As a parent, do you think the drinking age should be lowered to 18?

Question

It was 18 when I came of age in the 60's. I do think that the age should be lowered because a person is legally an adult at this age. They can vote, fight for their country and live on their own. I do understand the MADD stance, however I feel that the statistics they back their cause with are more a result of the stricter laws in place (that were not there before) and not the drinking age itself.

Answer 1

No. The 18 year old brain is not as developed as the 21 year old brain. There are studies that indicate that the longer a person waits to use alcohol the lesser the chance of it being a serious problem.   Of course you won't believe the MADD statistics. It does not jive with what you want.  Yes! Lets encourage our children to drink at a younger age. Why anyone would believe that this would stop binge drinking is beyone me.

Answer 2

I think it should be lowered only if the driving age stays at 16 and it would be okay.

Answer 3

No, I didn't even think it should be lowered when i was a teen.  I personally know a few teens that died because of either overdosing on alcohol (and yes they were 18 and 19) or they would drink and drive.  I don't even think most 21 year olds should be drinking. Just because you are an adult doesn't mean you need to be drinking, even at 18 most people aren't mature enough to understand the circumstances of drinking and what you should and shouldn't do.   The other factor is that the earlier a person starts to drink the higher the risk of becoming and alcoholic.  

Answer 4

This is why Canadians are absolute geniuses.....the drinking age here is 19...=)

Answer 5

Yes, I think it should be lowered....as you point out, in all other respects a person is considered an adult at 18.  If you can vote and go die in Iraq fighting for your country, I see no reason why you should not be able to drink also.  Many other developed countries have the legal drinking age as 18.  

I understand arguments on the other side, but as 18 is the legal age of adulthood, the law needs to be consistent.  If you are old enough to get married at 18, you are old enough to have a drink.  If you are old enough to get a credit card (which can be wayyy more dangerous than having a beer), you are old enough to drink.

*edit*  How come many of the girls I see on this question have no problem having babies at 18 (which I think is much too young), but they don't think an 18 year old should be allowed to drink?  That just seems a tad ridiculous.  Having and raising a child is a much more serious undertaking than having a drink.

Answer 6

yes..because if you can, vote, go to war (that screws with your brain horribly) and die for the country at 18 you should be able to drink

if your mature enough to pick the countrys new leader your mature enough too have a beer..people of all ages can be idiots and choose to drive drunk. age has nothing to do with it

Answer 7

I'm on both sides of the fence with this I think if a 18 year old can vote and be considered a adult buy cigarettes and go to war then they should be able to buy beer. but then again I think about the immature 18 year olds that I think should never drink. I also think that if the age is lowered then more teens will be drinking some 18 year olds are still in high school and if they can legally drink then they will be able to go out and drink on school nights and not come to school because they are hung over. I hope that answer's your question.

Answer 8

No I dont think it should be lowered. In 1984 I moved to Florida and the legal age was 18, I was 19 and had moved from a state where it was 21. I could buy beer and sit in a bar legally and it was strange to get use to. Later that year or in early 1985 they changed it to 21. I was still legal because I fell into the grandfather clause..

Kids these days are not as responsible and giving them a lower legal age to drink would cause more accidents and/or deaths. I have a 18 year old son, and for his birthday a few weeks ago I let him have some beer and vodka to drink.. Needless to say he couldnt handle it. I could never imagine him legal at this age, hes not mature enough. He cant handle his liquor and I wont let him drink ever again in my house until hes 21. He didnt get sick and it only took a small amount to get him drunk.. and go wild and crazy to where I couldnt control him. If I had a choice.. between him drinking or smoking pot.. Id choose the pot..lol ( in all honesty i think it should be legalized)

Answer 9

The largest reason you can join the military at 18 and not 21 is because the less life experience you have, the easier it is to brain wash you.  And yes, military training is a form of brain washing, literally.

If the drinking age was lowered, there would be an immediate surge of young people drinking and driving for a couple years before the novelty wears off.

The largest issue  have with lowering the drinking age is more inexperienced drivers drinking while driving.  Today in the US a minor with any trace of alcohol is a dui.  If the law were changed, an 18 year old would be allowed to have the same amount of alcohol in their system while driving as everyone else.

Alcohol impairs judgement, and many young drivers already make the wrong judgement while driving sober, much more so if they are drinking.  It is a fact that young inexperienced drivers cause the most wrecks...  add legal alcohol consumption, and those numbers go higher.

Answer 10

No way! 18 y/o are not mature enough....

Answer 11

   It's  already is 18 in many parts of North America.. There's only one problem with 18 year old drinking age  limits. Kids tend to go the bar while they're still in high school. Not a good idea! Especially when you're driving.  

Answer 12

Ya know this subject is debatable. I do agree with Panda bear though. If you can die for this country you should be able to have a drink legally. I remember when my husband was in the Coast Guard and having to go to Canada to have a few drinks b/c we were not 21 yet. Teens will get the alcohol no matter the age. I think the more important thing would be to make sure they drink responsibly. Drunk driving and alcohol abuse isn't just geared to a certain age. It's all ages.  

Answer 13

Im a 20 year old parents and NO i dont think it should be lowered. 18 year olds drink--- alot more then people think. There is a reason the law is 21. Under that your body isnt ready to handle that kinda of abuse that kids these days do to it when they drink. Most 18 year olds wont sit down and have a beer with dinner. They would drink the whole case until they were puking there brains out and guess what... that would be cool. I hate when kids i know talk about how drunk they got. The reason i beleive this so strongly is I was going through a really hard time in life around that age and I drank just about every day to a least have a buzz. I went to an alternative high school and so most of the kids there were partiers. Its easy to get addicted to it and at least as some maturity to it. Lowering it wouldn't make kids stop, more would drive home drunk. I think the punishments on kids who drink underage should be stronger, not just the slap on the hand they get today. I do on the other hand beleive if you are in the military and under 21 you should be allowed to drink.

EDIT- for people thinking that becuase there going to college or there gonna drink any ways --- why is that a reason why not punish your children for breaking the law. So people are gonna rob stories should we make it ok... i mean it doesn't hurt anyone just the company right. It doesn't make any sense. Enforce the laws we have now and make them stronger. You don't think its enough stress being 18 starting college, or still being in HIGH SCHOOL ( you don't this these " responsible" 18 years olds would bring any with them to school LOL some already do). Plus being legalized to smoke, vote or be tried as an adult ( and btw if you commit enough or a serious enough crime you can be). Its the law and just becuase you don't agree with it doesn't mean it shouldn't be enforced. Now giving your child a drink at home is one thing but letting them go out and party and then turning a blind eye when they come how so drunk they cant walk is another thing. The 21 one shots would be come 18 shots in our culture. Yes drinking is a forbidden fruit and it should be. Should the legal age for smoking be dropped to 15 just because kids do it... no i don't think so.

Answer 14

What I think part of the problem is, is the fact is there IS a legal drinking age at all....its become a forbidden thing and what do kids do? do what is forbidden...at least most. I truly believe that it should be something that a parent is responsible for teaching, I have an older brother, he is 14 years older then me, he gave me my first glass of champagne at age 11. Then after that i got a beer a few times a year WITH HIM and it was ONLY ONE. He wasn't even strict, yet if he said i had enough i had enough and it was taken away. I don't even know if he was just trying to be a cool brother or if he was trying to teach me...but either way he taught me how to be responsible with alcohol. I made it a rule for myself that he was the only one who could give me a beer, and I couldn't with my friends. I am now going on 25 years old and am a very responsible drinker, h**l I think I was more responsible at age 18 then I am now,( not that I'm bad now, I'm not). IT became something unforbidden, and I was taught how to. I think it should be the responsibility of the parent top teach there kids how to drink responsibly verses worrying about keeping them away from it till they are a certain age....Because it doesn't matter if you are 18 or 21, if you haven't been taught your going to go past your limit.

Answer 15

The legal age here (Quebec) is 18 and it really isn't a problem. Honestly the craziest drunken people you meet downtown (Montreal) are drunk 18-20 year old American students since it's so novel when they come up here. If the American standard is changed there may be an adjustment period but afterwards it may become less of a novel concept and the 'mystery' and 'exciting' aura about it will be gone.  

Answer 16

no i don't i think the age is just fine yes you can vote at 18 but how many do? 21 you are a more responsible person and better a wear of your self

Answer 17

Honestly I don't think so. Then it would only encourage it even more in high school and then people wouldn't hesitate at all in college. There should be more education about it and harsher penalties.

Answer 18

I think it should be 18.  At 18 a person is considered to be an adult and like you said can vote, join the military, and smoke.  Kids are going to drink regardless of the age limit and I'll be willing to bet there are not many kids that say "I'm going to wait until I'm 21 to start drinking".  Drinking and driving isn't a problem for just the 18-21 year olds.  Changing the age limit isn't going to increase the number of drunk drivers or alcoholics.  

Edit:

We have 18 year olds learning how to fire a M16, 9mil, and a lot of other weapons in the military, don't tell me they are not mature enough to handle a beer.  

Yes, I know some will get drunk and act stupid but we have that problem with 30, 40, and 50 year olds.

Edit:

oh yeah, the military brain washes us.  During boot camp they take us into a "special" room and hook us up to all this fancy equipment and the brainwashing begins ....  

Not everyone joins the military at the age of 18.  When I went to boot camp, half my company was over the age of 25.

Answer 19

Yes I do, I agree with everything you said.

If we can die for our country why can't we have a drink?

If we can vote for our president, if we can go to jail for the rest of our lives, etc, we should be aloud to drink as well.

Nothing is going to change the fact that teens are going to drink underage, or the fact that people will drive drunk.

Answer 20

I have had this same discussion with my 18 year old and she believes that the drinking age should be lowered and it's not because she's 18 and wants to drink legally.

Her rationale is that kids are going to drink anyway and that it doesn't matter what the drinking age is, kids are still going to drink, especially on college campuses. She is leaving for school on Sunday and I know she will probably do her fair share of partying, but as she has assured me, she knows her limits and I believe her. She came home drunk once and that was enough for her.

We have turned alcohol into a forbidden fruit. Telling someone they have to wait until they are 21 has led to that horrible tradition of "21 shots on your 21st birthday" which is definitely going to cause more harm than good. We all need to learn our limits and the earlier we do so, the better it will be. I know I learned mine at age 15, when it was technically illegal for me to drink, but I did it anyway.

I agree with the college presidents who say that the drinking age needs to go back to 18. I am sure that they would prefer fewer alcohol related incidents on their campuses.