If the drinking age in the US was lowered to 18 do you think there would be less underage drinkers?

Question

If the drinking age in the US was lowered to 18 do you think there would be less underage drinkers?

Answer 1

The drinking age in Australia is 18 and believe me, we have plenty of under age drinkers here. It seems to be the culture with parents that they introduce drink to teens as if to say that you only have a good time if you've got a drink in your hand. I try to teach my kids that you don't have to have a drink in your hand to have a good time.It's worked well. In answer to your question, yes! there would definitely be more under age drinkers if the drinking age were to be lowered in your country.

Answer 2

Yes, but more DUI's and alcohol related accidents because 18 year olds can be really stupid when inebriated.  

Answer 3

Err, I think the logic is really contradicting itself.  We tried this with the vietnam war already and it  Dont give me the war argument anymore and voting as compared to drinking.  They are two seperate things, but the one thing I do agree is the possibility of raising those other ages, along with raising the age of adulthood to 21.  Of course, in some circumstances, the legal justifications for trying children as adults should continue. Yes, there does need to be a balance of one age for adults. If that type of plan won't get scrutinized, then it might be reasonable to lower the age for low point alcohol beverages or wine.  Not Liquor!

Answer 4

No, because then you'd have the 14 to 16 year olds whining about how they can't get alcohol. And you'd also still have the 18 year olds (no, not ALL of them) thinking  they're invincible, so they drive drunk, just because they're suddenly of legal drinking age.

The drinking age will never please everyone, no matter if it's 18, 19, 20 or 21. You'll still have the ones underaged whining about how unfair their life is, and how it all sucks big time.

Answer 5

i think over time there would be less . think about it , If its 18 there well be less of a gap you have to wait to drink so it would less of a concern to take ever change to get drunk underage. so yes

Answer 6

i doubt it but i think it would be abused less. it's less alluring when you're allowed to do it

Answer 7

No! and there will be a lot more DUI's and alcohol related wrecks and deaths

Answer 8

ooo yeah definitely. But don't get it twisted there will still be underage drinkers.

Answer 9

Yes for sure. That would be the smart thing to do.

Answer 10

the only reason that there would be less underage drinkers is that 18, 19 and 20 year oldcould then drink but other than that i doubt it iin facti bet the age kids start drinking would get younger. (iI'm19, anddon'tt really care either way,I'mm going to drink weather its legal or not and i think most underage people feel the same way its almost more eciting to have underage parties if you think about it)  

Answer 11

Of course! Let's assume that 40% of underage drinkers are 18-20 currently. If the age was dropped to 18, then only the remaining 60% would remain classified as an underage drinker.

I don't think that's what you meant, you just seem to have bad wording. I think that whether or not a drug is legal or illegal, this age or that, the percentage of abusers will remain the same in the long haul. Where theirs a will theirs a way, regardless of legality.

Answer 12

Yes I do.  Wow the last guy might've had some points but he went a bit too extreme.  Yes, it would make sense to lower the age and to encourage responsbility amongst teens.   The age isn't really working anymore and actually just encourages bing drinking.  In fact, groups like MADD put too much emphasis on the age itself rather than curbing  reckless driving.  Revert back to the way things were originally with more education.   Should be fine.  Go for it :).

btw history behind it with madd, their original main goal was to eliminate drunk driving completely, now they have sorta moved on to prohibition.   Speaking of  the other topics the previous dude mentioned,  18 should work for those as well, but it would only make sense to lower the age already.

Answer 13

I'm in the UK we have legal drinking age of 18 and like everywhere else, we have loads of underage drinkers. At the end of the day, a lot of people don't exactly listen to 'rules' so to be honest if the legal age was 16 or younger, there would still be underage drinkers.

So in a word, no. There would probably be a similar amount of underage drinkers if not more (as it's easier to look 18 than 21 apparently).