Poll of the Day > How do you feel about the legal drinking age being 21?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Many people think the US policy of making it illegal to drink alcohol before you're 21 is stupid because most teenagers will get their hands on it anyway. However, I think it makes sense because major areas of the brain are still developing. What do you think?
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Tails 64 posted...

What do you think?

It's 18 over here and as far as I'm concerned at 18 you're a adult so should be free to make your own choices. I've always found the law on age restricted things to be silly anyway. I mean you can join the army, have sex and even start a family at 16 over here but you can't drive, drink or even smoke. It's even more silly in USA when you can do all those things at 18(I believe) but can't drink alcohol.
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wwinterj25 posted...

can do all those things at 18

Depends on the state.

If your brain isn't developed enough for alcohol then how the hell is it developed enough to make a decision that can potentially end your life, disfigure you, or give you severe ptsd?

What's worse is all those "army strong" commercials that glorified joining the military. Ppl say they want to end war and that wars bad... Then why not make military commercials that show people's arms getting blown off and brain goo shooting out of their heads onto their childhood friends face? Then show a clip of their parents or child's reaction when they get the news that their son/daughter/mom/dad died for a worthless cause all because "joining the army makes you cool"

I mean shit, even cigarettes have those "this could happen to you if you smoke" adverts. Alcohol gets drunk driving commercials, etc.

There are going to be underage drinkers no matter what the legal age is. If studies show that it can hurt the developing brain (<21 YO), I've gotta agree with it and any laws that come from it.
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I think it should be 18.
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If it can be maintained and managed 21 is the way to go in my opinion.

However it cannot be managed so it doesn't really matter anyway.

Usually it is a legal selling age and only a legal drinking age in public due to possible complications.

No one's going to arrest a parent or someone like that for handing a beer to their child at home.

And I know I'm weird since I was against the recent shift in Dutch law (beer and wine at 16, liquor at 18 to all alcohol at 18) because of other age restrictions. I always thought it was brilliant one was legally allowed to figure out what alcohol does to them, before ever being allowed to drive a car. Then alcohol was completely bumped to 18 and driving lessons are slowly being shifted to 16...
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There should be none, or 18.

Reason for that being literally no kid ever drank less because it was "illegal". They drink more because it's illegal.

Also, 18 = adult.

I maintain the biggest issue is the fact that you can join the army and die 3 years before you can have a beer.
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Alcohol tastes like shit anyways so bump the age up to 65 for all I care.
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gravy posted...

If your brain isn't developed enough for alcohol then how the hell is it developed enough to make a decision that can potentially end your life, disfigure you, or give you severe ptsd?

What's worse is all those "army strong" commercials that glorified joining the military. Ppl say they want to end war and that wars bad... Then why not make military commercials that show people's arms getting blown off and brain goo shooting out of their heads onto their childhood friends face? Then show a clip of their parents or child's reaction when they get the news that their son/daughter/mom/dad died for a worthless cause all because "joining the army makes you cool"

I mean shit, even cigarettes have those "this could happen to you if you smoke" adverts. Alcohol gets drunk driving commercials, etc.

Someone needs to take a class in marketing.


jamieyello3 posted...

There should be none, or 18.

Reason for that being literally no kid ever drank less because it was "illegal". They drink more because it's illegal.

Also, 18 = adult.

Of course kids drank less because it was illegal, if not solely for the fact they couldn't get their hands on it.

Muffinz0rz posted...

I maintain the biggest issue is the fact that you can join the army and die 3 years before you can have a beer.

That's why it's generally an open secret that generally no one stops you if you're getting plastered at a friends house or even in the barracks.

jsb0714 posted...

Alcohol tastes like shit anyways so bump the age up to 65 for all I care.

Almost no one drinks it for the taste.

Inb4 sunny coming and saying he does.

Cacciato posted...

Of course kids drank less because it was illegal, if not solely for the fact they couldn't get their hands on it.

There was never a point in my life where I couldn't have opened the fridge and chugged a bud light, and then not get away with it.

jamieyello3 posted...

Cacciato posted...

Of course kids drank less because it was illegal, if not solely for the fact they couldn't get their hands on it.

There was never a point in my life where I couldn't have opened the fridge and chugged a bud light, and then not get away with it.

Oh good, I guess since you always had access it means everyone did.

If they go by the brain development reasoning, then wouldn't it really need to be 25 or 26? I think I've even heard that being proposed, but I don't think it has gotten any serious traction.

We'd probably just be better off with it being 18 since a lot of kids are drinking it by that age anyways. I tended to get a lot drunker on average when I was underage, but is that a maturity thing, or are there other factors? Maybe people go harder because the stigma makes it seem cooler. It's easy to overdo it at a party compared to a bar where you are in public and know far fewer people there.

DorkLink posted...

I tended to get a lot drunker on average when I was underage, but is that a maturity thing, or are there other factors?

Perhaps it's just your tolerance for alcohol. Some folk I know get drunk really quick and they are in their early 20's. Hell I've had my moments.
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Joining the military, drinking, smoking, and sex should all the the same age.
I don't care what it is since I'm able to do all of them already.

I think it's fine and doesn't need to be changed.
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Cacciato posted...

Muffinz0rz posted...

I maintain the biggest issue is the fact that you can join the army and die 3 years before you can have a beer.

That's why it's generally an open secret that generally no one stops you if you're getting plastered at a friends house or even in the barracks.

jsb0714 posted...

Alcohol tastes like shit anyways so bump the age up to 65 for all I care.

Almost no one drinks it for the taste.

Inb4 sunny coming and saying he does.

Well beer tastes fine granted when I first started drinking it was definitely just to get drunk. Hard alcohol on the other hand... I always find it a bit annoying when people say something like vodka tastes good because that's simply a load of crap.
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Cacciato posted...

Almost no one drinks it for the taste.

This mentality bugs me. I mean based on that this means you'll drink any alcohol you can get your hands on and you would drink a pint that tastes like shit. Getting drunk is part of the process of drinking alcohol(if you drink too much) but personally I drink because I like the taste of whatever I'm drinking. Hence why I have a go to on my preference when it comes to alcohol.
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To add on to my point about going to parties vs. bars, I think underage drinking just ends up encouraging binge drinking. Obviously it's pretty easy to binge drink at a bar, but compare that to a restaurant that serves alcohol. Sometimes it's nice to just get a beer or two with your dinner. When you're of legal age, you can go to breweries and some give out a limited number of free samples. In college they had events with kegs and you could get a wristband worth a certain number of beers.


But with underage drinking, nobody is encouraged to learn responsible habits because it's the Wild West. And for me, a lot of my initial exposure was at big parties where of course they have almost nothing but shitty beer and cheap vodka and rum with simple mixers. That teaches people that alcohol isn't meant to be enjoyed for the taste, but consumed to get drunk. That's not to say I'd just get shitfaced at every part I went to, but I'm sure for many people who have poor self-control that's what they think you are supposed to do.

Fuck, I think the driving age should be 18

Nobody should drink
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It should be 25, which would greatly reduce the mortality rate. We also need far stricter controls, including restricting the point-of-consumption to the place of sale and forcing people to surrender their car keys before doing any drinking.

Tails 64 posted...

Many people think the US policy of making it illegal to drink alcohol before you're 21 is stupid because most teenagers will get their hands on it anyway.

Which is a terrible argument since it's effectively an argument against laws in general.
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Zeus posted...

including restricting the point-of-consumption to the place of sale

This doesn't make any sense at all. This is already a rule at bars and restaurants. So are you saying that people have to drink their alcohol at the liquor store/grocery? Or are you saying get rid of alcohol sales at stores altogether? Am I misunderstanding what you mean entirely? I'm not sure what benefit this is supposed to provide.

I think physical age is not enough for alcohol or sex. There needs to also be a mental age and determinable level of responsibility. However, seeing as how testing such a thing would prove problematic for various reasons--not the least of which being the resistance put up by 40-somethings with the mentality of middle school students at best--implementing this idea most likely won't happen as much as it needs to. Thus, people will drink once they're of legal age physically, if not earlier (note: I'm not condoning this), and shit will continue to happen as a result because people aren't responsible.
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DorkLink posted...

Zeus posted...

including restricting the point-of-consumption to the place of sale

This doesn't make any sense at all. This is already a rule at bars and restaurants. So are you saying that people have to drink their alcohol at the liquor store/grocery? Or are you saying get rid of alcohol sales at stores altogether? Am I misunderstanding what you mean entirely? I'm not sure what benefit this is supposed to provide.

I'm saying get rid of retail alcohol sales, thus restricting sales to places where consumption can be strictly monitored. This would mean no more liquor stores or selling in grocers, etc.

Entity13 posted...

I think physical age is not enough for alcohol or sex. There needs to also be a mental age and determinable level of responsibility.

Yes, although that's more a problem with sex than alcohol.
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Don't care. Drinking really shouldn't be encouraged so I say leave it be.
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Zeus posted...

Entity13 posted...

I think physical age is not enough for alcohol or sex. There needs to also be a mental age and determinable level of responsibility.

Yes, although that's more a problem with sex than alcohol.

I'm not arguing which is bigger, but I will say that comparing the Rockies to the Himalayas doesn't degrade any mountain's status as a mountain, ya know? Even if sex might be the greater case here, alcohol still is a case.
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Zeus posted...

I'm saying get rid of retail alcohol sales, thus restricting sales to places where consumption can be strictly monitored. This would mean no more liquor stores or selling in grocers, etc.

That would be lame. Stuff sold at restaurants and bars is at a huge price markup, so say goodbye to average people being able to enjoy nice booze

Zeus posted...

DorkLink posted...

Zeus posted...

including restricting the point-of-consumption to the place of sale

This doesn't make any sense at all. This is already a rule at bars and restaurants. So are you saying that people have to drink their alcohol at the liquor store/grocery? Or are you saying get rid of alcohol sales at stores altogether? Am I misunderstanding what you mean entirely? I'm not sure what benefit this is supposed to provide.

I'm saying get rid of retail alcohol sales, thus restricting sales to places where consumption can be strictly monitored. This would mean no more liquor stores or selling in grocers, etc.

Entity13 posted...

I think physical age is not enough for alcohol or sex. There needs to also be a mental age and determinable level of responsibility.

Yes, although that's more a problem with sex than alcohol.

Lol, he sounds like a dictator.

How conservative can one man become? Tune in for the next episode.
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Blame MADD, those old c**** are really the only reason that the age is currently 21.

WAH, MY SON OR DAUGHTER DIED IN A CAR ACCIDENT SO I AM GOING TO MAKE EVERYONE SUFFER!!!

Fucking bitches!!!
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DorkLink posted...

Zeus posted...

I'm saying get rid of retail alcohol sales, thus restricting sales to places where consumption can be strictly monitored. This would mean no more liquor stores or selling in grocers, etc.

That would be lame. Stuff sold at restaurants and bars is at a huge price markup, so say goodbye to average people being able to enjoy nice booze

The industry changes would inevitably change pricing models.

LifelessBoy posted...

Zeus posted...

DorkLink posted...

Zeus posted...

including restricting the point-of-consumption to the place of sale

This doesn't make any sense at all. This is already a rule at bars and restaurants. So are you saying that people have to drink their alcohol at the liquor store/grocery? Or are you saying get rid of alcohol sales at stores altogether? Am I misunderstanding what you mean entirely? I'm not sure what benefit this is supposed to provide.

I'm saying get rid of retail alcohol sales, thus restricting sales to places where consumption can be strictly monitored. This would mean no more liquor stores or selling in grocers, etc.

Lol, he sounds like a dictator.

How conservative can one man become? Tune in for the next episode.

It's nice that you can throw words around without apparently knowing what a dictatorship or conservatism actually means. It's doubly ironic when you consider that conservatives are the ones pushing for looser laws on alcohol and cigarettes. If not for conservatives, we probably would have had a ban on cigarettes in this country already and alcohol would have faced much heavier restrictions. Hell, earlier this year in NH, a conservative was pushing to rollback smoking rules so business owners could decide if somebody was allowed to smoke inside their business.
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I think it's good for the legal driving age to be very different from the legal drinking age. We don't need new drivers getting under the influence too.
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18 and parents should be able to educate their kids on responsible drinking much earlier without fear of CPS kicking down the door.
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SunWuKung420 posted...

18 and parents should be able to educate their kids on responsible drinking much earlier without fear of CPS kicking down the door.

Who the fuck learns responsibility from their parents?
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Dakooder posted...

Fuck, I think the driving age should be 18

as a person who didn't get their drivers license until 19, this. At least once a week I think to myself 'what the fuck they let 16 year olds drive?'
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Veedrock- posted...

SunWuKung420 posted...

18 and parents should be able to educate their kids on responsible drinking much earlier without fear of CPS kicking down the door.

Who the fuck learns responsibility from their parents?

People with good parents. It's rare nowadays.
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Drinking age should be before driving age. Let everyone get it out of the system. Besides, it's only "cool" because it's taboo. I grew up in a house where I could crack open a beer at 12 or 13 if I really wanted to, but I never did. It's less enticing when you're allowed.
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Dikitain posted...

Blame MADD, those old c**** are really the only reason that the age is currently 21.

WAH, MY SON OR DAUGHTER DIED IN A CAR ACCIDENT SO I AM GOING TO MAKE EVERYONE SUFFER!!!

Fucking bitches!!!

You seem to have a lot of anger towards parents that lost their children
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SunWuKung420 posted...

18 and parents should be able to educate their kids on responsible drinking much earlier without fear of CPS kicking down the door.

First off, that's kinda reckless parenting in general. Secondly, CPS doesn't just bust down doors like that.

SunWuKung420 posted...

Veedrock- posted...

SunWuKung420 posted...

18 and parents should be able to educate their kids on responsible drinking much earlier without fear of CPS kicking down the door.

Who the fuck learns responsibility from their parents?

People with good parents. It's rare nowadays.

If they were good parents, they wouldn't be encouraging you to drink in the first place. In fact, if they wanted to be a positive role model, they wouldn't be drinking themselves.

TheCyborgNinja posted...

Drinking age should be before driving age. Let everyone get it out of the system. Besides, it's only "cool" because it's taboo. I grew up in a house where I could crack open a beer at 12 or 13 if I really wanted to, but I never did. It's less enticing when you're allowed.

Besides the obvious issues with chemical addiction, that would do nothing to curb the appeal in many cases. In fact, it actively encourages alcoholism. Some of my relatives from the old country started drinking at the age of 8 and started their day with alcohol up until they died which, in some cases, was pretty fucking young because, believe it or not, alcohol consumption has dangers associated with it.

Mead posted...

Dikitain posted...

Blame MADD, those old c**** are really the only reason that the age is currently 21.

WAH, MY SON OR DAUGHTER DIED IN A CAR ACCIDENT SO I AM GOING TO MAKE EVERYONE SUFFER!!!

Fucking bitches!!!

You seem to have a lot of anger towards parents that lost their children

He's an angry person in general... but don't tell him I said that, I don't him to get even angrier.
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Mead posted...

Dikitain posted...

Blame MADD, those old c**** are really the only reason that the age is currently 21.

WAH, MY SON OR DAUGHTER DIED IN A CAR ACCIDENT SO I AM GOING TO MAKE EVERYONE SUFFER!!!

Fucking bitches!!!

You seem to have a lot of anger towards parents that lost their children

I have anger towards anybody that creates laws based on tragedies instead of actual needs.

Gun control supporters, the Patriot Act, Legal drinking age, you name it.
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Dikitain posted...

I have anger towards anybody that creates laws based on tragedies instead of actual needs.

Are the two mutually exclusive? Drunk driving is pretty much an epidemic in the US
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drinking should be 18
driving should be 21
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Mead posted...

Dikitain posted...

I have anger towards anybody that creates laws based on tragedies instead of actual needs.

Are the two mutually exclusive? Drunk driving is pretty much an epidemic in the US

Among other booze-related issues.
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It's 18 here. That's completely fine. It recognizes that alcohol is a considerable part of university culture and trying to prevent that age from drinking is completely pointless.
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Keeps teens in bars to a respectable minimum which is a plus.

faramir77 posted...

It's 18 here. That's completely fine. It recognizes that alcohol is a considerable part of university culture and trying to prevent that age from drinking is completely pointless.

Which is a silly argument, since 15 y/os frequently drink. Given that it's a part of their youth culture and hard to prevent, does that mean we should allow it? The fact that a country sucks at enforcing a law doesn't mean we should abandon the law, or we might as well get rid of laws regarding speeding and piracy.
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The legal drinking age could be 50+ and there would still be people that would use it in stupid ways.

DorkLink posted...

That would be lame. Stuff sold at restaurants and bars is at a huge price markup, so say goodbye to average people being able to enjoy nice booze

So it would be beneficial. Gotcha.
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