Drinking age limit unjust

[Maynoothman]

This is purely my own speculation and it doesnt affect me because I am not american.

But justice can be boiled down to “give everybody their due.” according to pieper porter rawls aquinas etc.

Now in America one is considered an adult at the age of eighteen yes? By that I mean that they are
I: allowed to legally make binding contracts.
II: Allowed to marry.
III: Allowed to enter the military.
IV: They usually pay taxes and have employment.
V: They are allowed to vote.

So there is very little diference between an eighteen year old and a thirty year old in terms of their (name removed by moderator)ut into society, except that they are under a certain age. Is this not discrimination?

I know that the arguement is probably that 18 yr olds cant hold their drink. but that is a gross generalization, I am 23 and have been drinking for years and even before I was 18 I could hold my alcahol better than some people I know.

So whats the story? and I really am open minded and curious about this by the way.

Incidentally, I work as a superviser in a late night fast food restaurant to put myself through college and I see ALOT of drunk people falling around the place, both under and over age. The sixteen year olds etc (yeah its illegal but it happens) who are wasted are silly and boistreous, while the thirty and forty year olds are the ones who cause fights, abuse me and my staff and are generally a nuisance.

 

[Pong]

It’s a ridiculous hold-over from the Purtitan days. If America would get rid of the drinking age, there would be a lot less uni students getting themselves alcohol poisoned because nobody ever taught them how to consume responsibly.

 

[Texas_Roofer]

…Now in America one is considered an adult at the age of eighteen yes? By that I mean that they are
I: allowed to legally make binding contracts.

actually their parents can not be forced to resolve contracts or damages committed by the teen, anybody can enter a contract even a 14 year old. Btw the states are no longer upholding this standard, because the states are refusing many of these kids college assistance which is available to legal adults

II: Allowed to marry…

marriage ages are much lower, again at 18 you can marry without parental approval, however the actual marriage ages are usually 13, or 14 (depends on state)

III: Allowed to enter the military…

You can enter the military at 17 or at least you could throughout most generations

IV: They usually pay taxes and have employment…

everybody pays taxes, and many have some type of employment. Most 18 year olds are not self supporting, and few work 2000 hours that year. many are still in high school part of that year

V: They are allowed to vote…

yes, and that is a right

So there is very little diference between an eighteen year old and a thirty year old in terms of their (name removed by moderator)ut into society, except that they are under a certain age. Is this not discrimination?.

actually (name removed by moderator)ut is considerably less, typically income increases throughout life until retirement. Adjust for real dollars verses nominal dollars, the 40’s & 50’s are the most productive years.

I know that the arguement is probably that 18 yr olds cant hold their drink. but that is a gross generalization, I am 23 and have been drinking for years and even before I was 18 I could hold my alcahol better than some people I know…

I am not sure that is the issue, The objective is to prevent many from ruining their lives before they understand the issues

So whats the story? and I really am open minded and curious about this by the way.

Incidentally, I work as a superviser in a late night fast food restaurant to put myself through college and I see ALOT of drunk people falling around the place, both under and over age. The sixteen year olds etc (yeah its illegal but it happens) who are wasted are silly and boistreous, while the thirty and forty year olds are the ones who cause fights, abuse me and my staff and are generally a nuisance.

But you maybe comparing the “thirty and forty year olds” losers to a more normal group of 16 year olds. I hope you realize the way to make a “thirty and forty year olds are the ones who cause fights, abuse me and my staff and are generally a nuisance” is to start them drinking young!

 

[Lief_Erikson]

OP, the age of 21 was not settled upon arbitrarily. People’s brain stems are still developing at the age of 18, and so are far more vulnerable to the I’ll effects of alcohol than are the brain stems of people 21 years old or more. Damage to the brain at that younger age can occur much more easily, and with far more lasting effects because the brain stem of an 18 year old is still developing. I learned this from a health professional.

 

[Yerusalyim]

Your health professional sounds like an anti drinking kind of guy. The ill affects of alcohol occur with its abuse, not its use. Here in Germany if you’re 16 you can get a beer ANYWHERE…hard liquor at 18…and they don’t have any worse affects, in fact less so, than americans…here’s the difference…In Europe drinking is considered normal, natural, and kids do it at home with their folks…so it’s no big deal. In the US it’s FORBIDDEN therefore, the kids hide it and binge drink, which brings about the ill affects.

 

[strngrnrth]

IMHO the age for everything should follow a parallel pattern:
Under 13: No contracts, no marriage, no alcohol, no tobacco, no OTC drugs w/o adult accompaniment, no living on one’s own, no motor vehicles, helmet for bike/ skateboard except on residential property. No military service, no vote, parents responsible if you get arrested. Off-limits sexually to anyone more than one year older than self. Must pass written basic skills exam to get out of going to school or demonstrate that home education is taking place.
13-16: Contracts binding up to one year, marriage with counseling and parental permission to spouse less than two years older with clean criminal record, alcohol only in diluted or non-distilled forms and only at home or with food in quanitites less than four fl.oz., may train in reserve but not enter combat zones, motor vehicles permitted on farm, closed track, or zones with speed limit of 20 mph or less, may live alone with parental permission, may be emancipated if abused or if able to demonstrate means of support, vote in citywide elctions only, may serve on neighborhood council boards, may buy OTC drugs after reading directions aloud to cashier, may smoke after viewing a video of cancer treatments, may leave school, off-limits sexually to anyone more than five years older unless married. Parents responsible for 50% of fines incurred by young person.
16-21: may make contract binding up to ten years, may marry with counseling OR parental permission after one-year announced engagement, may serve in military after viewing video of veterans’ PTSD stories, motor vehicles without restriction after live driving test, may drink anything but may not buy kegs or cases of liquor, open a bar, brew professionally without prior alcohol counseling, may live alone at will, vote in all but Presidential elections, serve in all but federal office, smoke and buy any OTC drugs, hold responsible job with backup, responsible for own behavior but may cite youth as mitigating factor in all but Class A felonies.
21 and up: Adult.

 

[CarrieH]

Here in Michigan, they dropped the legal drinking age to 18 for awhile back in the 1970’s. The problem with alcohol in the schools became so much worse after this that they switched it back to 21.

 

[Newbie2]

Here in Michigan, they dropped the legal drinking age to 18 for awhile back in the 1970’s. The problem with alcohol in the schools became so much worse after this that they switched it back to 21.

I was there…legal at 18 going into college, illegal several months later.

I didn’t see it getting worse when it switched to 21; alcohol was always easily available.

 

[ALLFORHIM]

OP, the age of 21 was not settled upon arbitrarily. People’s brain stems are still developing at the age of 18, and so are far more vulnerable to the I’ll effects of alcohol than are the brain stems of people 21 years old or more. Damage to the brain at that younger age can occur much more easily, and with far more lasting effects because the brain stem of an 18 year old is still developing. I learned this from a health professional.

This may be very true but it doesnt even matter because kids are drinking whether it is legal or not. The law doesnt stop them or even slow them down .

 

[ALLFORHIM]

In Europe drinking is considered normal, natural, and kids do it at home with their folks…so it’s no big deal. In the US it’s FORBIDDEN therefore, the kids hide it and binge drink, which brings about the ill affects

I have a 15 year old who is always asking me to try a sip of whatever I may be having at a party or special occassion. I was EXTREMELY hesitant at first but I think I need to teach her how to drink responsibly and take away the FORBIDDEN aspect of drinking. Although easier said then done.

I recently just found out that I can allow her to drink under my supervision in our home. I was shocked but I do agree with what you say:thumbsup:

 

[Brendan]

Here in Michigan, they dropped the legal drinking age to 18 for awhile back in the 1970’s. The problem with alcohol in the schools became so much worse after this that they switched it back to 21.

I didn’t matter much anyway. It was still 19 over in Windsor, so you could still go out to the bar, as long as you didn’t mind paying bridge toll.

 

[BamaRider]

The thought of 16 year olds having carte blanche to dink is frightening. I’d want no part of it. Does it go on? Yes, but at least we don’t make it easy.

Most American 16 year old have cars, I don’t think that is the case in Europe.

 

[Corki]

I was there…legal at 18 going into college, illegal several months later.

I didn’t see it getting worse when it switched to 21; alcohol was always easily available.

I was there too and 19. Do you remember how the age changed to 19 for a few weeks and then to 21 in the same year? So I made it through the first one, but oops, I was illegal for the second one. Michigan was also one of the very few states that did not grandfather the drinking age when they went back to 21. So my younger sister could still drink since she was 18 and living in a state with a grandfathered drinking age.

BTW, the reason they went back to 21 had nothing to do with the schools (or at least that wasn’t the main reason). The feds threatened to cut off funds for any state that didn’t raise its drinking age.

 

[Newbie2]

I was there too and 19. Do you remember how the age changed to 19 for a few weeks and then to 21 in the same year? So I made it through the first one, but oops, I was illegal for the second one. Michigan was also one of the very few states that did not grandfather the drinking age when they went back to 21. So my younger sister could still drink since she was 18 and living in a state with a grandfathered drinking age.

Yep, we started as freshmen being able to buy beer for a few weeks and then…poof…we were illegal again. I was legal for about 2 months.

 

[strngrnrth]

I had no trouble at all getting lots of alcohol, even bottles of vodka and tequila, day after day at 16. Had it been legal, I might have done so more safely. Who knows?

 

[BamaRider]

My question is this, just what redeeming quality does society get by letting teenagers drinks legally? They don’t hafta to do it underground?

I can’t think of anything good drinking does. I don’t think it is a moral issue, unless you do it to excess, I just don’t do it because it serves no purpose, and I never developed a taste for it.

For sure Europe has more realaxed attitudes about it. But c’mon they drink alot over there. I spent 10 days with my British friends touring the UK. We’d ride awhile, find a pub, ride awhile find a pub. There was one of every corner. The pubs seemed to be the hub of society. When asked if they could buy me a beer, I said I didn’t drink, and they looked at me like I had 2 heads LOL.

Anyway that’s my :twocents:

 

[BlyssfulDreamer]

Incidentally, I work as a superviser in a late night fast food restaurant to put myself through college and I see ALOT of drunk people falling around the place, both under and over age. The sixteen year olds etc (yeah its illegal but it happens) who are wasted are silly and boistreous, while the thirty and forty year olds are the ones who cause fights, abuse me and my staff and are generally a nuisance.

When speaking of drinking and driving…that should never happen at ANY age. When you think of 16 y/o driving I think about their lack of experience behind the wheel. Add alcohol to the mix and it is a disaster waiting to happen and unfortunately often does. People with 40 years of driving experience cannot mix alcohol and driving and we would want someone younger with a year or 2 or experience behind the wheel after drinking?

 

[katy]

I have noticed that countries with lower drinking ages also have stiffer requirements for driving and/or better public transportation. I think this is true even in Canada. Getting a driver’s license in the US is a piece of cake compared to other places.

 

[strngrnrth]

My question is this, just what redeeming quality does society get by letting teenagers drinks legally? They don’t hafta to do it underground?

I can’t think of anything good drinking does. I don’t think it is a moral issue, unless you do it to excess, I just don’t do it because it serves no purpose, and I never developed a taste for it.

For sure Europe has more realaxed attitudes about it. But c’mon they drink alot over there. I spent 10 days with my British friends touring the UK. We’d ride awhile, find a pub, ride awhile find a pub. There was one of every corner. The pubs seemed to be the hub of society. When asked if they could buy me a beer, I said I didn’t drink, and they looked at me like I had 2 heads LOL.

Anyway that’s my :twocents:

Personal freedom is an intrinsic good. The only reason it can be OK to take away freedom is to prevent evil. The drinking age is based on a level of maturity that handling a moderate amount of alcohol does not require. It’s an excessive intrusion into how young adults live.

 

[BamaRider]

Personal freedom is an intrinsic good. The only reason it can be OK to take away freedom is to prevent evil. The drinking age is based on a level of maturity that handling a moderate amount of alcohol does not require. It’s an excessive intrusion into how young adults live.

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Man, that arguments sounds real familiar.