Drinking age

I would like to know what you all think the legal drinking age should be. Personally, I think it should be 18. If the government thinks you're old enough and mature enough to smoke cigarettes, get married, have sex and have children, then how can they not think you're old and mature enough to drink alcohol? It doesn't make any sense to me. It used to be 18 and I'm not entirely sure why they raised it. If they're that adamant about keeping it at 21, then I think they should raise the age at which you can smoke, get married, have sex and have kids to 21. I just think it should all be at the same time. It doesn't make sense for drinking to be the last thing you can do, 3 years after you can get married and have kids. So tell me what you think.

the drinking age in my country is 18, and that's ok..
But it's weird that we're allowed to have sex when we're 16, but we can't drink/drive a car/vote before we're 18 :/

I think it's shitty people hold more value over alcohol than children, marriage, and sex, and voting
but that's what they do, it should be once you're eighteen you get full responsibility, but you have to get your sex organs disabled before you pass a test saying you're responsible enough to have sex

but drinking occurs (for most kids) before they're thirteen, so why make it legal about ten years before it happens?

your argument makes perfect sense. and i used to believe the exact same thing, before i met three people who lost loved ones in drunk-driving accidents. my hope is that by giving people three more years, they are mature enough to make better decisions about alcohol and driving. of course, its still one of the largest causes of death in the united states, but, do you think that that number would only rise were we to give drinking rights to eighteen year olds? i do. its just putting more potential drunk-drivers on the road.

well, does the law make any difference at all?
I've been drinking since I was like 13, I have no problem to get a friend of my to buy or I can just buy it myself..

littlelessthansuicide:

your argument makes perfect sense. and i used to believe the exact same thing, before i met three people who lost loved ones in drunk-driving accidents. my hope is that by giving people three more years, they are mature enough to make better decisions about alcohol and driving. of course, its still one of the largest causes of death in the united states, but, do you think that that number would only rise were we to give drinking rights to eighteen year olds? i do. its just putting more potential drunk-drivers on the road.

you make a very good point.

*unwanted*:

well, does the law make any difference at all?
I've been drinking since I was like 13, I have no problem to get a friend of my to buy or I can just buy it myself..

and that's just stupid. what does a 13-year old need with alcohol? that's reeaally bad for your body.

I think you should have to take a test and get a liscense for it, like driving
and same with sex, if everyone were responsible before having sex then the world would only have a couple thousand people

GreenDayIsBetter:

*unwanted*:

well, does the law make any difference at all?
I've been drinking since I was like 13, I have no problem to get a friend of my to buy or I can just buy it myself..

and that's just stupid. what does a 13-year old need with alcohol? that's reeaally bad for your body.

what thirteen year old hasn't had it?

I'm not 13 now though.. it's been 4 years since then, I've been drinking every weekend..

what teenager hasn't tasted alcohol before they cal legally drink it..

spill_no_sick:

GreenDayIsBetter:

*unwanted*:

well, does the law make any difference at all?
I've been drinking since I was like 13, I have no problem to get a friend of my to buy or I can just buy it myself..

and that's just stupid. what does a 13-year old need with alcohol? that's reeaally bad for your body.

what thirteen year old hasn't had it?

that's not the point. i know that most 13-year olds have had alcohol, my point was that they don't need it and it's not good for their bodies. i actually think that's why the drinking age is 21, because that's when your body has fully matured and is ready for something like that. at 13 you're still developing and your body can't handle the alcohol well. not that it's ever actually GOOD for your body, but at least it won't affect you as drastically if you're older.

GreenDayIsBetter:

spill_no_sick:

GreenDayIsBetter:

*unwanted*:

well, does the law make any difference at all?
I've been drinking since I was like 13, I have no problem to get a friend of my to buy or I can just buy it myself..

and that's just stupid. what does a 13-year old need with alcohol? that's reeaally bad for your body.

what thirteen year old hasn't had it?

that's not the point. i know that most 13-year olds have had alcohol, my point was that they don't need it and it's not good for their bodies. i actually think that's why the drinking age is 21, because that's when your body has fully matured and is ready for something like that. at 13 you're still developing and your body can't handle the alcohol well. not that it's ever actually GOOD for your body, but at least it won't affect you as drastically if you're older.

i was going to say the same thing
just because most people do it, doesn't make it right. and it doesn't mean that some people still abide by laws. we are taught to have this huge amount of respect for our country, and yet we disobey it every day.

GreenDayIsBetter:

spill_no_sick:

GreenDayIsBetter:

*unwanted*:

well, does the law make any difference at all?
I've been drinking since I was like 13, I have no problem to get a friend of my to buy or I can just buy it myself..

and that's just stupid. what does a 13-year old need with alcohol? that's reeaally bad for your body.

what thirteen year old hasn't had it?

that's not the point. i know that most 13-year olds have had alcohol, my point was that they don't need it and it's not good for their bodies. i actually think that's why the drinking age is 21, because that's when your body has fully matured and is ready for something like that. at 13 you're still developing and your body can't handle the alcohol well. not that it's ever actually GOOD for your body, but at least it won't affect you as drastically if you're older.

I think we destroy our children more by giving them unneeded medications like Ritalin for no reason, they don't feel perfect, let's kill them and erode their health!

I was actually diagnosed with ADD when I was five, I never took Ritalin, but I have had alcohol, and I'm healthier than most people I know

spill_no_sick:

GreenDayIsBetter:

spill_no_sick:

GreenDayIsBetter:

*unwanted*:

well, does the law make any difference at all?
I've been drinking since I was like 13, I have no problem to get a friend of my to buy or I can just buy it myself..

and that's just stupid. what does a 13-year old need with alcohol? that's reeaally bad for your body.

what thirteen year old hasn't had it?

that's not the point. i know that most 13-year olds have had alcohol, my point was that they don't need it and it's not good for their bodies. i actually think that's why the drinking age is 21, because that's when your body has fully matured and is ready for something like that. at 13 you're still developing and your body can't handle the alcohol well. not that it's ever actually GOOD for your body, but at least it won't affect you as drastically if you're older.

I think we destroy our children more by giving them unneeded medications like Ritalin for no reason, they don't feel perfect, let's kill them and erode their health!

I was actually diagnosed with ADD when I was five, I never took Ritalin, but I have had alcohol, and I'm healthier than most people I know

that doesn't make alcohol good for you

littlelessthansuicide:

GreenDayIsBetter:

spill_no_sick:

GreenDayIsBetter:

*unwanted*:

well, does the law make any difference at all?
I've been drinking since I was like 13, I have no problem to get a friend of my to buy or I can just buy it myself..

and that's just stupid. what does a 13-year old need with alcohol? that's reeaally bad for your body.

what thirteen year old hasn't had it?

that's not the point. i know that most 13-year olds have had alcohol, my point was that they don't need it and it's not good for their bodies. i actually think that's why the drinking age is 21, because that's when your body has fully matured and is ready for something like that. at 13 you're still developing and your body can't handle the alcohol well. not that it's ever actually GOOD for your body, but at least it won't affect you as drastically if you're older.

i was going to say the same thing
just because most people do it, doesn't make it right. and it doesn't mean that some people still abide by laws. we are taught to have this huge amount of respect for our country, and yet we disobey it every day.

I'm VERY patriotic, yet I have a (small, unjust) criminal record
(off topic) sadomy is illegal, but if I get the chance the law won't stop me, does that mean I hate my country?

spill_no_sick:

littlelessthansuicide:

GreenDayIsBetter:

spill_no_sick:

GreenDayIsBetter:

*unwanted*:

well, does the law make any difference at all?
I've been drinking since I was like 13, I have no problem to get a friend of my to buy or I can just buy it myself..

and that's just stupid. what does a 13-year old need with alcohol? that's reeaally bad for your body.

what thirteen year old hasn't had it?

that's not the point. i know that most 13-year olds have had alcohol, my point was that they don't need it and it's not good for their bodies. i actually think that's why the drinking age is 21, because that's when your body has fully matured and is ready for something like that. at 13 you're still developing and your body can't handle the alcohol well. not that it's ever actually GOOD for your body, but at least it won't affect you as drastically if you're older.

i was going to say the same thing
just because most people do it, doesn't make it right. and it doesn't mean that some people still abide by laws. we are taught to have this huge amount of respect for our country, and yet we disobey it every day.

I'm VERY patriotic, yet I have a (small, unjust) criminal record
(off topic) sadomy is illegal, but if I get the chance the law won't stop me, does that mean I hate my country?

unfair. you choose an obviously unjust law as your example.

drinking underage, yes, that is disrespect for your country. it does not mean that you hate it, but it does not mean that you have respect for it either. IN MY OPINION, of course.

spill_no_sick:

littlelessthansuicide:

GreenDayIsBetter:

spill_no_sick:

GreenDayIsBetter:

*unwanted*:

well, does the law make any difference at all?
I've been drinking since I was like 13, I have no problem to get a friend of my to buy or I can just buy it myself..

and that's just stupid. what does a 13-year old need with alcohol? that's reeaally bad for your body.

what thirteen year old hasn't had it?

that's not the point. i know that most 13-year olds have had alcohol, my point was that they don't need it and it's not good for their bodies. i actually think that's why the drinking age is 21, because that's when your body has fully matured and is ready for something like that. at 13 you're still developing and your body can't handle the alcohol well. not that it's ever actually GOOD for your body, but at least it won't affect you as drastically if you're older.

i was going to say the same thing
just because most people do it, doesn't make it right. and it doesn't mean that some people still abide by laws. we are taught to have this huge amount of respect for our country, and yet we disobey it every day.

I'm VERY patriotic, yet I have a (small, unjust) criminal record
(off topic) sadomy is illegal, but if I get the chance the law won't stop me, does that mean I hate my country?

no but you're disrespecting it a little bit by breaking the law.

bah, I'm disrespecting the law, not the country

trying to turn our country into another Canadia by just saying "screw justice, let's meet half way" is disrespecting the country

*glares at John Kerry*
(why won't he just move to Canadia? they'd like him there)

spill_no_sick:

bah, I'm disrespecting the law, not the country

trying to turn our country into another Canadia by just saying "screw justice, let's meet half way" is disrespecting the country

*glares at John Kerry*
(why won't he just move to Canadia? they'd like him there)

don't make senseless political jabs at john kerry during a debate. thats called a logical fallacy.
the country makes the laws, i'm not seeing how you logically seperate them.
and its canada...not canadia. you were joking, right?

Technically...you can drink at 5 years old...provided you are in your own home and your parents have given it to...well that's in the uk anyway...meh...everyone breaks rules anyway....although it is stupid you can have sex or drive before you can drink...