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Lower U.S. drinking age from 21 to 18?
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Author:  Valisk [ Tue Mar 22, 2005 9:45 am ]
Post subject:  Lower U.S. drinking age from 21 to 18?
Seeing as this is Teh IRL Boards and we are all real people with real brians (I would hope) I thought I should get some comments and opinions on this topic. I have to write a 3000 word research paper for ENGL 1302. So what do u guys think about this topic? Should the U.S. drinking age be lowered to 18? Explain why are why not if u want. A comment, opinion, suggestion, something intelligent would be greatly appreciated.
Author:  Pirato [ Tue Mar 22, 2005 9:52 am ]
Post subject: 
It's officially 18 where I live, but most shops allow kids to buy alcohol when they look 18. Don't know about US but here age rarely gets controlled.
In my opinion 18 is old enough to drink.
Author:  Ketrebu [ Tue Mar 22, 2005 10:03 am ]
Post subject: 
18 is the legal drinking age here in England.
17 is the legal driving age.
16 is the legal sex age.

lol...
Author:  Theterk [ Tue Mar 22, 2005 10:35 am ]
Post subject: 
Ketrebu wrote:
18 is the legal drinking age here in England.
17 is the legal driving age.
16 is the legal sex age.

lol...
kids must be much more mature on the other side of the ocean! 21 is an age where the average person begins to finally understand what "responcibility" is. If I was a senior in highschool and could legally drink, you could bet money that i was going to go drink and do crazy S??T and die. keep the age 21
Author:  Matti [ Tue Mar 22, 2005 10:40 am ]
Post subject: 
I never understood the fascination with drinking. I said 'no' because I don't think that most 18 year olds could handle that kind of thing. With it illegal they at least have to sneak around to do it. If it were legal some would go too far. I'm not saying that everyone aged 18 and below is retarded and irresponsible but there is always someone that ruins it for everyone.
Author:  Iolanthe [ Tue Mar 22, 2005 11:23 am ]
Post subject: 
The legal drinking age is 18 in some provinces here but, 19 in mine...funny thing is I did most of my drinking before it was even legal. I would go to a house party every weekend and sneak liquor to school in a thermos and even landed myself a spot in the hospital for a night with alcohol poisoning when I was 14. For some reason, though, by the time I turned 21 I had no real urge to drink anymore, which I am thankful for. What I'm trying to say is~Regardless of legal drinking age, aren't most kids going to get their hands on the stuff anyway? :?
Author:  Parade [ Tue Mar 22, 2005 12:20 pm ]
Post subject: 
i just think its stupid (i remember this comment from vivitis birthday thread) when your 18 your old enough to drive, have sex, and see boobies, but your not old enough to drink?... then again i really dont want to have 18 yearold drunks on the streets when i start driving.
Author:  Matti [ Tue Mar 22, 2005 12:30 pm ]
Post subject: 
Why do people keep mentioning sex? It's not illegal to have sex before a certian age as far as I know. It is, however, illegal for someone over consenting age to have sex with a minor...

In Texas that age is 17 unless they are your spouse. No mention of two minors engaging in sexual cantact...

p.s. Homosexual acts are illegal in texas and considered a class C misdemeanor...
Author:  Parade [ Tue Mar 22, 2005 12:34 pm ]
Post subject: 
Matti wrote:
p.s. Homosexual acts are illegal in texas...


i dont think there is any question as to why that is either -.-
Author:  Matti [ Tue Mar 22, 2005 12:42 pm ]
Post subject: 
ike wrote:
Matti wrote:
p.s. Homosexual acts are illegal in texas...


i dont think there is any question as to why that is either -.-


Are you homofobic?

Back on topic!

I might offend some people with this but it's the truth. Although I don't see any reason to lower the legal drinking age, I do think that parents should be responsible for their children! Laws are not set in place to directly keep people from doing thing (That would require an ass load of man power) but are their to set boundries. If children are able to get ahold of alcohol before the legal age that is the fault of the parent NOT the fault of the system. You can't rely on the laws to raise your kids...
Author:  Valisk [ Tue Mar 22, 2005 2:08 pm ]
Post subject: 
My argument is at age 18 in the US, you can be drafted (protect ur country in a time of war), vote, sign legal contracts, etc. etc. And we cant have a damn beer? I mean even if u are 21 and over, u still have to drink responsibly. You can still be arrested for publin intoxication no matter how old u are. I am not saying let 18 year olds run wild drunk in the streets, cuz 21+ cant even do that. I am just saying if u want to treat 18 year olds like adults, u should give them full adult responsibility, including the right to consume alcohol. I will be 21 next year, but this is still an important issue, to me anyways.
Author:  fallenseraph [ Tue Mar 22, 2005 2:08 pm ]
Post subject: 
Matti wrote:
p.s. Homosexual acts are illegal in texas and considered a class C misdemeanor...


Actually Matti, this was overturned about 2 years ago and it was deemed that it was an invasion of privacy to enforce laws prohibiting the act of Sodomy.

Back in topic on the age of legal drinking, this has been teh debate for years. There have arguments about whether to lower the age from 21 to 18 becuase there are several valid points to it. One being, "If your old enough to go to war you should be old enough to drink." True but in a sense it is just another ploy to allow lower age drinking. This is what happened for the smoking industry. At one time the legal age of purchasing cigarrettes was 21 and lobbyists pushed for it to be lowered (the power of money at work.)

Another reason that the age of drinking has not been lowered is by lower the age of drinking it would allow the access of alcohol to more people which would benefit big business but it would jepordize the safety of drivers across the nation. By allowing more people drink legally it possibly increase the risk of more DUIs on the road.

IMO I believe lowering the drinking age is a bad idea but others might seem to think not. /endrant
Author:  Galindar [ Tue Mar 22, 2005 2:09 pm ]
Post subject: 
If your old enough to die for your country, then you should be old enough to have a beer for your contry. Do I think 18 year olds in highschool should be able to buy beer....no, I don't. But you have to have a yes or no on a law, and based on being able to die for your counrty, then 18 should be the legal age. If the drinking age was lowered to 18, there would be a lot of problems at first, then after a while, I think it would settle down. Look at other countries with the drinking age at 18, do they have the problems we do. No. Things would need to be changed, like better public transportation. Asides from cabs, there isn't other choices at 2 am. Most people would risk the DUI then paying 30-40 bucks on a cab ride. Basically, it all comes down to the person. If they are going to drink and be irresposible at 18, then they will be later on, unless they chage. There is nothing wrong with drinking, if you do it reasonably.


p.s. I am gonna go home and have a beer after work....cause I can.
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Author:  Matti [ Tue Mar 22, 2005 2:10 pm ]
Post subject: 
fallenseraph wrote:
Matti wrote:
p.s. Homosexual acts are illegal in texas and considered a class C misdemeanor...


Actually Matti, this was overturned about 2 years ago and it was deemed that it was an invasion of privacy to enforce laws prohibiting the act of Sodomy.


Quote:
ยง21.06. Homosexual conduct.

(a) A person commits an offense if he engages in deviate sexual intercourse with another individual of the same sex.

(b) An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor.


Taken from here.
Author:  fallenseraph [ Tue Mar 22, 2005 2:20 pm ]
Post subject: 
This goes to show you how much Texas really hates the idea of same sex couples.

I need to find the case number while I'm at work to show the sodomy laws were repealed.
Author:  Parade [ Tue Mar 22, 2005 2:24 pm ]
Post subject: 
speaking of retarted laws, w/e happened to the law that said if your underwear was showing you could be fined. i cant find it
Author:  Galindar [ Tue Mar 22, 2005 2:25 pm ]
Post subject: 
This thread turned ghey pretty quick.
No pun intended. :lol:
Author:  fallenseraph [ Tue Mar 22, 2005 2:30 pm ]
Post subject: 
http://www.lambdalegal.org/sections/lib ... wrence.pdf

This is the decision handed down by the Court of Appeals stating that while the two men violated the sodomy law in trial, the decision made by the court find that the privacy was intruded upon and such laws would be repealed.
Author:  Caduceus [ Tue Mar 22, 2005 2:49 pm ]
Post subject: 
Kids already seek illegal means to get wasted at ages younger than 18. If a parent introduced their kids to alcohol while they were still at home then it might be possible to actual try to teach them responsible drinking instead of kids having to learn about it on their own, which is the norm now a days. Seriously, lowering the drinking age doesn't promote irresonsibility, rather I would hope it spur people more to take the initiative to remove the mysteries about drinking for kids. Theres some people I know in college that still treat alcohol like some mysterious substance.
Author:  Kametatsu [ Tue Mar 22, 2005 4:10 pm ]
Post subject: 
Where I live (Canada) the legal drinking age is 19. I barely even drank before I turned 19, though I admit I did a little.

Quite frankly, I'm only 20 now, and the appeal and thrill of going to the bars is long since lost. While I do of course go out to the bar now and again, I rarely do.

I agree with the drinking age being 19 where I am, because by the time you're 19, you're going to be done high school, and hopefully in the working world, or in College/University. These two parts of life ideally teach responsibility pretty quick, and it is to be hoped that this learned responsibility carries over into your drinking choices.

So in conclusion... I really don't know, everyone matures at a different rate, so it's pretty hard to gauge when would be a good age to set legal drinking at.
Author:  Ravern [ Tue Mar 22, 2005 4:28 pm ]
Post subject: 
There is something about consumption laws being different then purchase laws. I thought there was some kind of private residence thing that people under 21 could drink, with the owner's of residence being over...like...23, and parental consent, if applicable.
Author:  arlania [ Tue Mar 22, 2005 4:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Lower U.S. drinking age from 21 to 18?
Valisk wrote:
Seeing as this is Teh IRL Boards and we are all real people with real brians (I would hope)



I have a real brain.... but I dont know about Brians.. I have a friend thats named Brian. I guess he is real. :wink:
Author:  Tooyooo [ Tue Mar 22, 2005 5:03 pm ]
Post subject: 
I am 23 right now, and I went to college at 18 (like an average aged student)....

And i have to say: I definitley drank more alcohol between 18-20 than I ever did for the rest of my life. The funny thing was I didn't even drink on my 21st bday, was pointless to, haha.

Yeah, so 21 as drinking age? just useless... notch it down to 18 so kids don't need to keep getting fake IDs. :lol:
Author:  Ponuh [ Tue Mar 22, 2005 6:14 pm ]
Post subject: 
ike wrote:
i just think its stupid (i remember this comment from vivitis birthday thread) when your 18 your old enough to drive, have sex, and see boobies, but your not old enough to drink?... then again i really dont want to have 18 yearold drunks on the streets when i start driving.


Expanding on that...

I voted "no" although I do think the DRAFTING age for the US military and the drinking age/voting age should ALL match up. If that means all at 21 or all at 18, either way, if you can die for your country against your will you should be able to have a drink. But an 18 year old is pretty damn stupid with his substances, though.
Author:  zippy [ Tue Mar 22, 2005 6:20 pm ]
Post subject: 
i am 18, i drink once a week or so. I know when to quit. :wink:

"Liquor b4 beer never fear, beer b4 liquor never sicker"

If a adult (18) wants booze there is nothing you can do to sotp that person they always find a way of getting it..

i say keep it at 21. You may be thinking "HUH?!!1!" after what i just said.

Think about it there is alredy people drinking at 18 and some people who really wait till 21. if you lower the age there will be more drunk drivers then there is now. :roll:

If you understand me, good for you. If you dont Oh well. :P
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