I heard a rumor that the govt. wants to lower the drinking age to 18. Is that true?

Question

I saw it on the news last night in Orlando, FL. this was between reports of Tropical Storm Fay, etc. I did not hear exactly what they said about it. But is it true?

I think they should. If they trust an 18 year old to carry a machine gun and if necessary, DIE for our country in Iraq, they can go to prison for life, become a fire fighter or a cop, buy a gun, become a bar tender and a paramedic and even smoke cigarettes and get into an x*x rated movie, why not let them drink?

I understand, they may go to school drunk, but if I went to work drunk, I would be fired right? School should be no different. Kick them out of school for coming in drunk!

If they want beer badly enough at age 18, they will get it! Some stores will sell it to them. They have friends and relatives who are 21. They can also go meet someone in a parking lot who is 21 and have them buy.

When my friends and I were 21, I lost count of how many times people asked us to buy for them. Did we do it? I PLEAD THE FIFTH! LOL

I used to work in a hotel and 18 yr olds had alcohol all the time there.

What do you think? Should the age be lowered?

Keep in mind: 18 year olds are dying for our country in Iraq and Afghanistan. They can get the death penalty, become a cop, smoke and buy a gun and almost anything else they want, except drink a beer!

Answer 1

About bloody time! Now when the backpackers come over they won't have to shell out $100 before they leave for a fake ID. That should stimulate your lagging economy too - giving each tourist $100 more to spend while they are there. Let's face it you need all the help you can get on the economy front!

Every other civilised country in the world has a drinking age of around 18. You guys are so regressive in the US. No wonder your kids run amok so frequently. It is a reaction to being held down all their lives.

Answer 2

Just not going to happen.  Drinking age WAS 18 and got raised in state after state because of pressure on politicians, due to drunk driving deaths, etc.  Same pressure will be on politicians - would have to worry that if they did vote to lower it, then any DUI deaths would be used against them in elections, big time.

The arguments you list were around when the age got raised.  Have some logic to them, but not enough.

Answer 3

I disagree - just look at those of 18 or more who drink [legally or not ] now...not a pretty sight.

Your military excuse is not valid - you choose to join, and can drink on base. The rest of it - "...get the death penalty, become a cop, smoke and buy a gun and almost anything else ..." just shows how important society considers drinking to be.

Answer 4

The union of university presidents is asking for a review and a discussion on the issue that is all. Congress, at this point, is disinclined to.

The society for ethical behavior is vehemently apposed.

Answer 5

They're floating that idea in a Pennsylvania college town that's near where I live.  

I like the idea of it (as I was drinking well before I was 21, and 18 for that matter), but I don't think it will pass.  

Answer 6

Out of more than 4,000 colleges is this country, 100 college presidents requested the government lower the drinking age to 18, to lessen their liability (although they didn't actually say that).

This proposal will go no where. It's a silly and ridiculous notion. Immature people and alcohol have never mixed well.

Answer 7

It's not the government that's proposing this, it's a group composed of the college presidents of over 100 top American universities.

Their position is that college students already drink. The law does nothing but drive it underground - dorm room drinking etc - where it can't be regulated.

Personally, I agree with it. If college kids could legally drink on campus there would be less drinking and driving, and less dead college kids. I did most of my college drinking in the Students Union bar back when I was at college in England, and then walked back to my Hall of Residence. The SU was the cheapest place to drink around - and had the most college chicks.

Richard

Answer 8

I was a young adult in the 70's, the last time they lowered the drinking age to 18. It was a disaster! Carfuls of young people died in those horrible accidents, along with many people that they crashed into. They just didn't have the maturity to handle it. I don't want to see this tragedy happen again!

Answer 9

It's a rumor but not likely to happen. The federal highway dollars were threaten to be taken away to any state that refused to go along with the federal mandate of age 21 to be the legal drinking age. Years ago states like Iowa and Illinois used to have 19 and 18 legal age.

Answer 10

NO.. some group of college goofs (including some Liberal college presidents) are saying that by making it "legal", it will bring the PROBLEM of excessive drinking out of the shadows where it can be "treated"...bla bla bla... more unfounded liberal nonsense.

LIKE ALL LIBERAL IDEAS....  they have chosen to COMPLETELY IGNORE HISTORY.  

YES... you can go to war, vote, etc... but HISTORY HAS SHOWN that 18 year olds DID - and DID often - abuse their right to drink by acting irresponsibly.

HISTORY answers all your questions...

Answer 11

I don't know about the government, but the presidents from 100 colleges and universities signed a petition requesting the legal drinking age be lowered.  Their rationale is that if kids started drinking earlier, they would be more responsible by the time the got to college.

Answer 12

It's not the gov't that's suggesting this.  It's the presidents of a fairly large number of colleges.

Personally, I think the drinking age should be abolished, but the penalties for DUI should be increased.  If kids are used to having a half glass of wine at dinner once in a while starting around age 10, they won't spazz out about "OMG!!! ALCOHOL!!! WOO!!!" the second they get to college.

Answer 13

Yes, I think they should.  And when the auto insurance rates go through the roof the underage whiners that want this passed should pay every ones increase for ten years after they are of legal age.  Also any state that goes along with this will loose all federal funding for highway maintainance and who knows what else.  Their are too many reasons to try and explain, this law is here for a reason and the main one is to save lives.

Answer 14

Yes, I think the drinking age should be lowered.  And you don't need to look at history either.  Just look at Europe now.  They are SO MUCH more mature about drinking than we are.  Just look at all the kids here turning 21 and almost immediately turn into raging alcoholics.  I think we should do it like Europe.  Lower the drinking age, but make DUI sentences A LOT more harsher.  Germany has a much lower rate of DUIs and their drinking age is 16.  Why?  Because our punishments for DUIs in the US are a joke compared to what they are in Germany.