Legal beers at 18? Debate on lower drinking age bubbling up

RTO · Post by **RTO** » August 14th, 2007, 11:01 pm

Proponents say current restriction drives teen alcohol use underground

A quiet movement to lower the legal drinking age to 18 is taking root in many communities.

Over the strong objection of federal safety officials, a quiet movement to lower the legal drinking age to 18 is taking root as advocates argue that teenagers who are allowed to vote and fight for their country should also be able to enjoy a beer or two.

The proposal, which is the subject of a national petition drive by the National Youth Rights Association, has been studied in a handful of states in recent years, including Florida, Wisconsin, Vermont and Missouri, where supporters are pushing a ballot initiative.

Opponents of the idea point to a reported rise in binge drinking as teenagers increasingly turn to hard liquor as proof that minors should not be allowed to drink, but proponents look at the same data and draw the opposite conclusion.

â€œRaising the drinking age to 21 was passed with the very best of intentions, but itâ€™s had the very worst of outcomes,â€

Darksaga · Post by **Darksaga** » August 14th, 2007, 11:29 pm

Until about 1997 is was legal to drink at Camp Pendelton at the age of 18.

What happened was a LCpl (E-3) got hammered and got on the freeway. He hit the trailer of an SUV flipping that SUV. The family inside was the daughter of a retired Marine Major (Mustang). The Major was good friends with the Commandant at that time. They served together in Vietnam and the Commandants father even pinned on the Majors battlefield commission. Subsequently the drinking age was raised to 21.

I feel the aforementioned is a good example of why the drinking age needs to stay 21. Too many people do not take the responsibility that comes with drinking seriously.

B 2/75 · Post by **B 2/75** » August 15th, 2007, 1:49 am

Interestingly, in most of Europe where there is no legal drinking age, there is very little problem with binge drinking.

Kids grow up with alcohol, so there is no fascination with getting blitzed and then puking on your date's tits while dancing.

Also, it is so hard to get into university over there that essentially NOBODY acts like American idiot youth do. They study, learn, and get their degree.

Interesting how only in America do we consider sports a part of the education process, and consider frats to be an important part of socialization.

Flesh Thorn · Post by **Flesh Thorn** » August 15th, 2007, 5:07 am

Darksaga wrote:
I feel the aforementioned is a good example of why the drinking age needs to stay 21. Too many people do not take the responsibility that comes with drinking seriously.

This sounds just like gun control justification. How many 18-21 year olds can not drink if they so desire? It is a bull shit feel good law kind of like the liberal's assault weapons ban.

DocMac · Post by **DocMac** » August 15th, 2007, 5:26 am

As much as a joke of the 21 law is, I actually agree with it (kinda). I had the unfortunate consequence of deciding to go to fucking yuppie law-law land as a decision when I was in the box, biggest snowboard club in the country= most pussified mommy-daddy funded fucks (hey it was hot and I wanted snow). The 21 yr. old law makes sense for civilians because their fear of getting caught teaches them the consequences of their actions (be it the BS legal or mommy finding out that her princess is...) the continuing deaths from alcohol poisoning here show that. Yet those who have been deployed PROVED that they understand true consequences and EARNED the rights of an adult. It pisses me off that when we got back to the states I couldn't have the honor of buying a round for my squad because a few of them were not "mature" enough to have a beer.
Rangers, I apologize for my rant, but these college "kids" have been driving me up the walls with their fucking correlation between age and an understanding of consequences.

Flesh Thorn · Post by **Flesh Thorn** » August 15th, 2007, 5:43 am

DocMac wrote:As much as a joke of the 21 law is, I actually agree with it (kinda). The 21 yr. old law makes sense for civilians because their fear of getting caught teaches them the consequences of their actions (be it the BS legal or mommy finding out that her princess is...) the continuing deaths from alcohol poisoning here show that.

As B 2/75 stated, in countries where there is a lower drinking age or none at all there appears to be fewer problems. A while back I saw a special comparing US colleges and Canadian colleges. Canadian colleges do not have the problems with binge drinking as we do here and the legal drinking age is 18 to 19 depending on where you are.

ANGRYCivilian · Post by **ANGRYCivilian** » August 15th, 2007, 5:51 am

We could drink at Bliss at 18. It was an effort to keep us out of Juarez.

CatFish Driver · Post by **CatFish Driver** » August 15th, 2007, 7:50 am

In Europe where there is no age set for drinking, the age to start driving is 18 or higher in almost all countries. It is also an expensive venture to drive with mandatory lessons, etc.

I think the age limit was raised here to 21 not to curb underage drinking, but underage drinking and driving.

Any high school kid can get ahold of alcohol if they want it bad enough. So having the drinking age at 21 serves no purpose there. I think the drinking age should be lowered back to 18, but there needs to be some form of late-night public transportation to get all the drunkasses from the bar back to their dorms/barracks/houses.

Nomad · Post by **Nomad** » August 15th, 2007, 10:56 am

B 2/75 wrote:Interestingly, in most of Europe where there is no legal drinking age, there is very little problem with binge drinking.

Kids grow up with alcohol, so there is no fascination with getting blitzed and then puking on your date's tits while dancing.

Also, it is so hard to get into university over there that essentially NOBODY acts like American idiot youth do. They study, learn, and get their degree.

Interesting how only in America do we consider sports a part of the education process, and consider frats to be an important part of socialization.

The fact alone that you cannot drive until you are 18, that your license will cost you $2000+ and that DUI means your done for a while if you're in your probationary period (3 years, I think) makes for a good deterrent.

Of course people are going to go out, get bent, drive, kill people. It happens. Happened to me and my family, but I don't feel that it is reflective of the majority of Germany's drivers.

Nothing is ever going to be perfect and lowering the drinking age to 18 is not going to make things worse. It might actually improve them. Educate people on the risks and let them take responsibility for their own actions.

Deadpool · Post by **Deadpool** » August 15th, 2007, 12:50 pm

Drive, fuck, get abortions, smoke, join the military, or vote but for chrissake don't drink!

Darksaga · Post by **Darksaga** » August 15th, 2007, 5:26 pm

I also think part of the issue is the party atmosphere that the marketing around alcohol promotes. At best we see a token drink responsibly half way through Monday Night Football.

Rugger · Post by **Rugger** » August 15th, 2007, 7:38 pm

It should be 18. We are never going to keep someone from drinking or doing any kind of drug. If you can serve you should be able to have a beer.

Bugsy · Post by **Bugsy** » August 15th, 2007, 10:03 pm

Its interesting that these issues always materialize durning lengthy wartime era's. During the Vietnam war era the same argument was made and obviously the age limit dropped.

I believe regardless of the possible hornets nest that may occur if and when bills get passed that lowers the drinking age, if you are old enough to fight, kill and possibly die for your GOVERNMENT LEGALLY, then the GOVERNMENT should at a least allow you to legally have a drink.

FIST TEAM LTR · Post by **FIST TEAM LTR** » August 16th, 2007, 7:25 am

It was 18 here forever, then 21 yrs for hard liquor. I rememeber drinking on post when I was 17. I think the difference was back then we (young drinking,driving,sign shooting bored country boys) policed our own people and watched out for each other closer. I't s all fun and games until you shoot the passengers side mirror off your Dad's truck.

bulldogg · Post by **bulldogg** » August 21st, 2007, 12:00 am

The age restrictions are a joke. Prohibition whether blanket measures or age targetted will not work. This is a family matter and is best left to the parents to take responsibil... oh wait, never fucking mind I forgot who we were talking about. Fuck it, ban it all, legislate every god damned thing since people want to all be wards of the state. Let Rep. Mommy and Sen. Daddy tell you what to do and take away all responsibility for everything in your life... now, isn't that wonderful?