The Legal Drinking Age

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wanderlust
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December 29th, 2009 at 09:33pm
I looked back in the first 14 pages of this forum, and surprisingly, this topic hasn't been brought up (lock if I'm wrong, blah blah blah)

The topic of the legal drinking age came up recently with some family friends of mine who were visting from the United States. We're all 18, and in my province of Canada, the drinking age is 18. The friends were saying how it was great that while they were here they could go to the bars, but at the same time it seemed so foreign, to be allowed out 3 years before they were 21.

The drinking age varies depending on where you go, in Canada it's either 18 or 19 depending on the province, in the States, correct me if I'm wrong, it's 21 everywhere, and in Europe, it can be 16 or 18. I believe it is also 18 in Australia.

So, what are your opinions on this? Do you think younger or older drinking ages are more effective, and why? What do you think is the ideal drinking age?

Personally I think 18 is a good legal drinking age. It's the age you become an adult, and as an adult one should have the right to drink alcohol, along with the many other rights and responsabilities that come with being an adult.
Also, I mean I don't know for a fact, but I think that having the drinking age at 21 doesn't dissuade many minors from drinking, they probably just go do it in *secret* at house parties and so on.
Squid.
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December 29th, 2009 at 10:06pm
I think it should be 21, as in the U.S., where I am.
I mean,
18....just seems to young,
Maybe even 25 would be a better age.

I believe that I have heard that the 18 is bad or something because your brain or body or something may not be finished developing...I may not be right, don't hold me to that.

And, sadly, yes....minors still drink underage...:/
It's sad really, so many accidents to such young kids,
Not to say that adults don't have drunk caused accidents, but still....

I just think you need to be more mature,
You mature with age.


http://www.geekstinkbreath.net/board/topic/26733/
btw^
St.Billie.
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March 1st, 2010 at 01:56pm
Yeah, in austria the drinking age is 16...!! Smile
Lykkepillen
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March 1st, 2010 at 02:01pm
THe drinking age ion Norway is 18, but its not like anybody cares.. I think it should be 20/21. That would be so much better ;p
MissJay
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March 18th, 2010 at 01:35pm
No one really follows leagle age, but I think 18 is a good age. It when your an "adult". But really each person should judge when their ready to drink (if ever) based on the maturity and ability to handle alcohol
John Entwistle
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March 18th, 2010 at 04:38pm
I live in the US. I don't think it would be such a big deal if they lowered it to 18. You do mature a lot in 3 year, but I just don't see the big deal. Then again if I look back on when I was 18. It could have been bad. Though I don't think my maturity level is as high as it should be for my age. :/
John Entwistle
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March 18th, 2010 at 04:40pm
Desmond Hume:
Personally I think 18 is a good legal drinking age. It's the age you become an adult, and as an adult one should have the right to drink alcohol, along with the many other rights and responsabilities that come with being an adult.
Also, I mean I don't know for a fact, but I think that having the drinking age at 21 doesn't dissuade many minors from drinking, they probably just go do it in *secret* at house parties and so on.

This is true. I mean I didn't start drinking until 20. But in high school everyone used to drink (except me). But I agree you are becoming an adult at 18 so you should be able to.
+_Pledged_+
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March 21st, 2010 at 04:35pm
It's 18 here and I've always thought that's a good age. A bit too close to the driving stage though so I think the age of driving legally should be brought down to 16.
Sherlock Holmes
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March 23rd, 2010 at 02:58pm
18, so it's legal for me in September!
The D-Cup Wonder!!
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March 29th, 2010 at 03:45pm
18 here, and I think that's a pretty good age. i mean, 18 is when you become an adult. Generally by the time you're 18, you're out of high school, in a full-time job, or in college or something. when you're 18, you can vote, you can drive, you can own and register a gun, you can travel on your own and be responsible for yourself. If you can do everything that pretty much says you're an adult, you're probably old enough to drink responsibly.

Although I must say that from 16-20, most of the people I've known have a bit of a learning curve to drinking. So maybe if drinking were 18, and everything else like voting could be 21?
She...
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March 30th, 2010 at 03:42pm
Its 18 in the UK but what i don't get is that your legally allowed to be a parent at 16, age of consent. So your old enough to be trusted with a child of your own but not with some alcohol?
The government needs to sort it out, seriously. And im not saying they should lower the age for drinking, I dont even drink myself.
Sherlock Holmes
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March 31st, 2010 at 12:59pm
She...:
Its 18 in the UK but what i don't get is that your legally allowed to be a parent at 16, age of consent. So your old enough to be trusted with a child of your own but not with some alcohol?
The government needs to sort it out, seriously. And im not saying they should lower the age for drinking, I dont even drink myself.


No, you're no 'legally allowed to be a parent at 16', it means you can have sex.
She...
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April 1st, 2010 at 04:32pm
Sherlock Holmes:
She...:
Its 18 in the UK but what i don't get is that your legally allowed to be a parent at 16, age of consent. So your old enough to be trusted with a child of your own but not with some alcohol?
The government needs to sort it out, seriously. And im not saying they should lower the age for drinking, I dont even drink myself.


No, you're no 'legally allowed to be a parent at 16', it means you can have sex.


Uhhuh. And sex minus contraception equals babies. Therefore its legally allowed to be a parent.
Chile D. Guy
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April 1st, 2010 at 05:53pm
Well, here in Brazil, legal age for everything, including parenting and alcohol consuming is 18, but no one respects that, since there's no one in charge of these particular cases.
Sherlock Holmes
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April 2nd, 2010 at 07:01pm
She...:
Sherlock Holmes:
She...:
Its 18 in the UK but what i don't get is that your legally allowed to be a parent at 16, age of consent. So your old enough to be trusted with a child of your own but not with some alcohol?
The government needs to sort it out, seriously. And im not saying they should lower the age for drinking, I dont even drink myself.


No, you're not 'legally allowed to be a parent at 16', it means you can have sex.


Uhhuh. And sex minus contraception equals babies. Therefore its legally allowed to be a parent.


What I'm getting at is that there isn't actually an age restriction on when you can be a parent, it's legal to have sex when you're 16 though. You go popping babies out of your no-no hole before then & you still act like a 'responsible' parent then no-one will put you in jail or take your children away. Your partner (if 16+ may get arrested though because it's 'sex with a minor').
Kristmas_Tsanne
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April 2nd, 2010 at 07:53pm
I started drinking when I was 14, which is very average around here. When I went to my first parties, my mum bought me alcohol. Just a few bottles of alcopop. Because here, we mostly bond by partying, meaning drinking alcohol, because we usually let our guards down and have fun.
I know a lot of people who have gotten drunk and even smoked cigarettes at idk, 11 years old.

Recently, the government has been putting taxes on cigarettes, which only makes the smokers angry. I get it, from their point of view, it's annoying that the government is trying to stop them from smoking, if they are the legal age, then they should be allowed to spend their money as they wish. But on the other hand, I get it. It will make a lot of people, especially younger people who smoke, and maybe are even addicted, stop buying it it they can't afford it.

And now they're talking about putting taxes on alcohol. I already think that alcohol is frickin expensive, but it doesn't stop me, it just makes me choose the cheaper brands.
NIK JONUTZ
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January 15th, 2011 at 12:47pm
The legal drinking age in Ontario is 19 and I personally think that is old. It doesn't make sense to me that you're able to drive at 16 and are a legal adult at 18, but cannot drink until your 19. If you're an adult you should be able to make the choice if you're allowed to drink.
derpina
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January 15th, 2011 at 12:53pm
I really don't like that the legal drinking age in the US is 21. I do think it should be lowered to 18. I'm not just saying this so I can go out and party all the time, but it would make alcohol less of a 'forbidden fruit' to so many kids. I do like to drink now and then, but I know it's not THAT big of a deal, but some kids just don't get it and think that it's 'cool' to drink underage.
NIK JONUTZ
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January 15th, 2011 at 12:55pm
yeah i also think that when people do reach the drinking age (when there drinking age is high) they go crazy
derpina
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January 15th, 2011 at 12:57pm
^ That is so true. I know so many people that drank themselves sick on their 21st birthdays. You don't have to go THAT crazy.
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