What should the drinking age be?
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  What should the drinking age be?
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Poll
Question: ?
#1
Alcohol banned
 
#2
22+
 
#3
21
 
#4
19-20
 
#5
18
 
#6
16-17
 
#7
15 or some other age below this
 
#8
There should be no drinking age
 
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Total Voters: 89

Author Topic: What should the drinking age be?  (Read 2016 times)
Dr. MB
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« on: November 25, 2021, 02:26:29 AM »
« edited: November 25, 2021, 02:30:51 AM by Dr. MB »

The United States has one of the most restrictive drinking ages in the world. Is this a good thing, a necessary step in preventing alcoholism or is it an excessive extension of the nanny state?

Personally I don't believe in having one. It's ridiculous that first of all, legal adults can't buy alcohol, and it's a natural part of growing up. if parents don't want their kids drinking alcohol that should be on them and not on the state. Along with our other dumb alcohol laws it's one of the worst aspects of overbearing government on our lives.
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Former President tack50
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« Reply #1 on: November 25, 2021, 03:38:09 AM »
« Edited: November 25, 2021, 04:29:32 PM by tack50 »

16 for beer, cider and wine, 18 for hard liquor sounds good to me tbh. Used to be the drinking age here until the late 90s when it was bumped to 18 across the board. Allows teenagers to get some experience with alcohol.

Also I would legalize drinking in the street which is illegal here and dumb.
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dead0man
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« Reply #2 on: November 25, 2021, 09:46:54 AM »

Maybe limit purchasing and public drinking to those over a certain age (I'd say whenever "adulthood" happens to be in the jurisdiction in question.  If you're old enough to vote, sign contracts and join the military, you are also old enough to have a beer), but there should be no legal age to consume it...especially under the supervision of the young person's guardians.  As it is in most of the US.
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CEO Mindset
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« Reply #3 on: November 25, 2021, 11:35:28 AM »

No drinking age or restrictions on purchasing/public drinking.
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LBJer
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« Reply #4 on: November 25, 2021, 12:57:57 PM »
« Edited: November 25, 2021, 01:04:29 PM by LBJer »

I voted for 18.  It's beyond ridiculous to say someone is mature enough to join the military, where they'll handle and potentially use deadly weapons that could--and do--get innocent people killed, yet not mature enough to be responsible regarding drinking and driving.  

The only reason it's not 18 is that politicians haven't had the balls to stand up to groups like Mother's Against Drunk Driving and say: "Yes, what happened to your child was tragic, but having the drinking age be 21 is not an appropriate reponse.  An 18 year old can kill someone if they drink and drive, but so can a 21 year old or an 81 year old.  And someone killed by the latter two is just as dead as someone killed by the first."
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Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas
Ray Goldfield
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« Reply #5 on: November 25, 2021, 01:28:00 PM »

Like everything else, it should be a privilege of adulthood and granted at 18 alongside the responsibilities of adulthood.
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The Smiling Face On Your TV
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« Reply #6 on: November 25, 2021, 01:49:22 PM »
« Edited: November 25, 2021, 02:54:05 PM by The Roc Pile »

Gonna go against the grain and say 21 for the US.Raising the drinking age had a direct effect on reducing car accidents. The problem is that you are not just endangering yourself, you're endangering others. To prove the phenomenon is not unique to the US, Canada which has a comparable inelastic demand of driving to get around shows a similar problem of provinces with a drinking age of 19 having a lower mortality than that of 18.

Now in Europe where public transit's a lot better? 16 for brews/wine and 18 for spirits. I'd support a similar age here if we had the infrastructure for it. Granted, I probably drank more in high school than I have since turning 18 let alone since 21 so you tell me how effective bans are period. Raiding your parents liquor cabinet or getting an older friend who has a fake to buy brews is a rite of passage.



I voted for 18.  It's beyond ridiculous to say someone is mature enough to join the military, where they'll handle and potentially use deadly weapons that could--and do--get innocent people killed, yet not mature enough to be responsible regarding drinking and driving.  

The only reason it's not 18 is that politicians haven't had the balls to stand up to groups like Mother's Against Drunk Driving and say: "Yes, what happened to your child was tragic, but having the drinking age be 21 is not an appropriate reponse.  An 18 year old can kill someone if they drink and drive, but so can a 21 year old or an 81 year old.  And someone killed by the latter two is just as dead as someone killed by the first."

Is there any evidence that 18-21 year olds are more likely to misuse firearms like there is statistically significant evidence for them to have car accidents? Also where in the Constitution is there a right to drink?
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Mr. Reactionary
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« Reply #7 on: November 25, 2021, 01:50:29 PM »

19
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PSOL
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« Reply #8 on: November 25, 2021, 03:14:58 PM »

Abolished
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Donerail
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« Reply #9 on: November 25, 2021, 03:45:09 PM »

Is there any evidence that 18-21 year olds are more likely to misuse firearms like there is statistically significant evidence for them to have car accidents? Also where in the Constitution is there a right to drink?
Amendment XXI
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« Reply #10 on: November 25, 2021, 03:49:27 PM »
« Edited: November 25, 2021, 03:57:31 PM by The Roc Pile »

Is there any evidence that 18-21 year olds are more likely to misuse firearms like there is statistically significant evidence for them to have car accidents? Also where in the Constitution is there a right to drink?
Amendment XXI
That just repealed the federal ban via the Volstead Act, there are still hundreds if not thousands of dry counties. Any state could theoretically ban alcohol but they never would because A) the lost revenue and B) it'd be political suicide. For example until a few years ago you couldn't even buy wine in PA outside of a restaurant/bar/state-owned store because of the clout the clerks unions had.
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darklordoftech
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« Reply #11 on: November 25, 2021, 06:12:33 PM »

The only reason it's not 18 is that politicians haven't had the balls to stand up to groups like Mother's Against Drunk Driving and say: "Yes, what happened to your child was tragic, but having the drinking age be 21 is not an appropriate reponse.  An 18 year old can kill someone if they drink and drive, but so can a 21 year old or an 81 year old.  And someone killed by the latter two is just as dead as someone killed by the first."
There’s also the fact that MADD existed in a less politically polarized era. I suspect that if MADD was starting out today, politocal polarization would stand in their way.
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HillGoose
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« Reply #12 on: November 25, 2021, 09:28:02 PM »

-37
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Cokeland Saxton
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« Reply #13 on: November 26, 2021, 12:02:45 AM »

18
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TDAS04
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« Reply #14 on: November 26, 2021, 12:07:34 AM »

It should be lowered to 18, and even that should not be strictly enforced.  I was 17 at a restaurant in Montreal (where the legal age is 18), and the waitress offered me wine.  I accepted, she didn’t care to check.  Much more relaxed, sensible attitude up there.
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Schiff for Senate
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« Reply #15 on: November 26, 2021, 02:36:59 PM »

20
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Del Tachi
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« Reply #16 on: November 26, 2021, 03:39:50 PM »

It should remain at 21, but allow the option for 18-year-olds to purchase with a non-dependent military ID.

Does anyone know if the drinking age is 21 on Indian reservations?
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afleitch
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« Reply #17 on: November 26, 2021, 03:56:17 PM »

18 to purchase. 16 to drink.
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Donerail
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« Reply #18 on: November 26, 2021, 06:02:48 PM »

It should remain at 21, but allow the option for 18-year-olds to purchase with a non-dependent military ID.

Does anyone know if the drinking age is 21 on Indian reservations?
Reservations can be more restrictive (and many ban it altogether) but not less
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Big Abraham
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« Reply #19 on: November 27, 2021, 12:34:42 AM »

Both the drinking age and the age at which it is legal to buy a firearm should be the same. That is, any age at which you are able to hand money to the cashier.
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vitoNova
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« Reply #20 on: November 27, 2021, 11:58:58 AM »

17.

Southrons and Injuns who can't handle their alcohol ruin the fun for everyone else. 
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Battista Minola 1616
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« Reply #21 on: November 28, 2021, 10:12:38 AM »

I am absolutely fine with the current law here, where there is no drinking age and the purchasing age is the same as the age of majority, 18.
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politicallefty
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« Reply #22 on: November 28, 2021, 11:07:15 AM »

Maybe limit purchasing and public drinking to those over a certain age (I'd say whenever "adulthood" happens to be in the jurisdiction in question.  If you're old enough to vote, sign contracts and join the military, you are also old enough to have a beer), but there should be no legal age to consume it...especially under the supervision of the young person's guardians.  As it is in most of the US.

This is my view as well. I had this view when I was below the drinking age. My view has not changed by being years above the drinking age.
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Sir Mohamed
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« Reply #23 on: November 28, 2021, 12:39:34 PM »

18 seems fine for purchase. At home, I think it should depend on maturity of youngsters.
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HisGrace
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« Reply #24 on: November 30, 2021, 03:32:51 PM »

As others have alluded to, 18 for purchasing and publicly drinking, no age limit for drinking in private houses. Cops don't need to be raiding keg parties and there's certainly nothing wrong with parents letting a young teenager have wine with dinner or share a beer with his dad.
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