Member of the Month

hi_vis360
November, 2024

Online

Welcome to the Newschoolers forums! You may read the forums as a guest, however you must be a registered member to post. Register to become a member today!

Should the drinking age be lowered?

profile picture
Skier1478
Posts: 188 - Karma: 68
Well, here we go at my 5th attempt at making a better than complete shit thread.
Inb4 Super shitty thread

Anyway,
I'm currently doing a research paper on this and wanted to know what the opinions of NSG are. Should  the US drinking age (21) be lowered to 18 (or lower, whatever your opinion is.) ?

Discuss.

Hopefully this won't turn into a Spiderman thread like last time.
Nov 12 2012 3:05PM
6 2
profile picture
GuacamoleMane
Posts: 1421 - Karma: 2,013
no
Nov 12 2012 3:06PM
0 0
profile picture
penguiin
Posts: 1444 - Karma: 561
no
Nov 12 2012 3:06PM
0 0
profile picture
TheBlueMtSkier
Posts: 909 - Karma: 42
19 or 20 so college freshmen still are reigned in a bit. It would be chaos if a frosh goes to college and is allowed to drink that same year.
Nov 12 2012 3:07PM
0 0
profile picture
CheddarJack
Posts: 5203 - Karma: 7,380
Hmmmmmmmm




No.
Nov 12 2012 3:07PM
0 0
profile picture
will_powder
Posts: 3194 - Karma: 5,445
18 rules. 19 blows. Moved from AB to BC, trust me it sucks.
Nov 12 2012 3:08PM
0 0
profile picture
theBearJew
Posts: 10951 - Karma: 15,633
Nope. And I think there is a multi page thread you can source for your research paper. Use google to find it.
Nov 12 2012 3:09PM
0 0
profile picture
RedEyeTheJedi
Posts: 443 - Karma: 30
It should be 18 if not 19.
Nov 12 2012 3:09PM
0 0
profile picture
GEORGEzimmerman
Posts: 1473 - Karma: 440
Europe seems to do fine with a lowered drinking age. i think we have just sheltered our youth to fucking much and now they abuse drinking when its their because they are immature little fucks and cant control themselves so no it shouldnt be lowered. Plus, the kids who know what they are doing and are mature enough to drink and handle themselves with alcohol will be able to get it before they are 21 so its all good.
Nov 12 2012 3:10PM
0 0
profile picture
Jblz
Posts: 556 - Karma: 206
yeah there would be too many fuckin freshmen at the bar it would be ass whooping time
Nov 12 2012 3:10PM
0 0
profile picture
cbj
Posts: 2114 - Karma: 1,136
Yeah then kids can legally destroy their livers
Nov 12 2012 3:10PM
0 0
profile picture
*simba*
Posts: 9125 - Karma: 511
If I can go overseas and fight for my country, I should be able to legally walk into a bar and buy myself a beer.
Nov 12 2012 3:12PM
0 0
profile picture
rzarector
Posts: 590 - Karma: 70
in america? fuck no.

in canada though I think the age should be 18 nationally. Manitoba, alberta and quebec seem to be doing fine.
however, I know the drinking age in ontario used to be 18 and it got upped to 19 in about 1978, so there must have been some good reason to make it older.
Nov 12 2012 3:13PM
0 0
profile picture
Amadeus.
Posts: 3050 - Karma: 382
It should be 18. I wouldnt have a problem with 21 if you became an adult at 21. then at least it makes more sense. Also whats the point of having a law the basically everybody breaks? its stupid.
Nov 12 2012 3:14PM
0 0
profile picture
penguiin
Posts: 1444 - Karma: 561
this is a good point

brings up another question, should the age limit for the army go up?
Nov 12 2012 3:15PM
0 0
profile picture
GEORGEzimmerman
Posts: 1473 - Karma: 440
thats a seperate thread bro
Nov 12 2012 3:16PM
0 0
profile picture
last_tango
Posts: 2635 - Karma: 2,665
The drinking age should be 18. Actually I believe in when your 14 you should drink a shit ton, vomit all over the place, and then go to school and work with a extremely bad hangover so your curiosity is killed right then and there.
Nov 12 2012 3:18PM
0 0
profile picture
rzarector
Posts: 590 - Karma: 70
most laws like these have been outdated by society.
Nov 12 2012 3:19PM
0 0
profile picture
Dirty_Bit
Posts: 389 - Karma: 38
No, 21 is a good age, deal with it
Nov 12 2012 3:19PM
0 0
profile picture
TheBlueMtSkier
Posts: 909 - Karma: 42
You've never heard that argument? It's like the most common rebuttal to this controversey....ever.
Nov 12 2012 3:20PM
0 0
profile picture
chicken
Posts: 6843 - Karma: 2,121
I come from a place where the drinking age is 18. I see no problems with having a lower drinking age. 19 might be better (it's 19 where I live now), just so kids aren't able to buy liquor for them/friends while in high school.

Then again most people started turning 18 right around the time of graduation, which is perfect.

I really don't get why you guys get all the responsibilities of adult life at 18, but not all of the rights...
Nov 12 2012 3:22PM
0 0
profile picture
fujarome
Posts: 8630 - Karma: 1,561
i like this idea. make it 18, but then make it compulsory that the day you turn 14, you can legally drink for 24 hours and that you must drink until you blackout. Then the next day you either have school, or a family trip.

No more problems would follow.


Nov 12 2012 3:22PM
0 0
profile picture
howlongcanausern
Posts: 4982 - Karma: 1,737
Sure, but raise the driving age to 21.

the low or no drinking age in Europe works because Europe has a fantastic public transportation system where people can get loaded and not drive home.
Nov 12 2012 3:26PM
0 0
profile picture
zakaroo
Posts: 751 - Karma: 37
yeah but its not gonna happen.
influx of drinking right after they changed it=drunk driving, more deaths, stupid teenagers
Nov 12 2012 3:26PM
0 0
profile picture
207
Posts: 8969 - Karma: 3,846
I've been to Europe and seen the positive effects of having a non-existent drinking age or a drinking age that is 16-18. Face it, there are a lot less Europeans abusing alcohol and getting blackout drunk on weekends to experiment and far more casual drinkers than there are in America.

Not to say I don't love getting shitfaced, but I think that the older drinking age is worse for America.
Nov 12 2012 3:27PM
0 0
profile picture
icon1234
Posts: 3081 - Karma: 1,475
Nope. Should cops not try as hard to ruin college kids having fun? Yes. But no keep the age where it is.
Nov 12 2012 3:32PM
0 0
profile picture
*simba*
Posts: 9125 - Karma: 511
First of all, you're like...15/16. You should not be getting shitfaced that young.

Second, am I the only one that doesn't like getting so drunk you can't function properly? I enjoy drinking, but casually. I'm not going to go to a party and drink cheap, shitty alcohol just so that I can vomit and have a nasty hangover the next day. I'd much rather sit around with some friends enjoying a few good beers.
Nov 12 2012 3:33PM
0 0
profile picture
Toaster-Tony
Posts: 3531 - Karma: 5,850
I'm 19 years old and feel the drinking age should, in no way, be lowered. I feel I'm pretty responsible when I drink but seeing some of my friends drink makes me think the few more years of maturity is actually worth something.
Nov 12 2012 3:34PM
0 0
profile picture
207
Posts: 8969 - Karma: 3,846
I'm 17 in two weeks, and that's not the dispute.
Nov 12 2012 3:38PM
0 0
profile picture
Miomo
Posts: 4302 - Karma: 14,133
Everyone drinks anyway. 18's good, although 19 seems better.
Nov 12 2012 3:39PM
0 0
profile picture
penguiin
Posts: 1444 - Karma: 561
yes, I've heard it plenty of times.

Nov 12 2012 3:39PM
0 0
profile picture
fujarome
Posts: 8630 - Karma: 1,561
I also believe that anyone who says "europeans drink more responsibly at a younger age" is basing this off a trip to europe with their family eating in restaurants.


Go hang around some pubs in london on a saturday/sunday afternoon, or a nightclub just about any night and try to tell me they're more responsible.


The reason it seems that way is you can get smashed or even a little buzzed, but you can take a train or bus home from just about anywhere.
Nov 12 2012 3:42PM
0 0
profile picture
act.resist
Posts: 8875 - Karma: 513
no, if it were about twenty years ago it would be a little different. but if they lowered the drinking age now it would be madness.
Nov 12 2012 3:44PM
0 0
profile picture
Skier1478
Posts: 188 - Karma: 68
Since the paper is on controversies, I decided this one would be interesting to choose, at the same time, I chose that it should be lowered just to learn a bit more about the facts/opinions from that side of the argument, this was one of the three main points that were discussed. Like how at 18, you could put yourself to spending a shit ton of money towards college, go overseas to fight in wars, vote, and yet you're not able to drink a beer with some friends. Another main point that was brought up was something like.. The people who are underage (I'd say mostly in the 15-20 range) don't drink as often, yet when they do drink, they drink a lot more than they think is safe because it's more goal-orientated to just get shitfaced. The binge drinking of the people underage is just as dangerous as the other factors.
In my own opinion, I feel like the people less than that age (I'd say around 14-16) should be able to drink in the company of their parents or people that would be responsible since they aren't around their friends who might want to just go ahead and binge drink.
Nov 12 2012 3:45PM
0 0
profile picture
Heart
Posts: 6156 - Karma: 3,462
I feel the same way. I like getting drunk to the point where im very social and having a great time, but not destroyed. I've got friends who get smashed every weekend and then get horrible hangovers the next day. meanwhile im plowing through work and getting stuff done while they struggle to get out of bed
Nov 12 2012 3:45PM
0 0
profile picture
Stickity
Posts: 7750 - Karma: 769
this. i turn 19 on friday and watching some of my friends get shitfaced is embarrassing. personally i prefer smoking because drinking makes me feel like i have to puke and i can function better when i'm high than when i'm drunk. i'm never out of control but how bad some people get definitely makes me think kids shouldn't be free to annihilate their livers fresh out of highschool.
Nov 12 2012 3:46PM
0 0
profile picture
proZach
Posts: 7163 - Karma: 919
no. brain is developing until age 21/22. although the law doesn't stop some people, it does for a great majority of others. might as develop your brain as much as you can
Nov 12 2012 3:47PM
0 0
profile picture
bustinthejus
Posts: 2419 - Karma: 74
And why's that? The rest of the world's frosh seem to be able to handle themselves fine...
Nov 12 2012 3:47PM
0 0
profile picture
Idahoskier420
Posts: 719 - Karma: 86
The European attitude is completely different from most Americans

What is the American mentality of drinking?
Put as much down as fast as possible.

Drunk driving is ok if you get away with it.

Overall alcohol seems to still be considered a guilty pleasure only people of a certain age, in certain places, at certain times can drink.

Lastly youth consumption of alcohol is already huge and most kids learn the pros and cons of drinking in high school or college.

Our cultural attitudes towards alcohol need to change before the drinking is lowered (those attitudes are the reason it was raised in the first place!)

Nov 12 2012 3:53PM
0 0
profile picture
rzarector
Posts: 590 - Karma: 70
I feel like alcohol the same way I do about illegal marijuanas. even though its illegal for people to have something, they will always get it if they want it.
I'm 17 and I have about a dozen friends with fakes, and some more friends who are legal that would buy me alcohol no problem anyways. Just because you can't legally buy something doesn't mean it is hard to come across. It's the exact same way with weed on a larger scale. people can't legally buy it or have it on them, but people do...all the time.
Nov 12 2012 3:53PM
0 0
profile picture
deleted5
Posts: 14507 - Karma: 13,507
I'm using Siri to type this out so I apologize if the wrong words show up when I say that but here's the deal with the drinking age you can't just lower it suddenly to 18 years old people are going to start drinking way too much and go crazy the first month that they have alcohol What they need to do is to make the drinking age 16 if you go through a lot of rigorous courses about drinking I will never forget the first time I was drinking I got a handle of Grey goose with four other people when I was 14 and I had about 12 shots because I didn't know anything about what was a lot of liquor and what wasn't If we educate people instead of making it some secret until you magically turn 21 or left to learn how to drink on your own That's where the problems start what people need to do is lower the drinking age give courses about it and make the laws stricter into you get older I can be more responsible with alcohol that's just my two cents
Nov 12 2012 3:55PM
0 0
profile picture
rzarector
Posts: 590 - Karma: 70
in conclusion, it doesn't matter what the drinking age is. underage kids will always drink if they want to. unless they set the drinking age unreasonably low like 8 or 9 or somethin
Nov 12 2012 3:55PM
0 0
profile picture
the.cheat
Posts: 2859 - Karma: 171
duh i gotta get my crunk on fool
Nov 12 2012 3:57PM
0 0
profile picture
rareison
Posts: 10263 - Karma: 219
Doesn't make sense to me how you can become an adult at the age of 18, but not get all the rights.
Nov 12 2012 3:59PM
0 0
profile picture
kootenayklaus
Posts: 3914 - Karma: 2,179
In my opinion, absolutely. Not because I am wishing to go get hammered with my friends (legally) at an earlier age though..

As I visited Europe over the summer, the drinking age was extremely low in most of the places I visited (Austria/16 - Germany/16 - Hungary/18 - Czech Republic/18). Even in Germany, you can drink under ANY age as long as you are being supervised by someone of legal age, which is still very young. Alcohol (beer specifically) in turn becomes engrained in the culture, and loses the "cool" factor that seems to exist over here in the Western world because it is no longer just a tool to get hammered and be a badass (if you are underage), but now more so has a bit more sentimental meaning. By no means am I saying that the German youth don't get hammered, because they do, but as a whole, binge drinking amongst young adults (21-16) is extremely fraction of what it is across the Ocean.

If the US lowers their drinking age, at first there will be a massive spike in underage and of age drinking amongst the younger generation, and that is what is discouraging the government to not take action. But, in terms of our future, it would be an extremely smart move. After this spike in drinking, the years after would create a slow and steady decrease in the alcohol consumed by teens, and would eventually bottom out at a point MUCH lower than the original level that it was at.

Nov 12 2012 3:59PM
0 0
profile picture
Stickity
Posts: 7750 - Karma: 769
the benefit to it being essentially 0 is that parents would be all over their kids and making sure they know that they know what they're getting into if they drink
Nov 12 2012 3:59PM
0 0
profile picture
deleted5
Posts: 14507 - Karma: 13,507
Also don't use this argument it's stupid going to war and drinking alcohol have nothing to do with each other And everyone uses that argument. Make the argument that drunk driving fatalities didn't go down because the drinking age was raised drunk driving fatalities went down because of the airbags and a law that requires people to wear seatbelts. Just make the argument like sex people need to get educated young And taught the proper way to consume alcohol Which is not drinking as much as you can in a basement and the laws need to be stricter Once everyone has access to it
Nov 12 2012 3:59PM
0 0
profile picture
Bread_Fish
Posts: 760 - Karma: 71
I think that the US is one of the highest at 21. People say that the mind is still developing. No i dont think they should lower it.
Nov 12 2012 4:01PM
0 0
profile picture
Skier1478
Posts: 188 - Karma: 68
This.
I'm not just saying that because i'm underage.

Lot of good points here, kids aren't really taught what counts as a lot of alcohol, or what really counts them as drunk or beyond that.

They basically know:

Sober and Naked while laying on the ground covered in vomit and semen.
Nov 12 2012 4:01PM
0 0
profile picture
theabortionator
Posts: 51738 - Karma: 163,453
I won a debate arguing that it shouldn't. Don't really care that much just wanted the harder one since it was for high school. Everybody wanted the other side, was entertaining.


I think if it were lowered and people started taking more responsibility for their lives and the lives of their families it would probably be better.

I feel like we use the government as a crutch. Instead of taking personal responsibility for our actions we simply get some laws made and figure that will work.

Get off your ass, invest some time into your kids and keep up with them. I think that would have a much bigger impact then where the drinking age is.
Nov 12 2012 4:01PM
0 0
profile picture
Peach.
Posts: 3879 - Karma: 933
^^^^
Nov 12 2012 4:02PM
0 0
All times are Eastern (-5)