Do you think that 18 year olds should be able to drink alcohol?

[schoolvan]

Me and one of my neighbor was talking about how the law prevent eighteen year old adults from drinking alcohol and going to bars. But it don't prevent a teen if he/she was join our armed forces or to become a independent from their parents.

I think that allowing eighteen year olds fight along with the armed forces and becoming independents but not letting them have the same choice as an 21 year old is completely unfair to the young citizen adult.

What do you think about teenage drinking of 18 and up?

I have always believed if you are able to go into the military be shot at, shoot people, be in charge of million dollar equipment you should be able to have a BEER!!!!! I was in the military!!! t

[schoolvan]

No,I don't think so. 18 is still too young anyway for drinking no matter what. They can't manage the responsibility after drinking.

I am sorry I don't agree, but yet they can go into the military and be shot, and shoot people and be in charge of million dollar equipment and can't have a BEER. That is my opinion. I was in the military. I always did disagree with that. I am sorry that "quote always did *bleep* me off" 

[jordandog]

I am fairly sure a lot of people who are in favor of lowering the age are completely unaware of what it would do to any state that did lower it as far as money in that state's coffers. I am referring to the National Minimum Drinking Age Act passed nationwide in 1984, which tied federal highway funds to states maintaining a minimum drinking age of 21. If any state(s) decide to change/pass a law to lower the drinking age to 18, they will in turn lose 10% of their highway funding which amounts to millions of $$$. There is NO way to deny this would put a huge burden on taxpayers because they would become the 'new source' for highway monies.

There are some younger than 21 that might be able handle the booze responsibly, but experience shows not all can - anymore than all adults can. I hate the idea of 'forbidden fruit' being driven into kids' heads over and over, along with all the tales of horror and threats, then they hit the magic number 21 and the race to see who gets the drunkest quickest begins, but now it is 'okay'. Then we have the parents who encourage partying with their kids, no matter what age, until they start screaming at me and everyone else in Trauma after we have unsuccessfully tried to put the mangled pieces and parts back together and have to inform them their kid was one of the 4 in the car accident that didn't live. I see it from both sides of the equation.

[sigmapi1501]

They did the same thing with "legally drunk"

Rather than try and get a national law as to what legally drunk is, the federal government did the same thing with highway funding.  They would pull some funds from states that kept .10 as drunk. Basically forcing them to lower it to .08

[pfrancis001]

In my opinion - i dont think anyone should be drinking anyway.  i have seen too many cirrhosis pt and some lost their lives. 

[Tresbn00]

I think that it is okay for an eighteen year old to have alcohol.  The Country seems to have a hang up with alcohol and I think that this creates more of a 'want' in younger people and subsequently has us at a higer rate of alcoholism than othe countries.  Wine is served with dinner in Italy...lowere alcoholic rate.  If you can see over a bar in Germany you can be served alcohol...lower alcoholic rate.  If our young people are old enough to put their lives in harm's way for military enlistment than I believe that the should beallowed to have alcohol.

[blondie71]

I am not sure because  everyone is different.  Like my son if he would drink he would stay home or were ever he is, my niece is the type to go out and cause trouble and vandilize things I say if they want to change the law I would make it 25 before they can legally drink but that is just me.  Make sure the kids are really mature before they do something stupid.

[BizELady]

Yes, they are old enough to serve the country so they should be old enough to drink.

[timvolley]

i like leavin g the age at 21 but unfortunately even at that age kids if they want to can always find alcohol. Sometimes i have heard of parents supplying to them.

[d1cheetah]

If they are 18 and want a drink, they will find it.  I think like many here, that if you are old enough to die for your country in war, you are old enough to have a beer.

[frozenimage]

The way this generation has been, I don't think so. I think the drinking limit should be 24...a lot of people just want to get wasted and try driving drunk too.