you put the drinking age people under it still end up with alcohol. The drinking age should be defined as the drink selling age.

No matter where the drinking is placed I think telling people to drink responsibly is more important.

 

[Bolt Strike]

Making the drinking age 21 makes absolutely zero sense. The argument that the brain isn't fully developed at 18 doesn't really justify that at all, using drugs requires no more maturity than smoking, voting, joining the military, and all of the other adult activities that are granted at age 18. Also, those studies say that the brain stops developing around 25. So why put it at 21? What's the significance of that age? If you want to redefine adulthood based on scientific studies of the brain, that's fine, I'd have no argument if the legal adulthood age was raised to 25 (although I can imagine tons of outrage if something like that happened). But I see nothing special about the drinking age to the point where it needs to be higher than everything else.

 

[Jolene]

Making the drinking age 21 makes absolutely zero sense. The argument that the brain isn't fully developed at 18 doesn't really justify that at all, using drugs requires no more maturity than smoking, voting, joining the military, and all of the other adult activities that are granted at age 18. Also, those studies say that the brain stops developing around 25. So why put it at 21? What's the significance of that age? If you want to redefine adulthood based on scientific studies of the brain, that's fine, I'd have no argument if the legal adulthood age was raised to 25 (although I can imagine tons of outrage if something like that happened). But I see nothing special about the drinking age to the point where it needs to be higher than everything else.

My non-scientific explanation is that 21/3 = 7. Seven is God's number. So there.

In all seriousness even if the drinking age was abolished nothing will really change. No parent in their right mind would let their 10 year old drink. People who don't drink will continue not to drink. Sixteen year olds experimenting would be easier but that's about it. It all comes down to the parenting.

 

[dig]

I think it shopped be dropped to sixteen, with every bottle, every box, every can showing similar cautionary warnings about the dangers of alcohol abuse as they currently do for tobacco.

If you can get married and have a kid, you can have a bear. 18 is a bit of a ridiculous wait considering almost every teen will experiment with alcohol before then, and 21 is beyond stupid.

 

[Alexey]

I quit when I was 18

Drinking age, whatever it is, is not a sufficient measure to reduce alcohol consumption among minors. You always need a system of complementary measures
Nuff said

----
Also, the map is inaccurate, Russia technically doesn't have a drinking age at all, selling alcohol to minors (those under 18 years or age) and/or encouraging them to drink is what is outlawed. Sale of alcohol to minors is an administrative offence when it's done for the first time, and a crime if it's done again within 180 days after the first offence

 

[DerMißingno]

If you can get married and have a kid, you can have a bear.

Coincidentally, having a beer could lead to getting married and having a kid (or at least having a kid)

Also, the map is inaccurate, Russia technically doesn't have a drinking age at all, selling alcohol to minors (those under 18 years or age) and/or encouraging them to drink is what is outlawed. Sale of alcohol to minors is an administrative offence when it's done for the first time, and a crime if it's done again within 180 days after the first offence

The wikipedia article is more accurate, I don't know what the criteria is for listing it as 18 on the map. It is more complicated than just being legal, so they had to list it as something for the map. And I had to show some map because maps are cool.

 

[Lyrebird]

I think it shopped be dropped to sixteen, with every bottle, every box, every can showing similar cautionary warnings about the dangers of alcohol abuse as they currently do for tobacco.

If you can get married and have a kid, you can have a bear. 18 is a bit of a ridiculous wait considering almost every teen will experiment with alcohol before then, and 21 is beyond stupid.

I want this bear you speak of.

Herr is it 18 and by then you drank enough alcohol, so it doesn't matter. 21 is a bit too much due to the fact that a lot of people are in college and that a lot of drinking happens then. There is an increased chance of binge drinking then than at age 18. I will explain in detail later.

 

[ocelotlrama jaguar]

They'll never ban alcohol in the US. Read up on prohibition and see how well that worked.

Meh, a guy or gal getting wasted at 18 is no concern of mine. I guess I could argue that they are not mature enough to handle the stuff, but then again, there are a lot of idiot 40 year olds who can't handle it responsibly, either. Funny how 18-year-olds can fight in a war but they can't have any alcohol. I say, lower the age limit to 18, dammit. They're adults. They don't need a nanny holding their hands making their decisions for them, especially since other countries prove otherwise.

 

[CrackFox]

The issue really is how old you have to be to buy it and drink it in public places. I started drinking at home when I was 15. Wasn't a big deal or anything, just some alcopops with friends at social gatherings round my house and that at the time (might have changed now) was totally fine and legal. You could even drink from a much younger age than that in your own home.

The age you have to be to buy alcohol can vary depending on where you are buying it from. Most places will let you buy it at 18 providing you have ID but some places say 21. If you don't have ID it's potluck whether you'll be served or not. In most supermarkets you have to look at least 25 before they will consider selling you alcohol without a form of ID.

I guess it's very hard to police and kids who look older than their years will be able to buy alcohol sometimes, providing they get a certain type of person serving them.

I'd say 16ish would fine to start occassionally drinking in a social capacity if we're talking about health. On the other hand it's best that the law keeps the 18, 21 rule as a guideline but as I mentioned already, people younger than that can/often do find a way to get drunk/be supplied alcohol anyway. It's just too hard to police in this country with the various rules and stipulations.

 

[Fig]

No parent in their right mind would let their 10 year old drink.

Depend the drink, depend the circumstances. Offering a half-glass of wine on particular occasions at 10-11-12 is something I could see lots of parents doing here.

And of course, yeah, our "drinking" age is more of a "sell alcohol to" age.

My point o view is that it's probably better to have them discover alcohol and do their getting wasted before they learn to drive, not after they learn to drive. That way a lot of kids will have gotten over the CHUGCHUGCHUG phase by the time they get get their metal death monster and start hurling it at people.

 

[Rainami]

america why do you betray me

for reasons already stated in this thread I think it should drop a bit

 

[Rainbow Cloud]

The drinking age is 18 here in the UK and I think it's about right.

There will always be a minority of people who abuse alcohol regardless of the legal age in which it can be bought. Banning it completely would just annoy the law abiding moderate drinkers and push the addicts underground into the hands of criminals. Governments can regulate and tax the alcohol industry because it's legal.

 

[lavachickens]

In Ireland it's more of a "you can buy alcohol" age. We're able to drink at any age once we get parental consent to do so.

I've no real problems with the age here, though. I can see why it's at 18 and it's honestly better at 18. I dislike the idea of underage drinking a lot.

 

[lovandra]

Iirc the 'buy drink' age here is 21.

But since this is majority muslem country, which considering any kind of alcohol is 'haram' *even for health treatment*, I rarely can find alcohol on regular mini mart. And we have new rule that restrict alcohol selling now iirc. I'm not a regular drinker *geting red easily :3* but this whole idea is still sound silly for me. But I try my best to respect it..

 

[Jolene]

On a non-serious note I found this and thought of this thread:

Spoiler

 

[dig]

I'd lump Scotland in with Ireland in the above image.

 

[Krash]

In Canada it's 19 for the majority of provinces, and 18 for the minority. People still get alcohol at an earlier age (I started when I was 14), so really, it's simply the matter of legal age of purchase. Yes, consumption is still illegal under the age of majority, but it's much harder to enforce. Ukraine it's 18 as well (I was bummed when I moved and had to wait another year).

 

[xXMelanie_HimeXx]

Drinking is not something I enjoy very much. I don't like the idea of putting something harmful into my body. But if people want to drink then that's fine. Is the drinking age in the U.S 21 because Americans are less responsible than drinkers of other countries?

 

[Jolene]

Drinking is not something I enjoy very much. I don't like the idea of putting something harmful into my body. But if people want to drink then that's fine. Is the drinking age in the U.S 21 because Americans are less responsible than drinkers of other countries?

I'd say it's more a symptom of social conservatism. They think that legislating morality works. "If we keep the drinking age at 21 nobody under 21 will drink."

So far it hasn't worked.