Whats your opinion on American drinking laws?

[retiredguns]

Unfortunately you can't legalize an age of maturity.

[The Knize]

I am late to the party here, but to me clearly the drinking age should be 18. Otherwise we set up a forbidden fruit scenario and end up engaging in all sorts of arbitrary and essentially futile enforcement efforts, that I think are detrimental to us as a community. Folks under 21 are going to drink. Do we really want to brand them as criminals? Do we want a model that we have laws we know are going to broken, and that are based on some imposed morals that most adults do not follow? It promotes disrespect for the law and its enforcers as far as I am concerned. I also suspect that it promotes drug use, because drugs can be easier to obtain and easier to discretely use. Do we want to criminalize parents who on a reasonable basis introduce their children to appropriate attitudes toward drinking?

Just my analysis though. I do not feel all the strongly about it. I would be interested in seeing statistics as to how much alcohol consumption among 18 to 21 year olds actually changes with changes in the drinking age between 18 and 21. I would not be surprised in the answer was not much!

Drunk driving is a different concern.

[joshua1970]

to paraphrase/butcher the late great comic Bill Hicks...

'''remember folks, the North American Colonies were started by Puritans, people who were SOOOO friggin uptight, that the ENGLISH kicked them out!!!'''

Prohibitions NEVER work for how they are advertised/marketed to pubic and legislatively passed, though they ALWAYS work to create black markets, increase crime and give more power to the State.

[jkingrph]

Now I'm 39 and have been known to kick back several Jack 'n Cokes on a regular basis but I think there are issues with this. My Brother and sister n law did the same think with my nephew years ago. He's now 18, has dropped out school twice is quite the alcholic.

Not passing judgement mind you, but I think sometimes parents are too much their kids friends and not enough of their kid's parent. My Dad didn't become my "friend" unitl I was in my late 20's!

But then again...YMMV....

We did that with my son. Before he was driving and would want to be out with friends like at local pizza place with games ect, he would get bored and call us early to come pick him up. Living in a dry county may have helped some, but alcohol could be had for on premises consumption at "private clubs"

Later when he got to Austin at U. Texas, the day he turned 21 some friends took his truck keys and took him down to 6th street for a night of bar crawling. He said he did not want to do that again.

He is now an attorney in Jackson, Ms and we sometimes enjoy a drink together.

[DukeGrad]

I went in service 18 was the age felt not fair
simply put 21 is the law and age!!!
After 25 years of mitary time and 30 years of ER medicine, i feel there should be a law still, with seriousbpenalties
lot of college aged kids are dying left and right
I think people are not mature and responsible till age 30, with a job and famies
nice day no answer to you argument you are wrong comes from wisdom
Nice day

[_JP_]

The drinking laws are hold overs from the days when "blue laws" reigned. And as long as there are States Rights the drinking laws will continue to vary across the country.

BTW, the Fed has one big stick that they wield when it comes to the drinking age. They use the Federal funding for highways as a way to influence the drinking age in each state. If the state doesn't conform, then that state doesn't get part of the funding.

[delamain]

At the very least, if you can vote, you should be able to buy alcohol.

Personally, I would support the legal drinking age being lowered as far as 16. That is my honest view.

Responsibility lies with the individual and their parents to drink responsibly.

I think we have the wrong approach to alcohol as a society, plain and simple.

There will be abuses whether the drinking age is 16 or 36.

We only make it worse by glorifying intoxication and by displaying hypocritical attitudes about alcohol consumption.

[conroygc]

To answer the original question, I think Europe's drinking laws are more beneficial to curbing binge drinking at a young age. When it's something normal that you've grown up with, it doesn't have such an appeal. My parents let me taste their drinks growing up, and would tell me what they were, so there was no special mystique to it.

Utah has some ridiculous drinking laws and taxes. But that's another thread.

[ricardo9505]

I always oppose big government but lets be fair.THE EU and USA are not the same. the social fabric of America and social-political ideology is much different. Just look at our crime rates and way of life. I livedin Europe for 2years. not that long but I truly appreciate what they have. I can't put my finger on it. But in America we tend to forget history and we have become overtly politically correct. we are scared totake this country to new heights a well. blame congress for that.

[saunterer1]

In order to start a wine club you just need some enthusiastic organizers, a few ideas for a wine club, and an initial venue – that could be your own home as a starting point. Oh and of course you need a few friends to get the show underway.
________
wine club

[La Mosca]

Oddly enough, there is no Federal law making twenty-one the legal drinking age. This was achieved by having each state pass its own twenty-one year old drinking law in order to qualify to receive Federal highway funds. Do you remember MADD in the 1980's (Mothers Against Drunk Driving?) Hawaii was the last state to change its legal drinking age from eighteen to twenty-one, just about ten years ago I think, as they had much less of a need for Federal highway funds simply because of that state's diminutive size. You may recall how Hawaii used to be a favorite destination for recent high school graduating classes, and now you know why.

When I was in High school, from 1978-1982, we still had a designated student smoking area on campus (I kid you not!) I was there recently, and the painted lines that marked the space, behind the cafeteria, are still there. Back then, you could legally buy cigarettes at age sixteen.

[WoodfordReserve-Neat]

I have not had time to read all of the reps to this topic so excuse me if this has already been said.
My sentiments:
I am from the Vietnam Era, Got my draft notice in 1972.
Back then, where I lived, you had to be 21 to buy any kind of alc. beverage. But you could get drafted at 18 and go get your azz blown off in the jungles of Nam.....I say if you are old enough to fight for your country, you are old enough to have a drink....

[McShaverson]

Let me first start off by saying that I just turned 21 on the 8th of August.

As I was growing up my parents would let me sip on whatever they were drinking. That was usually only when I asked out of sheer curiosity, and I will tell you that most of the time I walked away disgusted by such flavors. Whenever I turned 18 I had a taste of some American Honey whiskey and kept a spare bottle of it in my room (hidden, although I'm not sure why) for occasions I deemed "special". I would never drink more than one half of a tumbler at a time (with ice).

The first party I went to when I was 19. I was never very social and chose to sip on a small glass of Jager. After I was done with my glass I went and sat outside with the other party guests and enjoyed the evening. There were several people around me who felt it was necessary to drink until they came into contact with the floor. Somewhere in the beginning of my 20th year I went to another party, this time I decided that I would not limit myself just to see where it got me. Whiskey was my drink of choice and, needless to say, I ended up expelling my insides out into a some ground that I was trying to hold up. The next morning I awoke with what could only be described as hell wreaking havoc upon my body. I had a major hang-over and on top of that I got the stomach flu leaving me down and out for a week. It was at that moment that I decided I would never do that again. A lesson well learned.

Tonight I sit enjoying a half glass of Ruffino Chianti classico. To me, it feels no different than it did when I was 19. Given my personal experience, I believe that, past 16, the parents should be able to allow their own children to enjoy a beverage in their own home. Ultimately it should be up to the parents to teach their kids responsibility. I also believe, like many others, that if you are able to serve your country you should be able to not only have, but buy a beer.

[eelhc]

Typical big government... bad solution to a legitimate problem. A lower legal drinking age is not the problem. Irresponsible behavior is... drunk, stoned or sober. The logic is that kids under 21 aren't responsible or mature enough to consume/enjoy alcoholic beverages. In my experience age has never been a good measure of maturity or responsibility (at least in the US).

I'd rather there be appropriate consequences for irresponsible behavior vs any restrictions in personal freedoms.

[Bill Smith]

A perspective from the Great White North: The drinking age in the Province of Ontario is 19, in terms of purchasing beer wine and spirits, the Provincial Government has a tight fist on the distribution channels. We're the only jurisdiction in North America save for maybe Utah, you can't buy beer at a variety store or supermarket. You can maybe buy it from the brewery (if it's a craft Brewery), "The Beer Store" a private consortium owned by Molson-Coors, EnBev and Sapporo, the local microbrewers are at the mercy the big boys to get listed and finally the LCBO stores which is the provincially owned liquor stores. Thing with the LCBO is they are not only the retail arm but the regulatory apparatus that issues liquor licenses.

After my spring visit to NYC and seeing the wall of craft brewed beer in my brother's neighbourhood Whole Foods, believe me, you have no idea how good you got things.