Should the drinking age be 21?

[Elmo]

I'm 20 and have been drinking since I was 17. At my current workplace I am the youngest and everyone likes to hang out and go to the bar and I can never come because I'm too young. They often lament about how they wish I could join them too. Also when I want to go on dates with people they often suggest a bar and I feel embarrassed because I can't go and it makes me think they won't want to date me. When I lived in Europe briefly going to the bar was the best and I had a great time. I have had no problems with alcohol and I think 18 is a fine age for it to be manageable. 21 is just ridiculous. In Europe they have more flexible drinking ages but stricter driving laws which just makes much more sense.

I have 41 more days until I can go into a bar and I'm so tired of waiting. I don't envy anyone else going through what I'm going through

[Trey Strain]

I'm not a fan of alcohol. But if you can vote, go off to war in a foreign land and be killed, appear in pornography, and get married when you're 18, then you should be able to drink alcohol when you're 18.

[ed2962]

Eh, it just depends on where you live. I'm too lazy to look it up and count but probably close to half the States in the US have minimum drinking age under 21. The arguments I've heard about keeping it 21 is usually something along the lines of younger people have less impulse control, and are more likely to get into trouble under the influence of alcohol. I'm sure of course that result vary from person to person.

But it sounds like you're almost there anyway, so i wouldn't sweat it. When I turned 21 a friend of mine took me bar hopping and one place gave me a free bottle of champagne.

[Joker]

All states are 21. Have been for a long time. States don't get to decide drinking age anymore.

[MajorHoy]

When I was younger, the state I lived in allowed drinking at age 18. (But then again, the minimum age to get a driver's license back then was 17.)
When I went to college in Pennsylvania, the drinking age in that state was 21. So if I wanted to buy alcohol for myself, I had to remember to get it when I was back in New Jersey and bring it with me to college.
But it's been a while since I could even conceive of feeling it was so unfair to not be able to buy drinks in a bar.

[ed2962]

All states are 21. Have been for a long time. States don't get to decide drinking age anymore.

Jesus! Shows you how old I am! I literally remember when you could be like 19-20 and drink in Wisconsin and where ever...

[Carabas]

It"s one of those "only in America" things.

[Abe]

It"s one of those "only in America" things.

And a quite surprising one... for a French point of view.

When I was younger you had to be 16 to have a drink in a bar by yourself. Nowadays it's 18. But under parental supervision - without getting drunk of course - there are no legal age : parents can decide that a kid is old enough to taste a bit of wine during a good dinner or have a small glass of champagne for a special celebration.

I think I was 15 or 16 when I started drinking full glasses of wine for the Sunday meal or family reunions.

The good part is that drinking alcohol is not such a big deal - I have the feeling that it is - and you learn early that the goal is not to get wasted, but to marry good food and good wine. It's always better to eat while drinking.

Of course I got wasted more than once as a student or a young adult to party. And it still happens once in a while.

On a side-note I'm always fascinated by the size of the glasses of wine I see on US TV programs. It seems like you can pour half a bottle in them! At least a third... That's way too much...

[Trey Strain]

One thing that helped get those laws passed was widespread publicity about very heavy drinking on college campuses. People who lived in college towns did a lot of complaining about it.

[jbmasta]

One thing that helped get those laws passed was widespread publicity about very heavy drinking on college campuses. People who lived in college towns did a lot of complaining about it.

I live in a country that's got a massive binge drinking culture. A long time ago, when bars had to close at six in the evening, instead of drinking less people would try to drink as much as possible before kicking out time. It was called the six o'clock swill. This binge drinking culture is one reason I don't touch the stuff (it also leaves a smell). I used to live next door to students, and the parties were really annoying late at night when I was trying to get to sleep.

There's drinking to be social or relax at the end of the day, and then there's drinking to get hammered. From what I've seen of uni students and drinking, there's more of the latter than there should be. Because oblivion is going to come with memory loss and a pounding hangover the following morning.

[Tami]

I'm 20 and have been drinking since I was 17. At my current workplace I am the youngest and everyone likes to hang out and go to the bar and I can never come because I'm too young. They often lament about how they wish I could join them too. Also when I want to go on dates with people they often suggest a bar and I feel embarrassed because I can't go and it makes me think they won't want to date me. When I lived in Europe briefly going to the bar was the best and I had a great time. I have had no problems with alcohol and I think 18 is a fine age for it to be manageable. 21 is just ridiculous. In Europe they have more flexible drinking ages but stricter driving laws which just makes much more sense.

I have 41 more days until I can go into a bar and I'm so tired of waiting. I don't envy anyone else going through what I'm going through

If it was up to me, I'd raise the age for drinking alcohol to 22 and strictly enforce it. Some of the worst of the drinkers are college age. But that's just my opinion. I don't drinik, never have and never will and have never had a problem with it.

The one time I went into a bar with some students from college, they drank but I was fine drinking Cola/Soda. The few times I've been to professional events with an open bar, I just ask for Cranberry Juice and Ginger Ale. Once I went with my family to a restaurant to celebrate, I think it was my older brother's graduation from Law School, some were drinking wine. I was offered some, tasted it and it was absolutely gross. They thought it was amusing, but never had a problem with it.

To put it simply, you don't need to drink to be social. You can go to a bar and ask for something non-alcoholic and still have fun with your friends. In fact, I find life more fun without alcohol because you are less likely to experience the negative side-effects, impaired judgement, embarrassing behavior, or long-term health risks.

Still, a lot of people do it, so it's a personal judgement call. If you can abstain from drinking until you are of age, at least you know you not the kind of person who is likely to become dependent on alcohol. Addiction is the worst possible side-effect.

Note: I'm not against anyone drinking. Just pointing out that it isn't socially or otherwise necessary (there is no reason to feel embarrassed and no one should try to make you feel embarrassed), that there are other options, and that it should be done in moderation and preferably after reaching legal age.

[Mister Mets]

I'm a bit conflicted on this.

Studies on brain chemistry do suggest that alcohol has a stronger effect on younger adults (those who are 18-21) and can harm them in significant ways.

However, I worry that the current rules encourage binge drinking among the young, since their incentives are to get rid of any alcohol as quickly as possible.

[Tami]

I'm a bit conflicted on this.

Studies on brain chemistry do suggest that alcohol has a stronger effect on younger adults (those who are 18-21) and can harm them in significant ways.

However, I worry that the current rules encourage binge drinking among the young, since their incentives are to get rid of any alcohol as quickly as possible.

That reminds me of an analogy of a 15 year old taking their parent's keys and driving the car as fast as they can, before they are caught driving without a license. Your last sentence pretty much exemplifies why underage people should not be allowed to drink. If society de-emphasized alcohol as a requirement for social interaction, if there was no peer pressure to do so, there would be no binge drinking.

The 1920's prohibition taught us that making alcohol illegal just doesn't work. However, teaching young people restraint before giving them access to alcohol may help create more responsible drinkers. Just as setting an age for getting a drivers license, or smoking, owning a weapon, or gambling, or even joining the Military.

[Elmo]

I am not allowed in any bar. The only times I've been able to drink at a bar is during large social gatherings where I won't be carded which are rare for someone with a social life as dull as mine. I enjoy drinking and I enjoy being drunk...not blackout of course but it's a fun activity for me.

The drinking age being 21 is stupid considering it is 18/19 in most other places. I'm missing out on so much by not being able to go to bars and drink with my friends and it's extremely lonely. Clearly when they passed the law to change the drinking age they did not factor in the loneliness aspect which is huge for me. I'm missing out on prime social interactions which fuels my severe depression. It's not fair.

[Tami]

I am not allowed in any bar. The only times I've been able to drink at a bar is during large social gatherings where I won't be carded which are rare for someone with a social life as dull as mine. I enjoy drinking and I enjoy being drunk...not blackout of course but it's a fun activity for me.

The drinking age being 21 is stupid considering it is 18/19 in most other places. I'm missing out on so much by not being able to go to bars and drink with my friends and it's extremely lonely. Clearly when they passed the law to change the drinking age they did not factor in the loneliness aspect which is huge for me. I'm missing out on prime social interactions which fuels my severe depression. It's not fair.

Then suggest to your friends that you and they meet someplace other than a bar. Find someplace else to hang out. If they are truly your friends, they will want to include you in activities. Or find new friends, get involved in clubs, do volunteer work, attend church or school functions, go to sports games, form your own club, whatever interests you. The way to stop being lonely is to start being active , go out there, get involved, and do things.

Don't depend on drinking as your sole means of being social. Don't use alcohol as a crutch. Get out there and enjoy life, don't wait around for others to invite you and don't wait around to do something you are not yet old enough to do.Find an activity you can and enjoy doing, other than drinking, and invite others to join you.