Poll: Drinking Age.

Agree with the 19 crowd. I support the ability to keep it out of high school. However I do wish it was less demonized as a whole and I think we would see less binge drinking.

 

Where the hell are you getting a criminal record for underage drinking. In my college town it was simply a ordinance violation fine to the town similar to a noise violation.

 

It's sad that some trust government to decide whether or not their kids are mature enough to handle alcohol.

How can some thief hundreds of miles away make that decision? They can't possibly know what the right time is for every individual. This is the same reason public schooling is a failure, grouping children together based on age and not ability.

 

19 for everything. Drinking, smoking, driving, Military service, gambling, weed, etc. Basically 1 year removed from high school.

 

Living in Northern Ireland I see no issue with the set up here:
The legal drinking age in Northern Ireland is 18. People at and above the age of 16 will be served beer and wine with meals as long as there is a consenting adult present. In general, restaurateurs are strict about this rule, while the operators of small local pubs and bars tend to be more relaxed.
Most start drinking about 16 regardless and parents should have an input here. If it is seen as less of a taboo, then kids are unlikely to use it as a tool to rebel with. Underage drinking is becoming less of an issue in the UK in general, mainly due to better health education around the undesired effects of binge drinking etc.

 

I think it should be 18 to purchase, or maybe no limilt.

My first child is -2 months old, but I plan to be forthcoming about alcohol use. I can speak from experience, if this forbidden fruit becomes readily available at age 18 in college, some people have a tough time coping.

Maybe I won't give my 12 year old daughter a beer, but I do think teaching her responsibility is important.

 

Unfortunately I'd have to say 21 for now ... the new generations of parents (not all of them) are too lenient with their kids as for teaching them real life values. Its all hugs and letting them do anything they want and everyone wins. That and kids should not be subjected to stimulants let alone the effects of alcohol even in small doses. What ever happened to letting them be a kid?

If you are in the service of the US military at age 18 then you should be given these rights after boot camp or X amount of months.

 

I had my first "served" beer in Quebec (un gros Molson Ex)...at 14...the policy at the dive was "if you can see over the bar...good enough"

That being said, I have no quarrel with our 19 year drinking age in Ontario, but it plays odd here where I live. I live in Ottawa, directly across from Quebec where I work. On a Friday afternoon I see all the 18 year old college kids and high school seniors legally buying their beer in Quebec and then crossing back over to Ontario.

 

I went with <17 as I take the european approach to drinking, responsible drinking can be taught throughout childhood, as the "forbidden fruit" always makes it too tempting, and as one person said on here in Germany driving age is higher than drinking as driving should be considered the largest responsibility that only a mature adult can handle.

 

In Mexico it´s 18.

 

Perhaps they are assuming an age where people grow out of hipsterism. Maybe like 28........

 

Well I was going to put 17 but then went for 18 because that is what it was when I was growing up. Honestly though 16/17 and that is at the table with family. Culturally though it's not unusual to see someone as young as 13 or 14 get a sip of wine with mostly water in it at the table with "the adults." Practice. Also that would be at special holiday gatherings, not every day.

 

EVERYONE should read that article and be VERY aware of the hooligans behind prohibition. History does repeat, folks.

 

Really guys, can military stop being brought up. The two are non-related. No one is forcing people to enlist, it's a choice you can make just like getting a job somewhere else.

Where are the people saying "If you can work at a grocery store, you should be able to drink"

Patriotic is cool and all, but that's not the discussion.

 

I am all for lowering the drinking age, but that's as long as Americans as a "culture" can adopt fundamentally different attitudes toward alcohol. Then, after this paradigm shift, it will start to be more normalized for kids and the idea is they become more responsible. However, this would take both a major societal shift and then time for that to have an effect. We are talking a generation, at least. I am a pretty "hands-off" guy. I think people should pretty much be able to do what they want within reason. However, when I was growing up, the kids whose parents would let us drink would encourage bad behavior like driving when totally hammered and other, worse things at a young age. I am all for kids to act stupid and get it out of their system, even. However, driving cars and putting lives at risk is where I have to draw the line. The question is, are we mature enough as a society to do it like Canada or other countries? I don't know...not everyone...there are some dumbasses out there...

 

One aspect is not about patriotism, but rather responsibility. Working in a grocery store and being in charge of handling a deadly weapon in a terrifically hostile environment are two different things. So, you can handle an M-16 responsibly but not a Bud Light? Sorry, but you are not correct in your discounting of military duties.

 

See this is the issue.

People are so into this stuff.

I'm not discounting military duties, I'm simply saying they are not related to drinking. There are several important jobs people do. I believe you could be a teacher at younger than 21, however with the amount of schooling, that doesn't happen often. So would you say military is more important than a teacher?

 

Definitely 18 or thereabouts (17, 19, I'm not too picky); and I agree that the German system of 14 with parents, 16 for beer, 18 for liquor makes some sense too. 21 is absurd and hinders the process of learning responsible drinking.

 

You beat me to it. If you are legally an adult at 18 then you should have the same legal rights as every other "adult" across the board. None of this picking and choosing bullshit. You're either an adult or you aren't.

 

Not saying it's more important, just pointing out that the hypocrisy exists. By the way, takes college to be a teacher and that puts most teachers at over 21.

Edit* you already mentioned no under 21 teachers, I digressed