Alcohol Discussion.

Much talk lately about the university presidents all signing to have the legal drinking age lowered back to 18.

What's everyones take?

Personally, I'm for it.  I will believe it will temper on campus binge drinking.

I say, however, if you do it you must marry it with much stiffer penalties for alcohol related crimes.

Agreed.  That's exactly how I played it at 18.

Eighteen is the age over here that you are classified as an adult and you can legally have a drink.

I'm more on Clive's side on this one.  If we had adequate public transportation I may change my tune.  I don't necessarily agree with him that earlier exposure leads to more future use.  I feel the removed stigma attached to doing something illegal will make it less of a big deal.  It seems that is the case in Europe.  Earlier exposure could help with learning responsibility that comes with drinking.  Now kids have to binge because they aren't allowed to just chill with a beer you know.  It becomes a huge deal procuring said beverages, then you got to have a party and what now.  Okay so I'm more on the fence than I thought I guess.

This is exactly my argument.


Like I said initially, ETOH driving penalties must go beyond punitive to downright oppressive.  Period.

My experience is that those who will, do.

I heard an interesting take on it that I like.  Probably too huge of a logistic undertaking but a good idea.  A step system to graduating up.

18 legal consumption with parents.
19 legal consumption alone, limited purchase. (beer only, limited quantities, etc.)
21 legal consumption.

I say lower it, remove the 'forbidden fruit' aspect of it, etc.

I have a good friend that never drank until he was 21 - he's now a drinker and a smoker.  My brother drank as a teenager and hardly has a drink now (I ruined him on a visit to see me at college  ).  Completely anecdotal, sure, but its what I have in my head right now.

Trust/maturity - I did just as stupid and foolish things in my 20s as I did when I was 18.  I've never had an alcohol related incident (legally, nor one that resulted in injury - unless of course you include injuring ones pride) at either age.  I think us older folk tend to think 18 year olds are a lot less mature than they are.  I trust me at 18, why should I not trust others at the same age?

Finally, we don't need to increase the penalties - they are plenty stiff now.  Just because only 1 of 100 get caught doesn't mean you have to levy 100 times the punishment on that one.  We need to stop trying to over-punish the ones we've caught because we're pissed about the ones that were not.  Punish for the crime, not for the ones that aren't caught.  Trust me - go get a DUI/DWI, then see if you tell me the penalty needs to be stiffer.  We're good.  MADD did their job 15 or so years ago, lets not go too far.

I think you've got something there, Spacey!  Let's change the law to let any military folk drink legally when they are under 21.  I don't see why we should extend that to anyone else under 21, just because they have some unfulfilled potential to serve in the military. 

The impetus for the original push to force the states to raise their legal drinking ages to 21 was not to protect those from 18 to 20, but to distance the ability of kids in high school to easily get alcohol.  I believe that the university Presidents have missed that distinction in the intent of the law. 

Plus, letting active military folk enjoy this benefit of their service to the country might influence  some of the dead end job slackers working in Blockbuster, AMC Theaters, and Zumiez Skateboard Shop to realize that military service isn't a bad stop to a productive career.  I've not seen a little military service hurt anyone, and quite frankly, I see plenty of people skating through life that it would immeasurably help.

So you guys are saying that 18 year olds have the (supposed) judgement to vote for the most powerful man in the world, but not when to have a drink or not?

I'm calling BS.


'Zactly, and every swingin' richard ought to be required to do the former, and then decide if they want to the latter.