Ok, so Chicago wants to pass a new law lowering the drinking age to 18. Personally, I think this is the worst idea they could ever come up with. Here's the article. They think that kids can start drinking at 18 and learn to handle alcohol better. What the hell? You could have the same argument for age 21, but it doesn't seem to be working, now, does it? Alcohol related deaths are at the highest they have ever been and wouldn't lowering the age to start drinking create a larger population of drunk drivers, thus increasing the risk of alcohol related collisions? 45% of car collisions are caused because of alcohol. If anything, they should raise the drinking age. What are your thoughts on this? I don't want anyone posting "oh hell yeah i love beer! lower that drinkin' age!". Give actual reasons and provide facts.
What the **** is wrong with them? If this actually happened the deaths by drunk driving would at least double, **** I think whoever came up with this was probably drunk themselves.
Thank you for that! But, anyways, I agree, it's retarded of them to do that. Kids here won't learn earlier. The only way they'll ever learn is by actually learning it the hard way: in an accident. And when they're 21, they're actually a little bit more mature then when they're 18. So basically, what they're saying, is that they want to drop the age more, so they can get into more accidents (since they won't even have that much experience driving), so that hopefully they can learn a lesson? When they might already have been killed in the accident? And don't give me the '' designated driver'' excuse. If you're 18, you're not going to get a designated driver. Or at least 80% of 18 year olds won't think of getting a designated driver. It's always the ''it will never happen to me'' story. Until it does.
I doubt that the number of deaths would increase a lot because it is not like people don't already drink when they are 18. They won't start drinking any more in my opinion. The only thing that will probably change is that now they will be "legally" drinking. Back when my parents were 18 it was legal to drink, and there wasn't an incredibly higher amount of deaths. I don't know what you guys think, but thats just my opinion.
well, its been proven that alcohol lowers your learning ability, high school ends at 18 for most. but, the real reason why its 21 is because after high school, you are given three years to get serious about your life, and thats when you learn about responsibility. so, maybe it should stay 21. maybe it drop to 18. it depends on the individual. unfortunately thats impossible for anyone to decide, so it depends on the law. my vote is for 21 personally.
We Tried It Before The drinking age was first lowered to 18 in many states back in the Vietnam War era. The country was asking thousands of its young men to fight and die for their country on foreign soil, so the popular thinking was, "How can we ask them to die for their country and not let them have a drink if they want one?" But the lower drinking age begin to take a toll on the nation's highways. The number of alcohol-related traffic fatalities began to rise at alarming rates, and a high percentage of those involved young drivers. Congress again put pressure on the states to raise the drinking age because of this startling increase in highway deaths. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that raising the drink age to 21 has reduced traffic fatalities involving 18- to 20-year-old drivers by 13 percent and has saved an estimated 19,121 lives since 1975. Twenty of twenty-nine studies conducted between 1981 and 1992 reported significant decreases in traffic crashes and crash fatalities following an increase in drinking age.
Are you kidding me? There's tons of people that don't drink until they're 21. Just because some people think to be cool you have to drink, doesn't mean that everyone will. Some facts: Every 21 seconds there is a Traffic Accident. Every 2 minutes someone dies. Alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes kill someone every 31 minutes and nonfatally injure someone every two minutes. There are about 17,000 alcohol related car accident deaths in the United States each year, this means that there is a drunk driving death every 31 minutes. Alcohol was a factor in 39 percent of all fatal accidents and in 7 percent of all crashes in 2004.
Well I'm sure a lot of kids are drinking and driving at 18, but there are a lot of kids that are too afraid to or just don't want to. So if it was lowered to 18, then everyone who was too afraid to would start because it was legal. That would be a huge amount of people. Also, NilZ, the number of deaths back then was high at 18 and not at 21, it's still very high, wouldn't it be significantly higher if we lower it to 18 again?
Hey I am just saying that you have to take into consideration that there are lots of people who do drink and whatnot before they reach the age of 21. Sure there are people who are too afraid to drink, and lowering the drinking age could increase the death ratio of accididents related to drunk driving. You also have to take into consideration that everyone is different, and that they make their own choices. Maybe it is a good thing to let people learn from these mistakes early on, who knows. I am just raising the awareness of other possible points to be discussed in this debate.
Personally I'll never drink, but that's just a personal moral. I think the legal drinking age should be 25, since that's when extensive studies have shown thats when the brain stops developing. That way people can actually think about what they're doing before they can get wasted, and also it won't screw with the development. Lowering it so that more college/high school kids can get drunk and then drive around real fast just isn't smart.
I'm going to have to say it won't change anything. Hear me out, if they legalized cocaine, I still wouldn't do it, it's a personal choice. I mean I'm 16 and I occasionally have some drinks when iI go to parties but I don't necessarily get smashed out of my mind. If some 18 year old kid is going to get drunk and then drive, no rule is going to stop him. If he crashes into a tree or someone else it's his own ****ing fault. Also take into consideration that it is not just kids who drink and drive, people under the age of 25 only make-up for one third of all alcohol related accidents.
The legal limit is 18 in Australia, this doesnt affect me but I think yes. US - Drive:16, Army:18, Alcohol:21. Sense a lot of not making to me. It may stop underage drinking as people will be allowed to drink at an earlier age. They may stop craving it knowing that they can have it. In stead of going overboard because they can't, if you get what I mean.
The legal Limit here in New Zealand is 18. And this country is full of some of the dumbest ****-wits I have ever had the misfortune of meeting. Not a single person down here seems to know what the road rules are, most of the 'young' people down here spend their days being useless dumb shits at their jobs making others have to work harder just to cover for them. All because they spends their nights in town driving their shitty little rice burners and getting so completely wasted they can't go five feet without puking. Couple that with the so called 'Warrior Gene' the Maori's claim to have and it's hard to go half an hour without some slick **** trying to pick a fight with you. So in short, want a quick way to destroy a population? Let those too immature to understand responsibility drink. Same thing for Aussie Linubidix, don't tell me I'm wrong. Your's is a culture of alcoholics. That being said I've been drinking since I was 13.
I'll admit that I don't know much about this topic in general, and how things like this are handled in America with this, but in Australia the legal age is 18. Most of us are responsible in our drinking, and I don't think our drink driving rates are particularly high. We have lots of booze buss' around where I live though... A point I feel should be made however, is that in France many families start their children off drinking early. They get a good alcohol education through their families. Its the same where I grew up because we lived in a main wine producing region. That said, I don't see the point of changing anything about the drinking ages. Once a country has it set, changing it generally would just lead to people who are suddenly alowed to drink hitting the binge and for a year or so the fatality rates would skyrocket. Just leave it be, in my opinion. Don't raise it, but don't necessarily lower it. As long as people are well educated in alcohol and stuff, there shouldn't be a problem if it is raised.
I think that its not a big deal. I heard about over CNN while my dad was watching it. I personally agree with what some of the people said there. Its so easy to get beer and crap from anybody now. Seriously im thirteen and I swaer to god almost everybody I know has had a least a sip of beer or shots or somthing. sometimes not even a sip but plus they say there always supervised by a parent because there not dumb enough to do it without one and then have there parents find out. I seriously dont think it makes a diffrence. If you get your rights at 18 then you should get to drink, plus any smart person will know not to overly drink (I hope).
No because 1. Less people will drink. 2. 18 year olds are still as immature as they were in high school with their new freedom. A horriable ideal i hope this doesn't get past and people that are 20 or younger shouldn't have a voice in this. It is for their safety and obviously most of them will want it passed. I know this will not stop people under the limit to drink but it at leasts slows them down, even though I drink (Shhhhhh.....).
i vote yes for 1 reason and one reason only and that is that because at 18 you are old enough to go and die for your country and if you can do that why cant ypou have a drink?
Wow. That isn't even a debate. There are no facts or statistics in that. That is a personal view. I think fighting in the army is another right of passage, like when you are 16 you can get your license. So I can say, "If I'm old enough to drive around, why can't I enjoy a drink?" I absolutely hate that debate. Please don't use that in this thread. Adding to my defense, I can understand where they're coming from with the whole thing about getting it out of their systems early, but passing this would only cause more buzzed or drunk drivers(or just drunks in public) and I do not trust people when they've had alcohol.