When 18 Year Olds Drink

[Zipp0 1]

Who is the one responsible?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19917182/

Shouldn't an 18 year old legal adult be bound to follow the law for underage drinking? Why should another adult be held responsible for their irresponsible actions?

When is the age of adulthood in the USA? 18 or 21?

Don't we need one age instead of this kind of bullshit?

--------------------------
Chuck Norris doesn't do push-ups, he pushes the Earth down.

[shropshire 0]

<> ... how about when you can take a bullet for your country?

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[normiss 635]

this has been a fuck up in our country for a long time...old enough to die for my country at 18, but not old enough to drink...except on base...and that's piss watered down beer no less.

[kelpdiver 2]

Quote

Who is the one responsible?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19917182/

Shouldn't an 18 year old legal adult be bound to follow the law for underage drinking? Why should another adult be held responsible for their irresponsible actions?

You confusing the two issues. If the 18yo didn't kill himself in the accident, he would have been charged with the DUI. He was responsible for that part.

The 'adults' still have the issue of providing alcohol to those under 21. And even without the benefit of attending all sessions of the trial, I find it improbable that they weren't aware of the events going on in their house.

I personally don't think it's should be a crime to provide booze to the party or to facilitate it happening, though it certainly is a crime in the US. But if you're going to do it, you have to have some sort of draconian designated driver program or make everyone stay the night. Take all the car keys away, etc.

[Ian84 0]

When I was 18 I found it incredibly patronising how in America I was not thought of as responsible enough to consume alcohol.

Maybe it has its benefits, but as far as I could tell from hanging out with Americans of a similar age to me at the time, it simply delayed the onset of accepting real responsibility and adulthood.

Although the law is the law and if you break it you are responsible for the consequences.

[lummy 4]

What does one's age have to do with it? The law states that you can't give alcohol to someone under the legal age. They broke the law. The 18 year olds more than likely had their own day in court for underage drinking as well


To me, it's no different than say a pharmacist who sells drugs to people without a prescription. It's wrong, they know it's wrong and they do it anyways

edited to add that someone beat me to it. Serves me right for starting a post then going to lunch

I promise not to TP Davis under canopy.. I promise not to TP Davis under canopy.. eat sushi, get smoochieTTK#1

[BigSky 2]

Well Ive always thought that if you can die for your country then you should be allowed to drink. That being said, when Im out at the bar im glad its not full of a bunch of drunk 18 year olds.

“Sometimes when I reflect back on all the beer I drink I feel ashamed. Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the brewery and their hopes and dreams. If I didn’t drink this beer, th

[Armour666 0]

"guilty of endangering the life of a child " so a 18 year old is a child ? WTF is with that ? what dose that set a precident for other high risk activites a 18 year old dose a charge of that can be brought up ? Want to see 18 years old dring just go to Quebec , many in the NY vermont and main do.

SO this one time at band camp.....

"Of all the things I've lost I miss my mind the most."

[CornishChris 5]

Apart from the fact that you can drink at 18 in the UK, you can also choose to give alcohol to your children in the home from the age of 5.

Not sure if this is a good thing or bad (it's not like all our 5 year olds are pissed), but just interesting to note. I understand the reasoning behind not letting kids drink until 18 outside the home but teaching them about responsible drinking from an earlier age should, in theory if not practise, help.

CJP

Gods don't kill people. People with Gods kill people

[wmw999 2,166]

I was at the right age to participate in this debate in the US when it resulted in the drinking age being lowered to 18.

Woohoo -- beer for all! The bar at my college reputedly sold more beer than anyplace but Gilley's (think "Urban Cowboy") on Thursday nights in Harris county.

That said, 18-to-21 year olds were not as responsible with drinking and driving. Statistically so. Insurance companies (yes, they do have a financial incentive) apparently had little trouble showing that the numbers really supported the thought that younger folks were significantly less responsible when it came to drinking and driving.

Of course, America also doesn't have a culture of kids drinking wine or whatever with their parents from childhood (in most states it's quite legal for parents to give their own kids wine with dinner or whatever; it's just not commonly done). And most American cities and towns are full of teenagers with cars, while my impression is that Europe has fewer teens with their own cars to trash late at night.

Public transport is a wonderful thing when you're sloshed. I speak from experience . But it's not going to be used if it means that:
a. you have to go back and get your car and get in trouble with your parents
b. it doesn't go close to where you live
c. it's really dangerous.

It sucks that 18-year-olds are physically mature enough to be soldiers. The ones who advance to platoon leaders etc. probably would have the maturity to drink, also. But a lot of them don't advance, and probably do lack the maturity.

Damn I get pedantic sometimes. But it was kind of nice to be in college when you could get shitfaced legally . But then alcohol wasn't real forbidden for me anyway. That's part of how to make it less abused.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[Shotgun 1]

Quote

But then alcohol wasn't real forbidden for me anyway. That's part of how to make it less abused.

I've heard this a lot, mostly in studies I've read about alcoholism, but from my personal experience I tend to think it's not so true. I know a lot of people who drink alcohol to a point that would probably be considered "abuse," and I'm pretty sure that not one of them came from a family where alcohol was forbidden. And most of them did not come from families where alcohol was abused either; they're just from typical families that allowed their children to have a little bit of alcohol before they were of legal age.

Anyhow, I suppose my personal experience does not equate to a scientific study, but I don't think that science has found a very accurate etiology for alcoholism anyway (probably because it's such a complex problem, and very different in different people).

And more on the topic of this thread... Does the drinking age actually stop any 18-year-olds from drinking??? I was surrounded by so much alcohol as a teenager (at parties and such) that I was hardly aware that there WAS a legal drinking age. (Not saying that's a good thing, but it seemed to be the norm, at least in West Texas anyway.) Oh, and I was bartending at 18, which is another silly thing about the alcohol laws.

[mnealtx 0]

Quote

But then alcohol wasn't real forbidden for me anyway. That's part of how to make it less abused.

Agreed - that was my Dad's philosophy. "If you want a beer, let me know and I'll go buy you a six-pack...BUT, you'll sit at the kitchen table and drink it in front of me".

I turned 19 the month before Texas made 19 the drinking age... the same when they changed to 21.

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[NCclimber 0]

Quote

I turned 19 the month before Texas made 19 the drinking age... the same when they changed to 21.

Bummer for those friends who were two months younger. Those guys really got hosed.

[mnealtx 0]

Quote

Quote

I turned 19 the month before Texas made 19 the drinking age... the same when they changed to 21.

Bummer for those friends who were two months younger. Those guys really got hosed.

Yup... TDYs to New Mexico and Cali both sucked, though (wasn't 21 yet).

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[Thanatos340 1]

To quote a Great American Philosopher (Mr. Mojo Nixon)

"another thing that's kinda gettin' on my nerves is this
national 21 drinking age
Huh? what do ya think about that?
A bunch of malarky
whatever malarky is man
it's a whole bunch of it..

you know if Reagan Bush finally gets the war he's lookin for
you think he's gonna be draftin' 21 year olds?
No man they're gonna be draftin' 18 and 19 year olds
but ya cant buy beer
you can get married and screw yourself up real good
but ya can't buy beer
ya can charge 8 million dollars on the mastercharge
but ya can't buy beer
you can vote for one fool or another
but ya can't buy beer
'cause this is America
America that's run by the lowest common denominator
the money

how many units did ya move Mojo?
how many things of apple juice did ya sell?
c'mon suckers- c'mon feel it"

[freethefly 6]

Better to teach kids that alcohol is a waste of their time. Drunk people are not reponsible people. I'd rather see a generation that will completely boycott alcohol.
It is sad that alcohol is viewed as the fun thing to do. All of the "cool" and "beautiful" people drink. Just look at how wonderful their lives are. What a load of crap and lies.
Alcohol is responsible for a huge number of illness, deaths, divorces, murder, crimes of all types, wife beatings, rapes, child beatings, car accidents, fights, depression, sucide. The list is way to long. Yet, alcohol is viewed as a great thing.
Why waste your time drinking something that is only going to make you feel like shit the next day?
As for 18yo's going to war and not being able to buy beer? Should an 18yo be able to buy tobacco? As it is now, one must be 21 to buy tobacco. How about we just stop sending 18yo's off to wars?
I propose that one must be 21 before they can go to war. But then that would seriously hurt the bodybag industry.

"...And once you're gone, you can't come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black."
Neil Young

[warpedskydiver 0]

when it comes to the issue of fireams violence the anti gun zealots consider 25 years of age the age of adulthood.

Statistics are the biggest tool of liars.

[Zipp0 1]

I think the 21 year old drinking age is unconstitutional. Aren't all adults in the USA guaranteed equal protection? Why can we deny some ADULTS the right to drink and allow others? Seems like clear-cut age discrimination.

The legal fuckwads would find some way to defend it, but it is a huge crock of shit, and does not stop one single teenager from drinking. We were getting kegs at 16, as easy as getting a gallon of milk......

--------------------------
Chuck Norris doesn't do push-ups, he pushes the Earth down.

[mnealtx 0]

The mere fact that a law exists will not deter those with no respect for said law.

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[Zipp0 1]

Quote

The mere fact that a law exists will not deter those with no respect for said law.

Absolutely - and some laws deserve little respect.

It's funny though. Millions of people break the law every day. On my way to work I see hundreds of speeders endangering the lives of thousands (I'm often one of them).

People in states like Massachusetts risk 5 years in jail and a felony for getting/giving a BJ, but I bet there are still LOTS of BJ's going down in MA. Hell, in Mishingan anal sex can get you LIFE in jail(repeat offender), but I bet there is still lots of it happening.

--------------------------
Chuck Norris doesn't do push-ups, he pushes the Earth down.

[Shotgun 1]

Quote

It is sad that alcohol is viewed as the fun thing to do. All of the "cool" and "beautiful" people drink. Just look at how wonderful their lives are. What a load of crap and lies.

I think that P.T. Barnum had an interesting reason for giving up alcohol. (http://www.lostmuseum.cuny.edu/archives/ptbontemperance.htm) It's a long read, and I don't necessarily agree with everything he thought, but it's an interesting perspective.

He ended up being part of the movement that led to prohibition, and obviously that didn't work, but I think he had the right idea in making alcohol less of a socially-acceptable thing.

[Zipp0 1]

Quote

I think he had the right idea in making alcohol less of a socially-acceptable thing.

Alcohol is socially accpetable - being a raging drunk is not.

In the long run, the only thing that alcohol has provided me is several very amusing stories. Was it worth all the hangovers? Maybe - there are a couple really f'ing funny stories.....

But the hangovers grew old, and I hardly ever drink more than 3 drinks in an evening - maybe every 3 months at the most. Maybe less often than that; I don't keep track.

--------------------------
Chuck Norris doesn't do push-ups, he pushes the Earth down.

[Shotgun 1]

Quote

Quote

I think he had the right idea in making alcohol less of a socially-acceptable thing.

Alcohol is socially accpetable - being a raging drunk is not.

Barnum's take was that making alcohol less of a socially-acceptable thing for everyone would drastically reduce the number of raging drunks. I'm not sure if I agree with that, but I think it's an interesting idea. I do think that reducing the social status of alcohol is much more likely to help the problem (and our country does have a huge alcohol problem) than prohibition would.

Anyhow, I didn't mean to get off-topic (again), but I'm easily distracted like that.

[NCclimber 0]

Quote

Quote

I think he had the right idea in making alcohol less of a socially-acceptable thing.

Alcohol is socially accpetable - being a raging drunk is not.

Especially if it turns you into a serial chubby-chaser.



Kidding.

[shropshire 0]

<> Excellent point.

I find it very interesting, the different attitudes to drink in different nations. France has a liberal attitude and low incidence of abuse. Where as the U.K, which also has a liberal-ish approach has a problem with young folk (in particular) abusing alcohol. So, it's not the access to booze that is the problem, it's the people involved.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome