Okay Americans, I Require Information

[Esmeralda]

One of the only times I will be asking my American friends for assistance.

As you may know, the legal drinking age in Australia is 18 - this is when you become a legal adult, so it makes sense to have the drinking age at this time.
However, we also have a problem with teenage brats binge drinking - many fifteen and sixteen year olds have problems with alcohol. They get their hands on it regardless.

The drinking age in the US is 21, and I wonder if you guys have the same problems with underage drinking that we do?

There are some stupid people pushing to change the legal drinking age here, and bump it up to 21, claiming that this will stop binge drinking - which it won't, obviously.
I wonder if the people opposed to this will take a look at the US and see if there are any similar problems over there?

So what's the case, folks? Your kids can't drink until they are 21 - but do you still have an epidemic of underage drinking? Essentially, what I am asking is - does a drinking age of 21 prevent underage boozing?

Having the legal drinking age at 21 has not stopped binge drinking. The reason our legal drinking age is 21 is because most American teenagers have cars and they were drunk driving and killing themselves and their friends a lot. Way too much. It has helped because by 21 they have a teensy bit more sense than to drive drunk.

But binge drinking still goes on. There is a lot of underage drinking, but the law helps to curb it. When I was in college, and before I was 21, we would just find someone 21 or older to buy the booze for us. And we'd use someone else's ID to get into clubs. But, the clubs and the markets are a lot more vigilant than they used to be because they can get in big trouble now for selling booze to underage people.

 

[Snookie]

There is just as much binge drinking by those over 21.

 

[longknife]

IMHO, the government has no business establishing limits on the consumption of ANYTHING!

It is the parent's responsibility to determine such things.

I may be wrong but I see, in countries that have NO age limits and where kids start drinking alcoholic beverages at the family dinner table, there is far less "binge drinking" and general stupidity when it comes to alcohol.

 

[kwc57]

The legal drinking age was 18 when I was a kid. I didn't like raising it to 21.......and I'm not a drinker. I never had any alcohol until I was 28. True story. A 6 pack of beer will last me 6 months. Just never been into it nor understood why it is such a big deal to others. My brother has brother-in-laws who will down a case a day after work. I just don't get it. I was raised in a dry house and mine was almost totally dry while my son was little. In his teen years, I began buying some beer and keeping it around. He is now 20 and in college and I don't kid myself into thinking he doesn't have access to alcohol or that he doesn't drink. When he turned 18 and before he left for college, I started inviting him to have a beer with me on the patio occasionally. I wanted to show him how to drink responsibly and to demystify the thrill of drinking. So far, so good. He pulled 40 hours of classes this past year and pulled a 4.0 GPA both semesters. I know he is drinking some with his friends, but he seems to take school more seriously than partying. All that being said, if you can buy tobacco at 18, enter into contracts as a legal adult and sign up to die for your country, I'm hard pressed to say you can't buy alcohol until you're 21. Just doesn't make sense to me.

 

[kwc57]

IMHO, the government has no business establishing limits on the consumption of ANYTHING!

It is the parent's responsibility to determine such things.

I may be wrong but I see, in countries that have NO age limits and where kids start drinking alcoholic beverages at the family dinner table, there is far less "binge drinking" and general stupidity when it comes to alcohol.

As in all things......parenting is the real key to raising well educated and responsible people.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Drinking is common for kids under 21. Alcoholism starts early. But...if someone can be in the armed forces at 18 but they can't drink until 21 is ludicrous. If they are old enough to put their lives on the line in a war at 18, then they should be able to have a beer at 18.

Kids will get their high any way they can if they want it bad enough..regardless of age or restrictions or laws.

In Texas when you join the military you can drink if you show your military ID.
At least it was like that years back. With all the pressure on DUI's they may have stopped the practice.
But yeah....if you're in the military you should be able to drink.

 

[Caroljo]

I was allowed to legally drink at 18. They changed the laws about ten years later.

While kids can still drink, they can't do so openly and they crack down on parents who allow drunken teenaged parties

When I was in High School I saw kids killed every year in drunk driving accidents. I had about six kids I knew personally that died. Neither of my kids had anyone in their class killed

I think raising the drinking age made a difference

Same with me....when I turned 18 I could drink, then when I turned 21 they changed the age back to 21! So I lucked out....Lol!

I think EVERY year all over the US (and world?) when graduation is near, there are always students that get killed from partying and driving....always a big thing and they think they have to get drunk to have fun...

 

[Snookie]

I had some fun times drinking when I was young.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7v0V58V3Uw"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7v0V58V3Uw[/ame]

 

[longknife]

Drinking is common for kids under 21. Alcoholism starts early. But...if someone can be in the armed forces at 18 but they can't drink until 21 is ludicrous. If they are old enough to put their lives on the line in a war at 18, then they should be able to have a beer at 18.

Kids will get their high any way they can if they want it bad enough..regardless of age or restrictions or laws.

In Texas when you join the military you can drink if you show your military ID.
At least it was like that years back. With all the pressure on DUI's they may have stopped the practice.
But yeah....if you're in the military you should be able to drink.

I almost got tossed into jail in El Paso when I ordered a mixed drink in 1961!

 

[Caroljo]

It's strange but when I was in hs I knew a lot of kids that would not drink any booze at all.

I could not get enough to drink. Thunderbird, wild irish road, but I was not a wino because I would drink anything.

Anyway, some of those kids are now alcoholics and as for myself I have not had a drink in 20 years.

Ohhhh......I got SOOOOO sick on Thunderbird once in HS!!! Never touched it again! Lol!

 

[Snookie]

It's strange but when I was in hs I knew a lot of kids that would not drink any booze at all.

I could not get enough to drink. Thunderbird, wild irish road, but I was not a wino because I would drink anything.

Anyway, some of those kids are now alcoholics and as for myself I have not had a drink in 20 years.

Ohhhh......I got SOOOOO sick on Thunderbird once in HS!!! Never touched it again! Lol!

Me too. That stuff is pure rot gut.

 

[Rozman]

My parents and the parents of my friends were so freaked out by their kids doing drugs they condoned us having beer parties at their homes.we were all about 16 all getting shitfaced.
None of us drove and their were adults present...for the most part.

To them it was better having us get drunk while they were around instead of being out of their sight getting high on pot...This was about 1968 or 1969.

I have put away a tremendous amount of booze since then....

Kids should be kids and not drunks....
Then you have the college crowd...
I think sex is the drug of choice now on campus...
And probably some weed....

 

[Harry Dresden]

I was allowed to legally drink at 18. They changed the laws about ten years later.

While kids can still drink, they can't do so openly and they crack down on parents who allow drunken teenaged parties

When I was in High School I saw kids killed every year in drunk driving accidents. I had about six kids I knew personally that died. Neither of my kids had anyone in their class killed

I think raising the drinking age made a difference

I was allowed to legally drink at 18

no wonder why your so fucked up RW....

 

[Harry Dresden]

the legal drinking age was 18 for a while.

Bill Clinton blackmailed the states into raising to 21

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._history_of_alcohol_minimum_purchase_age_by_state

 

[AquaAthena]

One of the only times I will be asking my American friends for assistance.

As you may know, the legal drinking age in Australia is 18 - this is when you become a legal adult, so it makes sense to have the drinking age at this time.
However, we also have a problem with teenage brats binge drinking - many fifteen and sixteen year olds have problems with alcohol. They get their hands on it regardless.

The drinking age in the US is 21, and I wonder if you guys have the same problems with underage drinking that we do?

There are some stupid people pushing to change the legal drinking age here, and bump it up to 21, claiming that this will stop binge drinking - which it won't, obviously.
I wonder if the people opposed to this will take a look at the US and see if there are any similar problems over there?

So what's the case, folks? Your kids can't drink until they are 21 - but do you still have an epidemic of underage drinking? Essentially, what I am asking is - does a drinking age of 21 prevent underage boozing?

I think the longer you can deter the legal acceptance of mind altering substances of any kind, the more it will reduce the level of addiction or dependence.

 

[Harry Dresden]

The legal drinking age was 18 when I was a kid. I didn't like raising it to 21.......and I'm not a drinker. I never had any alcohol until I was 28. True story. A 6 pack of beer will last me 6 months. Just never been into it nor understood why it is such a big deal to others. My brother has brother-in-laws who will down a case a day after work. I just don't get it. I was raised in a dry house and mine was almost totally dry while my son was little. In his teen years, I began buying some beer and keeping it around. He is now 20 and in college and I don't kid myself into thinking he doesn't have access to alcohol or that he doesn't drink. When he turned 18 and before he left for college, I started inviting him to have a beer with me on the patio occasionally. I wanted to show him how to drink responsibly and to demystify the thrill of drinking. So far, so good. He pulled 40 hours of classes this past year and pulled a 4.0 GPA both semesters. I know he is drinking some with his friends, but he seems to take school more seriously than partying. All that being said, if you can buy tobacco at 18, enter into contracts as a legal adult and sign up to die for your country, I'm hard pressed to say you can't buy alcohol until you're 21. Just doesn't make sense to me.

hey Kwc.....dont Bogart that joint my friend.....im open.....

 

[Connery]

The best way I can discuss your issue is through example. The US attempted to control drinking alcohol through the 18th Amendment where the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol was banned. It was called the "Great Experiment" and failed miserably. The 18th amendment was ratified in 1919 and in 1933 was repealed by the 21st amendment. Prohibition does not work nor does attempting to control the behavior of individuals through threat of prosecution in this instance. What seems to have more effect is educating the individual regarding the effects of alcohol and the associated problems that can arise.


For example, educating underage people on the evils of "Butt Chugging" which is popular among college age people may have a positive wide spread effect in preventing ingesting alcohol through the anus. "Butt chugging really needs no explanation, because it is exactly what it sounds like: A person ingests alcohol from an orifice that is not the mouth, and thus alcohol is absorbed more quickly into the bloodstream. Basically, it’s like mainlining alcohol via the rectum."

The following is a cautionary tale for all who may wish to ingest alcohol through the "Butt". It appears young Mr. Alexander Broughton enjoyed his beer, butt rather that sit on a stool like the rest of humanity, he chose to drink his via anus. Yet Mr. Broughton denies butt chugging as his attorney discusses in detail in the attached video. “Mr. Broughton [the accused butt chugger] denies each and every allegation whatsoever that has been infered that he may have been a gay man. He is a straight man,” McGehee says. “And he thinks the idea and concept of butt chugging is repulsive.”
'Butt chugging' press conference

 

[rightwinger]

I was allowed to legally drink at 18. They changed the laws about ten years later.

While kids can still drink, they can't do so openly and they crack down on parents who allow drunken teenaged parties

When I was in High School I saw kids killed every year in drunk driving accidents. I had about six kids I knew personally that died. Neither of my kids had anyone in their class killed

I think raising the drinking age made a difference

I was allowed to legally drink at 18

no wonder why your so fucked up RW....

I haven't stopped since.....only my beverage of choice has changed

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Drinking is common for kids under 21. Alcoholism starts early. But...if someone can be in the armed forces at 18 but they can't drink until 21 is ludicrous. If they are old enough to put their lives on the line in a war at 18, then they should be able to have a beer at 18.

Kids will get their high any way they can if they want it bad enough..regardless of age or restrictions or laws.

In Texas when you join the military you can drink if you show your military ID.
At least it was like that years back. With all the pressure on DUI's they may have stopped the practice.
But yeah....if you're in the military you should be able to drink.

I almost got tossed into jail in El Paso when I ordered a mixed drink in 1961!

Just for ordering one?
I had several buddies in the military that were underage and they bought alcohol all the time and they were allowed in bars.

 

[Snookie]

The best way I can discuss your issue is through example. The US attempted to control drinking alcohol through the 18th Amendment where the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol was banned. It was called the "Great Experiment" and failed miserably. The 18th amendment was ratified in 1919 and in 1933 was repealed by the 21st amendment. Prohibition does not work nor does attempting to control the behavior of individuals through threat of prosecution in this instance. What seems to have more effect is educating the individual regarding the effects of alcohol and the associated problems that can arise.


For example, educating underage people on the evils of "Butt Chugging" which is popular among college age people may have a positive wide spread effect in preventing ingesting alcohol through the anus. "Butt chugging really needs no explanation, because it is exactly what it sounds like: A person ingests alcohol from an orifice that is not the mouth, and thus alcohol is absorbed more quickly into the bloodstream. Basically, it’s like mainlining alcohol via the rectum."

The following is a cautionary tale for all who may wish to ingest alcohol through the "Butt". It appears young Mr. Alexander Broughton enjoyed his beer, butt rather that sit on a stool like the rest of humanity, he chose to drink his via anus. Yet Mr. Broughton denies butt chugging as his attorney discusses in detail in the attached video. “Mr. Broughton [the accused butt chugger] denies each and every allegation whatsoever that has been infered that he may have been a gay man. He is a straight man,” McGehee says. “And he thinks the idea and concept of butt chugging is repulsive.”
'Butt chugging' press conference

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keTbsSfMOdI

Butt chugging?