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What age (not legally) do people start drinking in America?

Dmac77 said:
I did NOT act as if drinking among teens in europe is a problem. All I said was that we (the US) is the ONLY western country that has it's drinking age set that high. In my opinion, it;s due to hypocritical yuppies that say that alcohol is the scurge of the earth, but then go home and down a cocktail every night. Once again this is an opinion if you need to please refer to the definition of opinion that was stated earlier in this post.
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Stating that "I don't think that it can hurt anyone in their teens as long as they drink responsibly" is a factual claim, one that can be addressed with evidence. It's not an opinion. ...You're more than welcome to your opinions, so long as they're actually opinions and not misstated factual claims.

And once again you manage to make an incorrect assumption (there's an old saying that assuming "makes an ass out of you and me"), stating that you have family in Europe and act as if no one else does. And if you really must know half of my family lives in Germany.

Don
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I don't believe I made any such assumption, nor did I allude to one. I wasn't referring to my family in Europe as a circumstance unique to myself giving me "insider knowledge," but rather to demonstrate that my comments regarding Europe certainly weren't personally directed or intended with malice.
 
EricNau said:
Stating that "I don't think that it can hurt anyone in their teens as long as they drink responsibly" is a factual claim, one that can be addressed with evidence. It's not an opinion.


I don't believe I made any such assumption, nor did I allude to one. I wasn't referring to my family in Europe as a circumstance unique to myself giving me "insider knowledge," but rather to demonstrate that my comments regarding Europe certainly weren't personally directed or intended with malice.
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I stated that I don't THINK, that denotes an opinion. I did not say "It is a fact that drinking can hurt anyone in their teens if they are responsible about it". I stated that I THINK it can't hurt anyone who is responsible about it. If you think that that isn't an opinion YOUR definition of "opinion" is flawed, and you need to relearn what an opinion is.

Oh, bye the way you still haven't said what makes YOU so qualified to judge my opinion? Are you a Police officer, or a doctor? If not you have no right to say that my opinion has no standing. If you can show proof that says that drinking in moderation and responsibly starting at the age of 13 can SERIOUSLY harm someone I will retract my earlier statements. If you can't I'm afraid you have no standing to challenge my opinion. Unless of-course you are one of the aforementioned hypocritical yuppies that belittle people that advocate lowering the drinking and drink, and then go home and down a cocktail every night.

Don
 
Dmac77 said:
I stated that I don't THINK, that denotes an opinion. I did not say "It is a fact that drinking can hurt anyone in their teens if they are responsible about it". I stated that I THINK it can't hurt anyone who is responsible about it. If you think that that isn't an opinion YOUR definition of "opinion" is flawed, and you need to relearn what an opinion is.
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Just because it's an "opinion" doesn't mean your statement is immune to criticism, or can't be addressed with evidence. Opinion or not, you've got to defend your position. Adding "I don't think" in front of a statement doesn't grant anyone the right to just make stuff up.

Oh, bye the way you still haven't said what makes YOU so qualified to judge my opinion? Are you a Police officer, or a doctor? If not you have no right to say that my opinion has no standing. If you can show proof that says that drinking in moderation and responsibly starting at the age of 13 can SERIOUSLY harm someone I will retract my earlier statements. If you can't I'm afraid you have no standing to challenge my opinion. Unless of-course you are one of the aforementioned hypocritical yuppies that belittle people that advocate lowering the drinking and drink, and then go home and down a cocktail every night.

Don
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I've already provided evidence to the contrary. ...And don't try to move the goalpost.

Anyway, I'm done discussing this. It was wrong to derail this thread in the first place.
 
EricNau said:
Just because it's an "opinion" doesn't mean your statement is immune to criticism, or can't be addressed with evidence. Opinion or not, you've got to defend your position. Adding "I don't think" in front of a statement doesn't grant anyone the right to just make stuff up.


I've already provided evidence to the contrary. ...And don't try to move the goalpost.

Anyway, I'm done discussing this. It was wrong to derail this thread in the first place.
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I'll stop after this last post.

So, um where is this "evidence" that responsible supervised teenage drinking is detrimental to a child's health? All you provided is information about European youth drunkenness rates are higher then US youth drunkenness rates. And how is me stating my opinion "making stuff up"?

Just saying that you should backup your claims of me lying, (it makes you look bad not to;)).

Don
 
Meanwhile, in the interests of addressing the thread's original question, according to a 2006 study by the SAMHSA, rates of current alcohol use were:

  • 3.9 percent among persons aged 12 or 13
  • 15.6 percent of persons aged 14 or 15
  • 29.7 percent of 16 or 17 year olds
  • 51.6 percent of those aged 18 to 20
  • 68.6 percent of 21 to 25 year olds.
  • Among older age groups, the prevalence of alcohol use decreased with increasing age, from 63.5 percent among 26 to 29 year olds to 48.0 percent among 60 to 64 year olds and 38.4 percent among people aged 65 or older.

Also, "about 10.8 million persons aged 12 to 20 (28.3 percent of this age group) reported alcohol in the past month. Approximately 7.2 million (19.0 percent) were binge drinkers, and 2.4 million (6.2 percent) were heavy drinkers."

http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/nsduh/2k6nsduh/2k6Results.pdf
 
EricNau said:
Meanwhile, in the interests of addressing the thread's original question, according to a 2006 study by the SAMHSA, rates of current alcohol use were:

  • 3.9 percent among persons aged 12 or 13
  • 15.6 percent of persons aged 14 or 15
  • 29.7 percent of 16 or 17 year olds
  • 51.6 percent of those aged 18 to 20
  • 68.6 percent of 21 to 25 year olds.
  • Among older age groups, the prevalence of alcohol use decreased with increasing age, from 63.5 percent among 26 to 29 year olds to 48.0 percent among 60 to 64 year olds and 38.4 percent among people aged 65 or older.

Also, "about 10.8 million persons aged 12 to 20 (28.3 percent of this age group) reported alcohol in the past month. Approximately 7.2 million (19.0 percent) were binge drinkers, and 2.4 million (6.2 percent) were heavy drinkers."

http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/nsduh/2k6nsduh/2k6Results.pdf
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(I'm sorry to the OP, but I have to break my earlier promise:eek:)

So could you kindly enlighten all of us to wether or not these binge drinkers and heavy drinkers were being supervised by a responsible adult while consuming said alcoholic beverage?

Don
 
Dmac77 said:
(I'm sorry to the OP, but I have to break my earlier promise:eek:)

So could you kindly enlighten all of us to wether or not these binge drinkers and heavy drinkers were being supervised by a responsible adult while consuming said alcoholic beverage?

Don
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Is that relevant to the study?

I provided a link to the entire report; you're more than welcome to read it in its entirely, although I doubt you'll find that tidbit of information.
 
EricNau said:
Is that relevant to the study?

I provided a link to the entire report; you're more than welcome to read it in its entirely, although I doubt you'll find that tidbit of information.
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You'll notice that I said "So, um where is this "evidence" that responsible supervised teenage drinking is detrimental to a child's health?..."

I'm afraid that that study has no standing against my statements. It doesn't really matter wether or not it's relevant to the study.

Don
 
Dmac77 said:
You'll notice that I said "So, um where is this "evidence" that responsible supervised teenage drinking is detrimental to a child's health?..."
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Actually, no, you didn't:
Dmac77 said:
Personally I don't think that it can hurt anyone in their teens as long as they drink responsibly. . .
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Dmac77 said:
I'm afraid that that study has no standing against my statements. It doesn't really matter wether or not it's relevant to the study.

Don
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Nor was it intended to have any standing against your arguments. That argument is over.
 
Dmac77 said:
I'll stop after this last post.

So, um where is this "evidence" that responsible supervised teenage drinking is detrimental to a child's health? All you provided is information about European youth drunkenness rates are higher then US youth drunkenness rates. And how is me stating my opinion "making stuff up"?

Just saying that you should backup your claims of me lying, (it makes you look bad not to;)).

Don
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Here is the post where I said Supervised. (I underlined and bolded it for you so you can't make another excuse;):rolleyes:)

Don
 
EricNau said:
You may have won, but you were running the race all alone.
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LOL!

In countries like France and Spain it's perfectly normal, if not almost expected, that the kids have a glass of wine with their parents at meals, and in some places a blind eye is turned if, as they get older, the kids have a little drink with their parents in the pub (as long as it's reasonable). And they have nothing remotely like the problems with excessive drinking we have in the UK.

That might not be a scientific study by any account, but when I was in Spain recently the closest the adolescents got to hooliganism that I saw was perhaps dropping an occasional piece of litter. In the UK, that's probably the furthest from hooliganism you commonly get.
 
This has turned into quite the argument!

Anyway, I was 16 when I actually started drinking...

I honestly don't wish to engage in argument but the above study posted by Eric was actually completely relevant to the thread. Maybe not to your little tussle but relevant to the thread.
 
seriously, I started at the age of 12, ended up drinking wayyy too much and passed out throwing up everywhere
good times (Y)
and I still drink every weekend, it's a good laugh

but then again I do live in Newcastle, in England, so I think that's explination enough :p
 
19, would have been the last semester of my sophomore year in college. I drank one big glass of ancient age/coke and was taking a carpet ride shortly after, I seriously felt like I was on a ship in the sea.
 
I'm 16 right now, had a couple beers in my friends basement at about 14 just to try it out. I've only really drank at parties twice, never really got drunk just enough to get me a little funky. :)

I don't really consider myself a hard partier, probably never going to be, I find doing other things just more fun, and my friends who are hardcore partiers respect me for that.
 
nlivo said:
I know the legal age is 21 (which I think is crazy, in Australia it is 18) but what age do kids usually start drinking at parties and what not? Here, kids at about late 15's, 16's start drinking at parties. I started when I was about 14 but I was an idiot back then. Made some stupid mistakes. What about in America? Is it about the same difference from the legal age as here? People 18-19 drink often? Or is it about the same as here age-wise? I know in the UK it is just wild (huge generilisation but I know from experience).
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I drank my first beer when I was five. Had no idea what I was drinking though.
 
Interesting how puritanical the "current generation" is. I'm a child of the 70s and it wasn't unusual for 10, 11, etc to drink. Of course, sex started right along with it.
 
At my highschool I'd say the average age to start drinking was about 16. Personally, I never drank until I got to college (18). Kids had to keep it very under wraps because the law is heavily enforced, although I'd say there biggest concern was getting booted from their sports team for a few weeks if they got caught.

90% around here probably don't bother trying to drink in bars until they're 21.
 
TSE said:
Legal drinking age in Wisconsin is still 18, I think. I live about 30 minutes away too!
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I don't think so... the legal drinking age all across the United States is 21. Perhaps you're talking about gambling. Their legal gambling age is 18, I know that for a fact. :)


“The legal age for alcohol in the USA is 21 years old. The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 required all states to raise their minimum purchase and public possession of alcohol age to 21. States that did not comply faced a reduction in highway funds under the Federal Highway Aid Act. The U.S. Department of Transportation has determined that all states are in compliance with this act. The national law specifically prohibits purchase and public possession of alcoholic beverages. It does not prohibit persons under 21 (also called youth or minors) from drinking. The term "public possession" is strictly defined and does not apply to possession for the following:

An established religious purpose, when accompanied by a parent, spouse or legal guardian age 21 or older
Medical purposes when prescribed or administered by a licensed physician, pharmacist, dentist, nurse, hospital or medical institution
In private clubs or establishments
In the course of lawful employment by a duly licensed manufacturer, wholesaler or retailer.” 1 (Emphasis in original. Conspicuously not emphasized is the significant fact that “the law does not prohibit persons under 21 (also called youth or minors) from drinking.”)
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