Underage Drinking

I don't think you should break the law.


But with that said, I do think the drinking age is too high.

 

the drinking age in the US are way to high.

if you're worried about citations ... well ... don't do anything stupid

 

This is a big topic of conversation in the area I live. I'm 17, go out on weekends, and I have a few drinks. Different teens my age drink different amounts and I stay within reasonable means. We know to have a designated driver and so forth. I didn't come home until 7am this morning from a night of craziness, but little drinking on my part.

Our community forum just had a LONG thread about the teens from my school and the parties we have. Its a very good read and brings up many good points.

http://www.nola.com/forums/rivertownhall/index.ssf?artid=63864

 

Underage - overage - doesn't matter.

Drinking to the point of intoxication is a dumbass idea.

If you value your brain, your health and that of those around you, don't do it.

And for the sake of all that is worthwhile in this world, do not operate a vehicle.

In my province this week we lost three young men and an innocent cab driver to the combination of alcohol, fast cars and lack of foresight and responsibility.
It. Is. Not. Fricking. Worth. It.

 

3 words for you: everything in moderation. I do agree with iGary that the US drinking age is WAYYY to high (just another way Americans are more conservative then Europeans[lets just leave it at that, I'm not trying to start an argument])

 

What is the Euro/British legal drinking age?

 

It is ridiculous, 18 and we get tried as an adult and can get sent off to die for this country, yet we can't have a freaken' drink.

What gives?

But yes, everything in moderation.

 

It's 18 but 16 in restaurants.

I found this (http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/LegalDrinkingAge.html) look at the chart down the bottom, the US has the highest drinking age of the world.

 

Well said.
I'm only 15, but I know plenty of my peers do drink beers every now and then.
Personally, my religion doesn't allow me to drink alcohol, but even if I could, I really don't think I ever would. Call me conservative or boring or whatever, I just don't see how you could possibly enjoy it...
and from what I've heard, beer doesn't taste too great anyway...

reality

 

When I was 13(now 14) I went to Europe and I had wine at almost every restaurant. I was only able to drink a little less than half before my head got very hot.

 

most US laws, such as the legal age of drinking are outrageous. it is too high. but its the US what else do you expect?

drinking to be drunk is pointless.
drinking too much and being stupid is pointless and harmful.

be careful and stay within moderation, and don't do anything stupid.

 

Beer is the best tasting bring in my opinon, well atleast to me.

 

austria:
beer/wine (most stuff below 13-14% ? with a few exceptions): 16
liquors, "hard drinks": 18

 

Thats tragic !!! I started drinking cider down an alley with friends when I was about 13 !!!! It never did me any harm.........I'm still doing it now 20 years on

 

Yeah the money you save, by drinking in moderation allows you to spend you money on more important things like clothes, or Apple related products.

 

You seem like a pretty reasonnable guy/person. Though I can't encourage you to break the law, as long as it's done in a consequence free environment and not to excess I don't see anything wrong with it. US drinking laws are plain stupid.

France has some of the less restrictive drinking laws in Europe (and possible on the planet) and is far from having the biggest drinking problem in Europe...

 

We really need to bump that up to 21, same with the driving licence.

 

Far as I remember, if you're eating a meal, you can drink beer or wine at any age

The US age is far too high. I'm 14, I don't drink too much (about a pint or 2 a week), but alcohol doesn't affect me at all for some reason

 

I think the driving age of 16 is ridiculous. That should at least be 18, at 16 most people are nowhere near the maturity level needed in order to properly and safely operate a vehicle. We all pay for it too, in our insurance rates going up...

Drinking age of 21 is to match the gambling age of 21 in most major gambling cities NJ/NV gaming commissions. I believe they should keep it at 21, heck raise the age to buy cigarettes to 21 too.

Years ago i seem to remember the states being able to set the minimum age for drinking, but i could be wrong, i know its a federal thing now that applies to all 50 states.

Ed

 

Sometimes people realize what they did in the past was stupid, and although it seems like hypocrisy, it isn't. They just know better.

In the case of drinking in the US, that isn't true. The law is ridiculous.

I say continue drinking, but be a responsible drinker (and this is coming from the guy who threw up last weekend after a party But that hasn't happened in years. ) and don't drink and drive and such.

Ever been to Canada? Its not the Europeans who are more relaxed. It's just your country that has this craziness.

 

depends a bit on cultural factors - Europeans generally seem to have a pretty relaxed approach to alcohol as a normal part of everyday living, here we have a long history of alcohol as a means to get drunk above all else.
We recently lowered the LDA to 18 and the big problems are not the 18 yr olds (although they're bad enough) but that you inevitably get a flow down effect - when it was 20 you had lots of 18 yr olds drinking, now it's 18, there are lots of 16yr olds getting into it, and here that means getting completely hammered - not good for brains still undergoing intensive rewiring and development, and when combined with under-developed risk analysis abilities and car culture, it's disastrous. Not to mention domestic violence and all the rest once it becomes ingrained as a life-long habit.

And i work for a company flogging the stuff..

 

From experience, people under 21 will get alcohol, we just can't buy it. The drinking age is just a deturent of teens buying it, not drinking.

 

Go with moderation and learn your limits when it comes to the amount/types of drinks you can down. Personally I don't mind the U.S. drinking age limit. Of course I live close to the Canadian Boarder

 

I don't agree with drinking at all, not with all the problems is causes (unless magically all problematic folk stop drinking). But underage is worst. nowt is worse than immature brats all drunk. Just the other day I was picking my girlfriend up in Manchester and the bus was full of 15-16 year olds. to be honest I've never been so scared on a bus before. these guys were just dangerous.

but meh.

I don't class you as underage though, you are 18 after all and in the UK its legal to drink at 18. I see no problem, if you were 15 or 16 then I'd probably spit on you for trying to look cool and (possible) acting like an arse. but you're not. you can have my tick.

Now, the US driving age of 16 really petrifies me! Looking at the average 16 year old at least. I would not want to be near them driving a car. or 17 even. It should be a universal 18, all over the world. perhaps.