# Underage Drinking **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 6, 2001, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underage-drinking/91896 "2001-11-06T23:51:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nodaker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ea5d25/32.png) [@nodaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nodaker)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2001, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underage-drinking/91896/1 "2001-11-06T23:51:57Z")
What is the problem with underage drinking? If we teach responsibility as does nearly ever other country, why can’t we eliminate the legal age? It is not bad for you if used in moderation. Isn’t it better for alcohol to be accepted so parents can keep an eye on kids while they drink instead of having to sneak around and get wasted while they have the chance? It sounds to me as if adults are just being selfish in sharing a great thing. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underage-drinking/91896/2 "2001-11-07T00:07:58Z")
May I ask your age **nodaker**? ---
**Author:** ![Ferrous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Ferrous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferrous)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underage-drinking/91896/3 "2001-11-07T00:11:44Z")
Yep. It’s a conspiracy. If we let you young’uns drink, there wouldn’t be enough booze for us. Sorry, kid. Them’s the breaks. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underage-drinking/91896/4 "2001-11-07T00:13:53Z")
Meanwhile, as a parent, may I just say that the concepts of ‘moderation’ and ‘responsibility’ are _hard_ things to teach to children. ---
**Author:** ![Ferrous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Ferrous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferrous)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underage-drinking/91896/5 "2001-11-07T00:16:33Z")
On the bright side, though, you wouldn’t want to screw up your great [money-making idea](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=97525), now would you? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underage-drinking/91896/6 "2001-11-07T00:21:59Z")
Actually, the OP does raise one interesting debate issue. If 18 year olds are Citizens; why can’t they drink or buy handguns? Now, I really don’t want a bunch of 18yo dudes out there drunk- especially driving drunk, but; is this not discrimination based on age? If they can bar 18yo from drinking, then we can bar 80yo from drinking; or better yet- driving. Sure, some people say teenagers make irresponsible drinks; but they also said that about the Native Americans… so a law that banned indians from buying booze; would that not be equally constitutional? The way I look at it- the Constitution should make all Citizens equal in the eys of the law. If they are old enough to vote responsibly; then they are old enough to drink responsibly. ---
**Author:** ![Ferrous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Ferrous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferrous)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underage-drinking/91896/7 "2001-11-07T00:29:00Z")
Actually, **DrDeth** , I agree with you there. If 18 year olds are presumed to be old enough to vote and to die for their country, they ought to be able to have a beer if they feel like it. ---
**Author:** ![ModernRonin2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c37758/32.png) [@ModernRonin2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ModernRonin2)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underage-drinking/91896/8 "2001-11-07T00:30:45Z")
I thought so when I was less than 21, and now that I’m 26 I still think so. I don’t believe that we should have NO drinking age - or at least I think there should be an age that you must obtain before you may purchase alcohol. And we need to keep our current drunk driving laws, or maybe even make them stronger. But illegal to consume just because you’re “too young”? What kind of BS is that? The libertarian in me is galled by the fact that the government feels the need to prohibit people from peacefully drinking beer in thier own homes. Provided we have strong drunk-driving laws, it’s stupid and totally unnecessary. I go out of my way to supply those friends whom I judge responsible enough but are under 21 with alcohol when we’re out together. It’s a law I break freely and without guilt or regret. I believe that we have a duty to disobey bad, arbitrary laws, so long as we don’t hurt anyone else in the process. Truthfully, I think things were a lot more reasonable back when the drinking age was 18 most places. It still didn’t stop anybody from drinking underage, of course, but it also didn’t lock so many people out of pool halls, bars, nightclubs and concert venues where they could drink responsibly with their friends. So now we have the whole “forbidden fruit” myth built up around alcohol, and we force people to drink alone where they’re more likely to drink just to get drunk and not have friends around to help them moderate their alcohol consumption. The current drinking age is a stupid policy, and like most stupid policies it has bad, puri-tyrannical politics behind it. What it boils down to for me is that age is no indicator of maturity. I know someone who’s 19 and is quite capable of drinking responsibly. Has demonstrated this fact on repeated occasions, as a matter of fact. And then I know people who are 25 and who still puke once a week from OD’ing,and drive drunk all the time. Who should be allowed to drink here and who shouldn’t? I know my answer. And I refuse to accept the apologist’s argument that “well, we have to draw a line at SOME age.” No, we don’t. We have to draw a line at some **level of responsibility**. Is this much harder to judge and much more subjective? Absolutely. It’s also much harder to respect the rights of suspected criminals and give them a full jury trial, instead of just throwing them in jail and torturing them. But right is right, and wrong is wrong. Appeals to expediency and cost should be the very last factor considered when it comes to personal rights. I’d much rather see a “drinking license.” A sort of graduated system. To start off with, your parents would determine if you get the license at all if you were under 18. (18 because I really get sick of the “you can smoke evil, nasty, highly-addictive, highly-cancerous nicotine sticks, and you can be shot in the head for your country in some foreign snakepit - but you can’t have a beer” double-standard.) Then you can buy 3.2 beer (still no restrictions on consumption) or other light alcohol for 9 months or something. Then after that you can go up to higher concentrations, and finally about 2 years later (3 tops) you’re unrestricted. Gee, you think I’ve thought about this a fair bit? -Ben ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underage-drinking/91896/9 "2001-11-07T00:39:44Z")
Oops, my bad; I’d forgotten that the legal drinking age over there in the US is 21; my comments about _children_ may not be entirely appropriate. In England [li]Alcohol may not legally be given to children under 5 years of age except on[/li][li]Children between ages 5 to 14 may consume alcohol at home (presumably with parental consent).[/li][li]Young persons of ages 14 to 16 may go into a licenesed bar or pub, but may not consume alcohol there.[/li][li]From ages 16 to 18, they may purchase and consume beer or cider to accompany a meal in licensed premises.[/li][li]18 and up - may purchase and consume wine, beer or spirits.[/li] I think 18 is right and fair (I _didn’t_ think so when I was 16 though) ---
**Author:** ![mighty\_maxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2acd7d/32.png) [@mighty\_maxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mighty_maxx)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underage-drinking/91896/10 "2001-11-07T00:46:11Z")
I would say write to your congress person, but after they wiped tears of laughter from their eye. Your letter would get robot response and would be tossed in the trash. It would probably never be read by the person you intended. So it looks liek the age will be 21 till someone important decides to make a stink. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underage-drinking/91896/11 "2001-11-07T02:24:06Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Mangetout > Alcohol may not legally be given to children under 5 years of age except on except on what? ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underage-drinking/91896/12 "2001-11-07T02:44:05Z")
Mangetout wrote: [QUOTE] In England [li]18 and up - may purchase and consume wine, beer or spirits.[/li][/QUOTE] I understand the legal drinking age in Canada is 18, also. It seems that the good ol’ U.S. of A. is downright _Victorian_ in its drinking-age prudishness. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underage-drinking/91896/13 "2001-11-07T02:46:13Z")
In some U.S. States, the legal drinking age **used to** be under 21. (I believe it was 19 in Hawaii.) That changed, though, when the U.S. Congress threatened to withdraw some form(s) of Federal funding from States that didn’t have a 21-year-old minimum drinking age. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underage-drinking/91896/14 "2001-11-07T02:58:04Z")
The legal drinking age in Puerto Rico is 18. I think the other way to avoid the suspension of federal funding was lowering the blood alcohol level to .08. For me, I think it’s the same thing if the drinking age is 18 or 21. There will always be some people drinking underage, and they won’t care. Well, the one difference I see is that college students can go openly to a bar or some other place and get some beers, instead of getting drunk in secret. (Keg parties, anyone?) ---
**Author:** ![Tarmac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a8b319/32.png) [@Tarmac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tarmac)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underage-drinking/91896/15 "2001-11-07T03:16:34Z")
Imposing an age limit on alcoholic consumption is symptomatic of a perceived societal problem. By imposing a rigid law as to what age constitutes responsibility, the society presupposes that no one under 21 can drink responsibly, and _therefore no one does_. How can a 17 year old learn to drink a half glass of wine with dinner when she has to convince an adult to buy her liquor and then drink it with a group of similar “law-breakers”? By imposing the law, the society also imposes a deviousness, a rebelliousness that would otherwise not exist. ---
**Author:** ![JepSnertRF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@JepSnertRF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JepSnertRF)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underage-drinking/91896/16 "2001-11-07T03:48:32Z")
The drinking age in our county may be illogical, but it is not necessarily a conspiracy. Canada appears to have a better system (and look at their crime). Their age of adulthood, buying cigarettes and alcohol, voting, gambling, and all the rest is lumped into one convienent age, 19 (18 in some places). I do not feel it is right to restrict an adult (age 18) by law from consuming alcohol. If one is 18, they are legally an adult, yet the drinking age is 21, this is illogical. Yes, there may be a responsibility factor but from a legal standpoint it does not make sense. Why can an 18 year old play state lotteries yet not gamble in a casino? Or an 18 year old smoke cigarettes and not buy alcohol. What we need is consistancy and common sense. I say we lump the adult age at 19 (or even 18 if you want to argue), rather than having it all splintered into legal illogicity. And what sense does it make that a 19 year-old in Detroit or Niagara Falls can go across the river and drink legally?? Canada also has a zero tolerance BAC law (I think) for drivers, which would may reduce a lot of responsibility-related problems. The legal age USED to be 19 in many states as well. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underage-drinking/91896/17 "2001-11-07T04:06:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JepSnertRF \* > **Why can an 18 year old play state lotteries yet not gamble in a casino? Or an 18 year old smoke cigarettes and not buy alcohol.** The answer to the first one is, IIRC, that alcohol is often served on the casino floors, and so under 21’s are not allowed there for that reason. The smoking one is because if you decide to smoke you are really only causing a hazard to yourself, whereas when you are drinking you become a potential, immediate hazard to those around you. I don’t mind having the drinking age be 21. To be honest, I don’t think it’ll make a difference as far as responsible drinking goes. I spent a large amount of time in the UK and I can attest that their 18-21 year olds drink just as much and just as hard as American 18-21’s. There’s no teaching of responsibility there. They can just legally do it. In fact, _The Times_ just ran a story (or maybe just correspondence) about university binge drinking in the UK system. On the opposite end, I know many people in the US who do not drink, largely because it is illegal for them to do so. And of those I know who started drinking only when they are 21, were just as capable of drinking moderately when the situation called for as anyone across the Atlantic who had been drinking for their whole adolescence. Just my $.02 ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underage-drinking/91896/18 "2001-11-07T04:10:30Z")
Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t the whole 21 thing the knee-jerk response of groups like MADD because of rising traffic deaths? I’m all for tough DUI laws and lower limits for BAC, but I don’t see what the drinking age has to do with it. Can it be stastically proven that legislation is the cause of change in accident fatality rates (i.e. that a low age increases it and a high age decreases it)? ---
**Author:** ![cptzapi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8491ac/32.png) [@cptzapi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cptzapi)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underage-drinking/91896/19 "2001-11-07T05:07:18Z")
My understanding of the drinking age being raised to the age of 21 is the simple attempt of trying to keep alcohol out of Highschools. Being the average age of highschool seniors is 18. There are seniors that are 19 and a graduated with a 20y.o., so I understand why it was moved to 21. It makes it a lot more difficult to find someone to buy you alcohol. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underage-drinking/91896/20 "2001-11-07T05:13:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KarlGrenze \* > (Keg parties, anyone?) Is that an offer? > [@](#): > > I don’t mind having the drinking age be 21. To be honest, I don’t think it’ll make a difference as far as responsible drinking goes. If it doesn’t make a difference, why would you be in favor of denying people their rights? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underage-drinking/91896.md?page=2)