Americans Still Oppose Lowering the Drinking Age 74%-25%.

Let them drink when they're 18. They already do.

Pardon me, but what does joining the army have to do with being able to drink?

It is absurd that you can put your life on the line for your country but you can't drink a beer.

TC always got bestest stats threads regarding US =P

I turn 24 on the 6th, so really I don't care whether the drinking age is lowered or not, I can and already do drink. I can see both sides of the argument however.

Can't one use the same logic about ANYTHING that they "can't do"? Like, it's absurd that I can put my life on the line for my country, but I can't hire a hooker. Or, it's absurd that I can put my life on the line for my country, but I can't buy a whole bunch of crack.

Yeah I don't see the benefit in it being 21, youths from 16 upwards drink anyway.

Well every 18 year old should get the chance to hire a hooker and smoke some crack. The entire Marion Barry experience.

In the presence of parents or guardians, I don't think there needs to be a drinking age.

If kids learn about drinking from their parents, they'd be less inclined to be pressured into it by friends.

:|

Anyway, I agree. I don't see a need for a half way adult status. Either you can start smoking, drinking, and be inducted into the selective services all at 18, or all at 21.

Yeah, it's bullshit, but it's not exactly hard to find a way to drink if you want to.

I agree. For some reason people view this as the ultimate argument.

Also should be noted that a large number of people in the military don't "put their life on the line" while at work.

"Some people are just hypocrites, kids can go die for you abroad at 18 but can't drink a cold one at home."

So let's raise the age for joining the armed forces to 21. Problem solved.

No, not really. One is only illegal in certain situations. The other two are always illegal.

So I'm not really seeing the logic.

Either you're an adult at 18 or you're not. An age restriction at 21 suggests not.

I believe drinking age should be 18.

Why link adulthood with alcohol consumption?

@limpbizkit818: well not alcohol but making life decisions in general. Why is 21 the magic number with drinking but you are supposed to be legal adult at 18? Heck you have to be 21 to rent a car. Even then from 21-24 they tack on "underage" fee and limit types of cars u can rent.

Because it is.

Why is it that you are allowed to get a driver's license at 16 in most states and not 14? Because it's just the way it is.

@jasean79: well I understand limits. Just saying why are their limits and not just reach age of adulthood you get adult privileges. At 18 you can basically go off to war, sign your financial future away with a loan or contract, smoke, whatever but some things they hold back?

Great news

Basically it's because they don't think 18 year olds are responsible enough to use alcohol. Remember, drinking can cause serious harm to others if they decide to try to drive or just make terrible decisions in general, start fights, etc. Smoking does not have that immediate possibility of harming or killing someone else. With loans and smoking, they're only hurting themselves for the most part.

Not that I necessarily agree with the law, but I understand why alcohol would be treated differently, especially in the U.S. where the whole drinking culture is just to get smashed and do stupid shit.

@AutoPilotOn: Yeah, I don't know.

I think it's worth noting that one of the favorite pastimes of enlistees in the armed forces is drinking, so it's not like the age restriction is holding them back from doing so. Same with college kids. I mean, if you're under 21 and really want to drink that bad, it's not that hard to get a hold of alcohol. My family allowed me to drink at picnics at 18. I think most families are okay with it, as long as you're not driving afterwards. So, you can't go to clubs and bars and drink...big deal! Most of that's overrated anyway.

I drank more from ages 16-18 than I have 21 to 32 now. My parents just said never drink and drive or get in car with someone else who has.

Isn't it true that you can drink while serving in the armed forces? That argument always seems to crop up every time this thread is made.

The idea of a drinking age is stupid. I can understand a age requirement to buy alcohol. But an age requirement to drink it is pointless

For the record I think the opposite argument should be made, you should be 21 before you can legally sign up for the armed forces. Let young people gain a bit more life experience than the "incredibly realistic" view of the world that high school gives them before making a decision that can potentially get them killed for a country that so often screws the surviving veterans out of what they were promised when signing up.

In both cases, you're taking something illegal and arguing that it should be legal because "damnit, I should be able to do it if I can die for my country."

It's not as if drinking under the age of 21 is illegal JUST for people in the armed forces. Drinking under 21 is illegal for everyone. Just like how buying hookers is illegal for everyone, and smoking crack is illegal for everyone.

I'm not sure what your point is but either way if someone is old enough to serve their country, then that age should be the drinking age,

You can keep talking about it, but nothing is going to change my opinion on the matter.

The fact that you can't explain your position on the matter goes hand in hand with why nothing is going to change your opinion. That's a sign that you haven't really thought very hard about it, and aren't particularly willing to.

Again, WHY is it that being old enough to serve one's country entitles them to drink (or do other drugs, or hire a hooker, or anything else that's also currently illegal)? What exactly do the two things have to do with each other?

I'm indifferent, but it does make sense to lower it to age 18 though. Any lower than 18 is kind of pushing it.

It doesn't matter what the legal drinking age is, teenagers will always just have their legal drinking age buddies to get alcohol for them. And then they'll hop into a car and either end up in prison or probation, or they'll cleanse the gene pool by removing themselves from it; unfortunately the latter situation often ends with nasty collateral damage.

Lol hypocrites, probably half of the polled population was getting shitfaced daily/weekly at 18.

Seriously does no one else think that an 18 year old has no where near enough real world experience to make the decision to put their life on the line?

**** the idea of not being able to drink , we're letting kids go get killed without getting a taste of what real life is like.

I think it's fine the way it is.

I realize teenagers will drink anyway, but they also do burnouts in school parking lots, play the choking game, and laugh at dead baby jokes. Being a teenager is one of the best times growing up, but the worst to witness at listen to.

In fact, I wouldn't mind such a law where I live

What other distinction is there? If you're an adult at 18, what happens at 21?

They upped the drinking age in my country this year from 16 to 18, and the only thing that changed was that it was a bit less convenient to get alcohol as a 16-17 year old.

I think sometimes at 18 the only option is the military and raising that age to match the drinking age might not be beneficial to those seeking employment.

Lol, are you really asking this poll on a site that is mostly children? Of course they are going to want the drinking age lowered.

If people of that age aren't "mature" enough to purchase and consume alcohol, then they're certainly not prepared to fight for their country abroad.

Law>your opinion.

Laws can change.

The whole “I could die for my country at 18 so I should be able to drink at 18” reasoning for lowering the drinking age is bullshit in my opinion. For one thing, no matter how old you are if you are in a warzone you can’t drink anyway. For everybody who uses that excuse would you be opposed to allowing people under 21 drink if they show a military ID? Or would you be mad because you could no longer use the military reasoning for why the drinking age should be lowered?

A couple of things to consider: in the past it was estimated that most drunk drivers were between 16 and 20, which is probably a big reason it is 21. MADD especially pushed for the higher drinking age because of the amount of young drunk drivers Also, your brain continues to develop until you are 25 and you really shouldn’t be drinking before then. Military service can reasonably be done by somebody who is physically and mentally fit and your average 18-year old servicemember has a 20 or 30-something sergeant supervising them.

Honestly, I don’t care if people under 21 drink as long as they don’t drive. It is their body and as long as I don’t suffer for it they can do what they want. I just think they could come up with so many other reasons why the age should be lowered than the military since most people who use that excuse would never join anyway. Now, if the draft was reinstated then it would be reasonable to lower it but until then nobody forces you to enlist.

@airshocker: If you want to get technical civilians can buy hookers in certain Nevada counties as well as in countries prostitution is legal such as Germany but troops can't even where it is legal for everyone else because of UCMJ. Same thing with drugs, troops can't use them even where it is legal.

Whether or not 18 year olds would be willing to serve seems besides the main point of the military argument.

No, it's a sign that I don't believe your reasoning means anything with regards to this issue.

What is your point? Obviously some changes would have to be made to the UCMJ. This does not explain why a person can enlist at 18 but be unable to drink until they're 21. I can see the argument for drugs. I can't see it for alcohol.

Air is wise