drinking

[deb1]

This may sound naive but I’m not American and nor do I live in the US but it it against the law to drink alcohol under the age of 21 or just against the law to buy it under that age?

From what I understand, some states allow parents to be able to give thier own kids alcohol in the privacy of their own homes and some don’t.

I think laws like this are why so many Americans view alcohol as merely a means to get drunk.

 

[ALLFORHIM]

This may sound naive but I’m not American and nor do I live in the US but it it against the law to drink alcohol under the age of 21 or just against the law to buy it under that age?

It is aginst the law to buy and drink under the age of 21

 

[ALLFORHIM]

From what I understand, some states allow parents to be able to give thier own kids alcohol in the privacy of their own homes and some don’t.

I think laws like this are why so many Americans view alcohol as merely a means to get drunk.

I wasnt aware that each state could tweak the federal law

I have given sips to my 14 year old. Thankfully she hasnt liked anything:thumbsup: But, I still think it is illegal. Ill have to ask one of my cop friends.

 

[rpp]

The law specifying the minimum age for consuming alcoholic beverages is not inherently immoral. Therefore, it would be sinful to violate this law.

 

[surfinpure]

I wasnt aware that each state could tweak the federal law

I have given sips to my 14 year old. Thankfully she hasnt liked anything:thumbsup: But, I still think it is illegal. Ill have to ask one of my cop friends.

I know for a fact that in Texas it is legal for parents to give alchohol to their own minors. Even at restaurants. And it is legal for a married person over 21 to share alchohol with their spouse who is a minor, in private and in public.

 

[steveandersen]

I wasnt aware that each state could tweak the federal law

Although Ron Regan, ironically enough the champion of get government off our backs new federalism, used the threat of the withholding of Federal highway money to any state that didn’t raise it’s drinking age to 21, it is still a state matter not a federal one.

So the laws regarding consumption and purchase can vary.

Silly law
Imagine being able to vote, drive, be sent to war, sign a contract, get married, and a host of other dangerous, adult undertakings and you can’t have a beer when you come home from work.

I have given sips to my 14 year old. Thankfully she hasnt liked anything:thumbsup: But, I still think it is illegal. Ill have to ask one of my cop friends.

That is the proper way to teach people how to properly consume.

Studies have shown that children who are brought up in an environment where alcohol isn’t forbidden fruit and where it is part of the culture actually have less problems than someone who waits until they’re 21 and then goes hog wild with no supervision.

 

[thistle]

It is aginst the law to buy and drink under the age of 21

You mean your young men and women get sent to Iraq to fight and many die but those who come back are not even allowed to have a drink??
What is the voting age in the US?

 

[DrPiano]

You mean your young men and women get sent to Iraq to fight and many die but those who come back are not even allowed to have a drink??
What is the voting age in the US?

Yep. You got it. Voting age is 18. I believe it used to be older but from my understanding (it was WELL before I was born) a similar argument was used to lower the voting age to 18 (I believe the argument focused on the draft).

Oddly enough, if I remember my history correctly, at one time the legal drinking age in the US was briefly lowered to 18, but then it was re-raised to 21.

 

[deb1]

Yep. You got it. Voting age is 18. I believe it used to be older but from my understanding (it was WELL before I was born) a similar argument was used to lower the voting age to 18 (I believe the argument focused on the draft).

Oddly enough, if I remember my history correctly, at one time the legal drinking age in the US was briefly lowered to 18, but then it was re-raised to 21.

The law increased to 21 when I was a teenager. For some strange reason there wasn’t much outcry. MADD(mom’s against drunk driving) were the main group for the increase. They used a lot of emotional manipulation to get the laws to change. Some of the women had teenagers killed due to driving drunk. What wasn’t understood then is that living in a free society has a price. Some people are going to do stupid things.

 

[deb1]

Here is an interesting article on drinking laws in the US.
web.syr.edu/~su4rally/age_history.html

Apparently, prior to 1984, each state set its own drinking age. Some states had lower drinking ages. Teenagers from bordering states would drive to those states and drink, then drive home. This caused accidents.

It was determined that 5% of the alcohol related deaths were caused by teenagers, so it was thought that if the drinking age was raised that would help.

No one knows if this worked. THere are better seat belt laws, education about drunk driving, etc. So, although drunk driving accidents have gone done, we can’t be certain that this is because of raising the age.

this is from the article:

***One problem with these figures is that in the mid 80’s seat belt laws were created. That means that there were less fatal car accidents overall, so the number of alcohol related traffic fatalities had to go down. The only two sources for tracking the number of people driving drunk are arrest reports and autopsy reports. Limiting the number of fatalities makes the drunk driving figures go down, even if the number of drunk drivers remains the same. ***

 

[AHapka]

I have given sips to my 14 year old. Thankfully she hasnt liked anything:thumbsup: But, I still think it is illegal. Ill have to ask one of my cop friends.

No, it’s not: alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov/stateprofiles/

New Jersey allows it.

 

[ALLFORHIM]

I know for a fact that in Texas it is legal for parents to give alchohol to their own minors. Even at restaurants. And it is legal for a married person over 21 to share alchohol with their spouse who is a minor, in private and in public.

SSHHH dont tell my 14 year old she’ll want to move to Texas
Actually I could be closer to the Cowboys:thumbsup:

 

[ALLFORHIM]

No, it’s not: alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov/stateprofiles/

New Jersey allows it.

Thanks–now I can have a clean conscience

 

[ALLFORHIM]

Here is an interesting article on drinking laws in the US.
web.syr.edu/~su4rally/age_history.html

Apparently, prior to 1984, each state set its own drinking age. Some states had lower drinking ages. Teenagers from bordering states would drive to those states and drink, then drive home. This caused accidents.

It was determined that 5% of the alcohol related deaths were caused by teenagers, so it was thought that if the drinking age was raised that would help.

No one knows if this worked. THere are better seat belt laws, education about drunk driving, etc. So, although drunk driving accidents have gone done, we can’t be certain that this is because of raising the age.

this is from the article:

***One problem with these figures is that in the mid 80’s seat belt laws were created. That means that there were less fatal car accidents overall, so the number of alcohol related traffic fatalities had to go down. The only two sources for tracking the number of people driving drunk are arrest reports and autopsy reports. Limiting the number of fatalities makes the drunk driving figures go down, even if the number of drunk drivers remains the same. ***

I remember when I went to Georgia to visit a friend the drinking age was 18–so I was old enough to drink But the age was 21 in NJ. That was back in the 80’s.

 

[deb1]

I remember when I went to Georgia to visit a friend the drinking age was 18–so I was old enough to drink But the age was 21 in NJ. That was back in the 80’s.

I turned 18 the first year the law changed officially to 21, but my husband-who is only a few months older- was able to drink under something called the ‘grandfather’ clause. So, when we went out, he got a beer and I couldn’t. Yet, we were both only around 20.

 

[ALLFORHIM]

I turned 18 the first year the law changed officially to 21, but my husband-who is only a few months older- was able to drink under something called the ‘grandfather’ clause. So, when we went out, he got a beer and I couldn’t. Yet, we were both only around 20.

My hubby was also under the grandfather clause. But when we went out I was able to get served I broke the law Of course those were my BC years(Before Christ)

 

[surfinpure]

Here is an interesting article on drinking laws in the US.
web.syr.edu/~su4rally/age_history.html

Apparently, prior to 1984, each state set its own drinking age. Some states had lower drinking ages. Teenagers from bordering states would drive to those states and drink, then drive home. This caused accidents.

It was determined that 5% of the alcohol related deaths were caused by teenagers, so it was thought that if the drinking age was raised that would help.

No one knows if this worked. THere are better seat belt laws, education about drunk driving, etc. So, although drunk driving accidents have gone done, we can’t be certain that this is because of raising the age.

this is from the article:

***One problem with these figures is that in the mid 80’s seat belt laws were created. That means that there were less fatal car accidents overall, so the number of alcohol related traffic fatalities had to go down. The only two sources for tracking the number of people driving drunk are arrest reports and autopsy reports. Limiting the number of fatalities makes the drunk driving figures go down, even if the number of drunk drivers remains the same. ***

I think it’s also worth noting that regardless of the legal age requirement, teenagers are drinking if they want to. This was true when I was in high school, and it’s true today. They might have to be sneakier about it, but if they want alchohol, it’s not hard for them to get it. And the “forbidden fruit” aspect makes it all the more appealing.

 

[HannahLisa]

As a college student who actually doesn’t drink illegally: Nearly everyone DOES break the law when it comes to this, and they think nothing of it. So the law is pretty much useless. I do find it troubling that those who are breaking the law have the attitude of “let’s have alcohol for the sake of drinking alcohol!” I don’t see what the big fuss is about.

In Texas, if you are under 21 and married to someone over 21, they can serve you alcohol legally. So, as long as you’re not getting drunk, it’s fine. I think the spouses have to be together when the alcohol is consumed though, as opposed to being in separate rooms or something like that. I know it’s like that when parents give their children alcohol.

 

[surfinpure]

Just came across a rather salient article:

news.aol.com/story/_a/vermont-eyes-lowering-the-drinking-age/20080229085709990002?ncid=NWS00010000000001

 

[Orionthehunter]

what governs is the civil law in your area. obey it. to disobey the civil law is indeed immoral in this case. in most jurisdictions there is an exception for minors drinking at home with parents and family.

Because I have reached the prudential judgment that too many of our laws violate the Church’s teaching on subsidiarity, I personally practice various forms of civil disobedience in protest.

In my state, nobody under the age of 21 can consume alcohol outside their personal residence and it must be in the presence of their parents. There is not even a spousal exemption (originally an oversight but now the anti-alcohol people won’t allow any weakening of the law) For instance, even under age guests. Two places I do it is at family gatherings (w/ parents permission), if young adults want to consume wine or beer in moderation, I allow it even if their parents are not present. Or, it is a tradition in my family when we hunt, we have a beer when done. I’ve allowed my kids to have one if they desire. I believe that teaching kids about alcohol is the exclusive perogative of the parents and I refuse to submit to the civil authorities. This is especially pertinent to me as both my wife and I are children of alcoholics.

Another place is in driving. My state law says that nobody under the age of 14 can operate a car anywhere. Well, I learned to drive on my grandpa’s farm and at the age of 12, all of my kids started learning to drive in fields and pastures at about that age. Again, I want my kids to be good safe drivers and I believe the earlier they start, the better they will be when they get a license. I will not delegate their safety to the civil authorities.

In all cases of civil disobedience, I think it important that the motive and intention be of a higher purpose and not just a selfish desire to do as one pleases. At the same time, the “higher purpose” can be simple as in this case, two married people sharing some wine in the country besides a river bank.