From the view point of "what's best for society" I'm fine with 21. The fewer 18 19 and 20 year olds consuming alcohol the better off we are.

One thing to consider is that if the drinking age were lowered to 18, police would (waste) spend less time babysitting college kids and using it for more valuable ways of protecting society.

 

You could make a similar argument for the legalization of drugs, I guess. But in this case, it is a matter of age, which is a bit ridiculous.

 

Why age 21? Why not 25? Why not 30?

I voted 18 and up, but I really think it should be more along the European norm... and they have less of a problem with teen binge drinking, btw.

We let them drive and be in charge of a 2,000 ton vehicle and take others lives in their own hands at the age of 16. If we give them that much responsibility at 16, maybe they should be allowed to drink. In the mindset of being able to serve should mean you can drink.

 

Maybe the age to serve is too low and they are not making good decisions at the age of 18 and enrollment age should be 21.

 

Drinking has nothing to do with serving in the military. NONE.

 

Ditto!:thumb:

I voted 18 and up, but I really think it should be more along the European norm... and they have less of a problem with teen binge drinking, btw.

I am with you, 02Ram54.

 

Our country's biggest issue with alcohol is that we make it such a taboo.

I voted 18 and up, but I really think it should be more along the European norm... and they have less of a problem with teen binge drinking, btw.

 

How is the size of the problem with binge drinking measured?

How is the size of the problem with binge drinking measured?

 

I was wondering that as well...

I am with you, 02Ram54.

 

Our country's biggest issue with alcohol is that we make it such a taboo.

 

I would disagree. It is taboo because there is a reason it is taboo. Cause it is not a good thing for teenagers to be doing. If you are going to allow an 18-year old, you might as well allow a 17 year old. And then a 16-year old. Would allowing 18 year olds to buy not run the risk of a 17, 16, 15 year old drinking more???

 

18 year olds, at least in my hometown, still run (those who did not go off to college or move away) with the HS students. Making it legal for them to buy only serves to make it even easier for HS students to get it. A product that is easy for them to get becomes even easier.

I voted 18 and up, but I really think it should be more along the European norm... and they have less of a problem with teen binge drinking, btw.

 

I am with you, 02Ram54.

 

Our country's biggest issue with alcohol is that we make it such a taboo.

 

Not much research as I do not have the time but first site I came to.

 

http://www.ncjrs.gov/html/ojjdp/compendium/2001/9902NCPC_PIRE.pdf

 

Among Americans there is a commonly held perception

that American young people drink more frequently and experience

more alcohol-related problems than do their European

counterparts. This perception, in turn, is often utilized

as argument for various changes in U.S. alcohol policies

and prevention initiatives, including elimination of minimum

drinking age laws and development of programs that

teach ‘responsible’ drinking to young people.

 

Based on this analysis, the comparison of drinking rates and

alcohol-related problems among young people in the United

States and in European countries does not provide support

for elimination of U.S. minimum drinking age laws or for

the implementation programs to teach ‘responsible’ drinking

to young people.

 

the percentage of young people reporting

drinking five or more drinks in a row is considerably higher

than that for the United States. Only Portugal (14 percent)

has a substantially lower rate than is seen for the United

States (24 percent). It should be noted that the rates for the

United States are lower than those for Italy (31 percent),

Greece (33 percent), and Spain (39 percent), countries that

could be considered typically southern European.

We let them drive and be in charge of a 2,000 ton vehicle and take others lives in their own hands at the age of 16.

We're putting 16 year olds in charge of freight trains?

 

I voted "other". You should be able to drink alcohol under age 21 if you have an active duty military ID.

We're putting 16 year olds in charge of freight trains?

 

"All aboard, dude."

Why is age 21 the cutoff?

You have to have a starting point. You can't have 14 year olds sitting in bars. I do not believe the average 18 year old should be allowed to drink as most 18 year olds are still pretty immature. However, going through boot camp and living by the regs of military life can mature you up in hurry. The arguement of "well at 16 we give them the responsiblity of driving why not drinking" is just a bad arguement. Kids at 16 aren't asked to carry an M16 and possilbe die defending their country. To compare driving to being in the military is, to put it nice, just silly.

 

It should be 18 for enlisted military and 21 for everyone else. And I would exclude National Guard and Reserves unless called up for full time / active duty (however it works).

I voted "other". You should be able to drink alcohol under age 21 if you have an active duty military ID.

I'm with you. :thumb:

I haven't voted yet, because I want to see how the arguments pan out. But like UKMF says, if you're old enough to serve, you're old enough to be served.

 

Why do you think they used age as the criteria for being able to consume alcohol instead of job or military status?