# US alcohol laws, why so harsh? (legal drinking age) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 13, 2003, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-alcohol-laws-why-so-harsh-legal-drinking-age/207143 "2003-10-13T08:14:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Planet\_of\_the\_Shapes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Planet\_of\_the\_Shapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Planet_of_the_Shapes)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-alcohol-laws-why-so-harsh-legal-drinking-age/207143/61 "2003-10-14T22:17:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by amarone \* > \*\*I think if you have stress and marriage problems then you should be getting professional help rather than trying to drink your troubles away. \*\* Please tell me you were being ironic? ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-alcohol-laws-why-so-harsh-legal-drinking-age/207143/62 "2003-10-14T22:22:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Planet of the Shapes \* > \*\*Please tell me you were being ironic? \*\* Check my earlier posts in this thread and see what you think. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2003, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-alcohol-laws-why-so-harsh-legal-drinking-age/207143/63 "2003-10-15T06:04:37Z")
There is a definite culture of drinking in the states you don’t get with Europeans or others. It seems in my experience Americans like to drink to get drunk. When I worked in Florida awhile back at a hotel with a large European clientel(probably 70%) as well as many Aussies, Indians, Israelis and Arabs. Between 7-8pm we offered free drinks and h’orderves(however you spell it). The Americans would bound down gulp as much drinks as they could and scarf down the food. The Europeans would take one drink, one finger sandwich and go sit down and talk with the other Europeans. (who the didn’t necessarily know). We had a beautiful cafe on Estero Bay and it was cool at night but none of the Americans would stay. Just drink and go. Then you would have all these foreigners with their one glass of wine talking amongst themselves. ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2003, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-alcohol-laws-why-so-harsh-legal-drinking-age/207143/64 "2003-10-15T07:19:22Z")
Responding to the OP: because zero laws regarding alchol consumption would result in a much higher fatality rate. Age is a number, maturity is a level, the two are not equatable at any level. Laws do not keep unlawfull events from happening, they make them less appealing to those that do not wish to get in trouble. Drunken teenage driving needs to be made as scary as a prison-rape as far as I’m concerned. Fear is a small price to pay for the lives of innocent people. Deterrents should be very very tangible. {stepping off soap box} ---
**Author:** ![Planet\_of\_the\_Shapes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Planet\_of\_the\_Shapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Planet_of_the_Shapes)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2003, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-alcohol-laws-why-so-harsh-legal-drinking-age/207143/65 "2003-10-15T10:16:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by amarone \* > \*\*Check my earlier posts in this thread and see what you think. \*\* :smack: I feel a little stupid now… Maybe next time i’ll remember to be a little more observant before i post… ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2003, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-alcohol-laws-why-so-harsh-legal-drinking-age/207143/66 "2003-10-15T11:39:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by amarone \* > \*\*I think if you have stress and marriage problems then you should be getting professional help rather than trying to drink your troubles away. \*\* Is this what happends to you if you don’t drink? Yuo lose your sense of humour? Thank god for London Pride is all I can say ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2003, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-alcohol-laws-why-so-harsh-legal-drinking-age/207143/67 "2003-10-15T11:45:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by owlstretchingtime \* > \*\*Is this what happens to you if you don’t drink? You lose your sense of humour? \*\* Oh dear. I thought you were the last person who would take my comment seriously, given I had already defended you in this thread. My comment was supposed to be a slam on the “drink is evil” contributors. Now who said? > [@](#): > > Earlier on I said that all Americans are daft. I’ll add that any form of irony is completely wasted ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2003, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-alcohol-laws-why-so-harsh-legal-drinking-age/207143/68 "2003-10-15T12:01:29Z")
Aha! _sounds of pennies dropping_. You see the pernicious evils of drink exposed here. Confusion. Bewilderment, lack of focus. A life smelling of regret and wet dog. Let us remeber what we have learned here today. p.s “Knob Creek” is a source of great amusement to us Brits. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-alcohol-laws-why-so-harsh-legal-drinking-age/207143.md?page=3)