Legal drinking age in the United States

[Bad Aim]

In most other contries, the legal drinking age is 18. In the US, it is 21. States can not change this as it is a federal law, not a state law.

After reviewing the statistics of various differant countries that have a lower drinking age then the US, I have found out that they typically have a much lower rate of drinking while driving, fatal car accidents due to alcohol, and a lower rate of alcoholism in general.

This has given me the belief that maybe America should lower it's drinking age while at the same time offer classes in secondary schools (high schools) that deal with drug and alcohol.

After all, in the states an 18 year old can join the military and die for his or her country, but they are not allowed to have a beer.

What do you all think?

[Kamiyé]

If problems related to alcohol are a problem in the US, what good is it going to do making it more available to younger people?

[mellow]

i think it should be lower but its not like less accidents will happen just caus its like that in other countries

[Narcoleptic Marshmallow]

People in the US are also allowed to drive at 16. But let's just give a teenager a car and a beer, what could possibly go wrong?

[WERElektro]

Hmm... Alcohol is a difficult subject.

You said that you looked up some statistics - well I will just believe you that they are correct.
But in no way would I see the connection described by you.
No way that there are less fatal car accidents-that involve drunk driving- because the legal drinking age is lower. It would make more sense if it was the other way around.
I see what you are trying to say, but there has to be an other reason.

Anyway - can you link the statistics? As I said - I believe you - but I'd still like to see them myself.

Also... afaik drunk driving is punished way harder in america. Actualy it's something I'd hope for over here too. There are far too many deaths because some idiots can't control themselves.

[Bad Aim]

Publicado originalmente por Narcoleptic Marshmallow:

People in the US are also allowed to drive at 16. But let's just give a teenager a car and a beer, what could possibly go wrong?

It is believed that one of the reasons the US has a higher mortallity rate when it comes to alcohol ralated issues is becasue of a lack of education about it and because the legal age from drinking is 21. America has not always had a drinking age of 21. It use to be 18. When we had that, we actually did see a lower mortallity rate.

[Spawn of Totoro]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_drinking_age

There are many others where it is 21 as well. Many also completely ban drinking.

[Jej]

Banning something or increasing the legal age only makes someone want it more. And when they get it they overdo it.

[Jonathan Sensei]

I think kids will be kids; you can teach them as much as you want about drug and or alcohol abuse. Won't change the fact that they'll still try to get drunk or stoned (or whatever it's called), regardless of how much you try to teach them. 21 for the legal drinking age is fine as is.

[tmwfte]

Raise the legal drinking age outside of the home to 30. Inside the home, with parental permission. If you're caught outside of the house intoxicated, drunk tank for you and hefty fines. If you're caught intoxicated outside of the home and operating a vehicle or heavy machinery, permanent suspension of a driver's licence and a mandatory sentence of no less than two years.

[Bad Aim]

Publicado originalmente por WERElektro:

Hmm... Alcohol is a difficult subject.

You said that you looked up some statistics - well I will just believe you that they are correct.
But in no way would I see the connection described by you.
No way that there are less fatal car accidents-that involve drunk driving- because the legal drinking age is lower. It would make more sense if it was the other way around.
I see what you are trying to say, but there has to be an other reason.

Anyway - can you link the statistics? As I said - I believe you - but I'd still like to see them myself.

Also... afaik drunk driving is punished way harder in america. Actualy it's something I'd hope for over here too. There are far too many deaths because some idiots can't control themselves.

Now I will say that you have the right to be sceptical of my statistics as the ones I originally brought up are very old. This was a discussion we had in my collage class that took place about 15 years ago. I am sorry for not looking at current statistics. With just a cursory Google search, I found these. Please keep in mind that I did not cherry pick, but this is just a cursory search.

http://www.drinkdrivingfacts.com/drinkdriving/drink_driving_facts.aspx

http://visual.ly/united-states-drunk-driving-statistics

[Spawn of Totoro]

Publicado originalmente por Jej:

Banning something or increasing the legal age only makes someone want it more. And when they get it they overdo it.

Many will simply overdo it, simply because they can or they learned it was ok to do from others.

I rarely drink and even when I do, I limit it to one. Legal age doesn't matter when people already learned to do it in excess.

I also just remembered:

https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=4045-USHJ-3810

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