Drinking-age proposal draws attacks »
Posted By gamahuche 10 months, 2 weeks ago in News
Health, safety and transportation advocates denounced Tuesday a proposal by more than 100 university administrators to reconsider the legal drinking age of 21 -- contending that any reduction would lead to thousands of additional drunken-driving deaths and other harm to the public health.
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Mdiar10 months, 2 weeks ago
Hmmm... being a bit of a teetotaler myself, except on Christmas and St. Pat's Day, I have no real issue with the law where it is. However, you have to ask... if an eighteen year old is responsible enough to join the military, are they not responsible enough to drink? Perhaps raise fines for drunk driving by SUBSTANTIAL amounts and see if that has an effect on the deaths due to drunk driving?
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Candida10 months, 2 weeks ago
I agree. This is a typical muddying of the waters. The problem is drinking and driving, so why focus on the drinking part instead of the driving part? I don't know what the legal alcohol limit is in the US, but for me it's something like 0.08%, which means about three glasses of wine within an hour of driving. I don't know about others, but I would not sit behind the wheel with that much alcohol in my body, even though I could get away with it legally. I know that after three drinks within an hour I'm impaired. There is nothing stopping the government from lowering the limit for everybody and actually enforcing the law. Young people aren't the only ones who drink and drive.
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The article compares the statistics from the early 1970s and the late 80s. That's not a very meaningful comparison. The 1970 were the height of the baby-boom, counter-culture, etc. For all its virtues, it had a lot of irresponsible behavior in general. Also, the thinking about drinking and driving was completely different. I had an acquaintance, who would arrive to any party in those days with a bottle of whiskey, drink it all, and then drive home. Sometimes he had no recollection of how he got home.
Also in the early 1970s, my university had a research project. We were asked to come up with ideas on how to get people not to drink and drive. Naturally, some people suggested that the limits should be enforced. The professor who led the project explained that that wouldn't be easy because the policemen simply don't enforce drinking laws for the simple reason that they too drink and drive. That was the 1970s. Of course, few people wore seatbelts even if their cars were equipped with them and many of them weren't, and there were cars on the roads rated as "unsafe at any speed."
We have come a long way from the 70s both in terms of safety features on cars and in terms of how we view drunk driving, so comparing statistics from then to now is like comparing apples and oranges.
I have some questions to those on Propeller who are over 21: Have you ever driven a car or boat or any motorized vehicle when you had consumed alcohol prior to driving? Have you ever driven when you probably had an alcohol level above the legal limit? If the answer is yes to either of these questions, then it's perhaps your own personal behavior that you should take a look at. Remember, you are the one who is setting an example to those under 21.
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gamahuche10 months, 2 weeks ago
I've posted the "response" story, rather than one which puts the opposite spin on the topic: Educators Urge Lower Drinking Age to Cut Bingeing
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/19/AR2008081902836.html?hpid=sec-education
Personally, while appreciating the two sides to the argument and also the massive scope of the issue, I favour the educator's initiative as described in the WP.
I imagine that if I'd had a child who died in an alcohol-related car-wreck I'd take a different point of view.
The issue is also diffferent from the one we deal with in Europe because there are very few young people who own cars. In my country we have ZERO tolerance for alcohol in the blood for drivers and people take that law extremely seriously. OTOH alcohol is consumed vigorously, overwhelmingly beer - but STRONG beer..
Removing the comnbination of cars and alcohol definitely puts a different spin on the issue.-
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nostalgia10 months, 2 weeks ago
"I imagine that if I'd had a child who died in an alcohol-related car-wreck I'd take a different point of view"
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The problem here - most binge drinking occurs on campus or rentals near campus. Not much if any driving involved
Lower the age and college kids will be driving to bars and clubs
It isn't just the kids who may kill themselves while driving drunk, many innocent people will be killed or seriously injured
It's the simple answer for college administrators who won't establish stringent rules about drinking and follow through with tough consequences
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kritikit10 months, 2 weeks ago
well, leave these people alone. The only reason for drinking laws is because states wanted to get hwy funding from the government. These adults where sold out for cash. you want to stop binge drinking and drinking and driving take away the alure, make it available everywhere. I am 28 and i don't feel the need to run out to a party and drink all i can. I get my own six pack drink it, eat food and chill. these binge parties just get you so drunk you get sick and offer nothing to eat. and the driving thing... more people get pulled over and fined and serve jail time lose there lincese and they learn there lesson. these people who have lost loved ones in a drinking and driving accident, my heart goes out to them, but they get all emotional and alarmist over everyone who drinks, they arn't thinking logically. they need to see a shrink and get though their issues, not focus on drinking age. its just something to fight so they don't have to deal with there issues.
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cloud1510 months, 2 weeks ago
I really don't see the need for such strict drinking laws. Around the world you would be hard pressed to find another country who treats drinking as we do. Italy and many other nations are set on 16, while most others are 18. It really is ridiculous that you can fight and die for your country, but you can't drink alcohol.
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Candida10 months, 2 weeks ago
You can also get married at the age of 18, but you can't (legally) drink a glass of Champaign at your wedding reception.
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fuzzy1967Comment removed: User banned.
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Candida10 months, 2 weeks ago
I find the North American attitude toward alcohol a bit bizarre. I remember seeing an Ann Landers article many years ago, in which she reported with horror that a certain percentage (I don't remember the number) of 12-year-olds had tasted alcohol at some point in their lives. My reaction was: So what? I honestly can't remember a time in my life when I was completely forbidden to taste alcohol. I remember "drinking" the foam off the beer of my father as a small child. However, I can also say that I have never been drunk to the point of losing control of my actions or of not remembering later what had happened.
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I think what we need to do is to teach our children that with privilege comes responsibility, that our actions have consequences, and it's a good idea to consider those consequences before we engage in the actions. I know many young people and I see how responsibly they can behave. I see again and again as they decide ahead of time who would drive home from a party and that person abstain from drinking alcohol. There is no reason why such responsible behavior couldn't be taught to young people. The key is to have responsible older people who set an example.-
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Mdiar10 months, 2 weeks ago
Research the past history of North America a bit and you'll notice alot of contradictory things in it; like drinking and sex. This is, I believe, primarily due to the Puritan roots of many of the early colonists and, at the same time those coming to North America just to make money and last, immigrants who brought a whole new set of culture mores with them (many sets, actually). The more culturally diverse an area becomes, the more contradictory it is. This also leads to a few other things, some of which are good, some not so good.
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TheRealizer10 months, 2 weeks ago
Arizona had an 18 yr. old drinking law which wasn't killing any more kids, then the feds threatened to cut off highway funds if age wasn't raised.
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Jayson10 months, 2 weeks ago
I agree with the rest of the commenters here. I visited England several times as a college student and the drinking age was 18 here, and it wasn't a big deal. Once teenagers are out of the house and in college, there isn't much sense in trying to regulate the drinking age for 3 more years. If someone is going to drink and drive, tacking 3 years onto the legal age limit isn't going to do much good.
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jhalt4910 months, 2 weeks ago
I was going to college in Massachusetts when the drinking age was raised from 18 to 21. The amount of drinking on campus plummeted There were still some people who drank and probably more binge drinking than exists today but everything changed. Within one semester the library went from empty in the mornings to full.
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traveler200010 months, 2 weeks ago
So?????
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Teach them to behave and teach them how to drink responsably, like in most other countries.
Also, it's not only colleges, what about those who are not in college, but already work, sometimes have/raise a family.
It's so "funny": in the US you can have a weapon, and use it. you can drive a car at 16 (Europe it is 18). You can join the military, learn how to kill people and kill, and .... getting killed.
But you can't have a simple drink , not even a glass of wine during dinner....
It realy makes sense....... doesn't it?????...... (lol)
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natde4888510 months, 2 weeks ago
I feel that 21 is still a good age to drink. I am a mother of two young kids and if an 18 yr. old hit me in my vechile while they were drinking or while they are still drunk. I don't know what I would do to that person. In some states 18 is an adult age, but they are still in their teen (they are still not mature enough). Maybe they should drop the drinking age to 20. They are not in their teens anymore and truly that should be the adult age. Maybe the government should be more strict on how they punished underage drinking. Maybe we should take a hint from the past and not go back to those days. All we are doing, is encouraging the ability to become an alcholic in the United States. Maybe, we should worry more about the economy, and other more important issues, then how old you have to be to drink. If the government does decide on the drinking age being lowered, anyone between the ages 18 - 20 should have to take a test and receive a licence to how the ablity to purchase alchol. +
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Candida10 months, 2 weeks ago
In my experience a lot of 45 or 50-year-olds are not mature enough either when it comes to drinking and driving. How would you feel if one of them hit you or your children? You suggest that "the government should be more strict on how they punished underage drinking." Why shouldn't they be more strict on drinking and driving at any age? After all, that's the problem, isn't it?
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traveler200010 months, 2 weeks ago
It is to the parents to teach their childeren how to behave during their upbringing and education.
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Among that parental "education" and upbringing are:
how to interact to other people socialy.
how and what to eat (e.g. Mc Donald is fine, once and a while, NOT every day...)
how to drink responsably, e.g. are yougoing to drive (intoxication , not the same as being drunk), even not driving, don't overdue it, don't get drunk (it's not nice and you lose control over your actions) .......
Of course, that takes time and effort. It's easier to forbid and to let the State take care of education.......
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Codi693410 months, 2 weeks ago
This argument has been raised with 18 year olds that can join the military but not drink. I will say if you have an active/guard ID card. You can drink alcohol. There is a difference between a 20 year old college student and a 20 year old soldier. Sorry college students, to me, you are only high school kids that refuse to grow up. I know alot of them and I know and have heard there stories. If you are man enough to step up , raise your right hand, then you can drink. If you don't want to grow up, then you don't need the distraction.
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ConsAreNonGrata10 months, 2 weeks ago
LMAO!!!
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Joining the military shows no more maturity than going to college. Just look at those who join the military then kill and burn their pregnant girlfriends.
What about kids who go off to foreign countries to serve in civil support capacities? Are they not showing maturing.
The position would be laughable it wasn't so immature.
Geez, Cons, why not just jump around and beat your chest? -
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Candida10 months, 2 weeks ago
Codi6934: "I will say if you have an active/guard ID card. You can drink alcohol."
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Legally? Anybody can drink it, but is it legal?
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redmud10 months, 2 weeks ago
It is ludicrous to consider lowering the drinking age, unless they bring back 3.2 beer! You could legally drink "low" beer at 18 yrs. It was hard to die from alcohol poisoning on 3.2 beer. You might have puked a lot if you overdid it but eventually most of us learned how to handle alcohol & not binge. You could go to college bars, drink, and enjoy the music before your senior year. You were carded at the door and got a different hand stamp if you were 18+ or 21. Therefore the bartender knew what he could serve you. I don't know why noone seems to be considering this option.
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traveler200010 months, 2 weeks ago
<<<
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So, the greater part of the rest of the world is wrong??????
In most of the European countries the drinking limit is 16 (for low alcohol, e.g.beer, wine,.... not for "spirits", e.g. whisky, gin where you have to be 18)
However, in Europe you can only drive a car if you're 18 and you certainly don't have the right to own a gun, not even when you're 50....
Yes, some (a very few) will abuse, but that's whit all.
But, if you (take the time and responsability to) educte the childeren how to drink in moderation and responsably, there is no problem. (or is that argument only valid for the use of guns????)
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jeffieny10 months, 2 weeks ago
I am with 100 university administrators on this one, 21 is really too old for anything.
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Not sure about 16 with a new driving licence but 18 is more than enough.
(Drink Responsibly MY FRIEND)
Ha ha more "Budweiser" consumption MY FRIEND!
I prefer a cold Corona! -
leleikComment removed: User banned.
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