How does everyone feel about the drinking age? I personally don't have a large problem with it, I don't drink and don't really care to. When my parents have let me have wine and whatnot I haven't like it.
I know that a lot of kids in high school do drink, though. I also know that kids in college drink a lot. So is the drinking age really effective at all? Kids that want alcohol will still find it (which is the same with illegal drugs I guess).
If you can fight in a war, vote, and smoke cigarettes, why not be able to drink? Would lowering the age increase the frequency of drinking in high schools? Would it make it more widely available?
In Europe the drinking age is lower and they seem to have fewer problems with drunk driving and binge drinking than the U.S. does. Are the two connected or just happen to be that way? I think they are probably connected. People are more used to drinking and it isn't quite the novelty it is here.
On the other hand, should it be raised some so that students in college have less access to alcohol? Most college students (assuming you go right out of high school) can buy alcohol during their junior year. If the age limit were raised to say 23, most students would be out of college so maybe the prevalence of drinking on campuses would shrink?
I personally don't really care, it seems fine where it is, but what do other people think?
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Because my comment on "breakdathurdle's" post is extremely pertinent and relevant to yours, I will simply paste my comment here.
Because of the failures of the American school system to teach American high school students the ideologies of Europe and how modern they are (many are astonished to find that Germany has cars, McDonald's, and other American chains such as Staples and Subway), many would be astonished to know that European teens are very much like their American counterparts, only significantly more intelligent, responsible, and mature. As I have been twice to Europe, and, after having spent 7 weeks of my last Summer vacation living as a German with a German family and experiencing the German school system and its pupils, I have concluded exactly what ails American teens, and that is suppression. It is my firm stance that suppression breeds rebellion, which stems from supposed "lack of responsible decisions" which are are entrusted into American teens themselves. German society legally allows the drinking of beer at age 16, and harder alcohol at 18, but STRICTLY prohibits driving while intoxicated. There are several benefits to this system. Most Germans begin to drink beer and wine even before 16 as it is as culturally important to them as a hot dog is to an American child; Because this begins at such an early age, the first experiences happen when the child is in the presence of his or her parents, does not have access to a car (as the driving age is 18), and can experience the effects in a safer environment than at a bar for one's 21st birthday, having had no experience with alcohol to know its effects, and then attempting to drive home, potentially killing himself or another. Lowering the drinking age concurrently with maintaining the heightened driving age of 18 would greatly improve the responsibility and safety concerning American teens.
I also feel that raising the drinking age at all from 21 would be even more exponentially detrimental. The underlying message which is the impetus for the problem already is that "You are not responsible enough to handle alcohol until you are 21 years old.", and this is the completely wrong message to send to citizens, mostly because it is EXTREMELY untrue. If one is considered responsible enough to pilot a moving vehicle in [possible] excess of 75mpg across the surface of the earth at 16 and is responsible, mature, and emotionally ready to go to war at 18 to KILL another HUMAN, then I'm pretty sure that this individual can also handle the ingestion of a beverage which is enjoyed by the bulk of the world's population as a part of their culture. Many wonder why this country has declined so much in intellectual capacity - it simply stems from the hypocrisy of the "Land of the Free" to hinder its own citizens from partaking in simple drink.
The education counts a lot and the personality of each of us.. If we are able to choose what is best for us it wouldn't be a problem to say no to drugs, alcohol or smoking. But it anyone has an obsession for one of those..there always will be an addiction treatment.
Take care!
Henry Nicholas is just going through this..and he has the age! So, we can say age isn't all in order to get high or drunk all the time.
My point exactly, kids who want alcohol will find it anyways but lowering the drinking age is not a solution with that, perhaps kids are not to blame and the people who provide alcohol for them should be charged more severely.