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ORIGINAL: kittinSol

The drinking age limit ought to go hand in hand with the driving licence age: if you're old enough to drive an engine as big and potentially lethal as a car responsibly, you should be able to handle having the occasional alcoholic drink legally.

Otherwise, increase the driving age to eighteen, and lower the drinking age, like in other civilised countries.

It's a platitude, but a little bit of education and demystification of alcohol should go a long way.

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ORIGINAL: hopelessfool

My mom "in essence let me drink at a young age" she left a bottle out knowing me at 15 was going to giggle and take the bottle and get drunk... And ya know what I did, and you know what happened the next morning? She banged pots and pans, made really NASTY smelling food, and made it Totally and completely miserable for me. And Ive never gotten drunk again. Why? Because I never want a head ache from that again she got my mind to associate drinking to much with that PAIN.... Now was my mom good or bad yell about that all you want she was a great mother and helped me make Responsible decisions.

YOU want drinking and driving to go down with your kids, take them to see a brain smattered car of an idiot who drank and drived (which actually most fatal drinking accidents accour with men ages 35 to 50 who have one to many beers and think they are okay). Take away the " Oh my god drinking is bad drinking is this drinking is that."


Know the main difference between europe on drinking and amercia on it. America villianizes it, making it something "dangerous" and "evil" which makes kids want it more. Europe teaches moderation and responsiblity with it. They see their parent every night with ONE glass of wine at dinner, and they see their parents heathly and nothing wrong, but they also see their parents being responsable with that one drink and one drink only.

Like someone above me said sticking your head in the sand doesnt work, whining about it doesnt work. If you were younger youd care about the drinking age and wouldnt be saying dont lower it dont lower it. Why because Its not going to affect you like it will someone in their eariler years.

Im sure if they raised the drinking age to 50 youd be pitching a fit and bitching its too high. I think its too high, Not because of my age, but I as someone whos younger KNOW how people my age think generall think

Im not supposed to do it Im going to do it because its "cool' its "dangerous" my parents told me not to.

Instead of the very short very lack luster program in high school they show one day that isnt even mandatory. Make EVERY TEEN take classes on substance and alcohol abuse. Have the teacher Show a cirrosed liver or at least a lot of photos of it. Make them see the honest bad in what happens when you drink... and show someone who died who moderately drank and show him being okay. Why, what you need to teach is MODERATION. Not a drinking age, Not a dont do it. Everything in life is good in Moderation....

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ORIGINAL: kittinSol

It's cultural, Mike: it's hard for me to fathom that people can work, pay taxes, drive, marry, enrole and die in combat, and get thrown in jail... but that they're not legally able to have a glass of wine with supper... just because they're not the ubiquitous age of 21.

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ORIGINAL: slvemike4u

Hom many ums do you have FDD,any parent's  worst nightmare begins and ends at the intersection of drinking and driving.Society has no justifiable reason to move those two actions closer for the young.Certainly not,if anything move it back a year or two,there is somthing to be said for living to see your 25th birthday

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ORIGINAL: kittinSol

Yes, but what makes you think a fifty year old can handle alcohol better than an eighteen year old? Experience doesn't equate responsibility (for example, I was far more together and wise in my late teens than in my mid-twenties: mileage does vary).

The more I think of it, the more it makes sense to me that kids seek booze because it's seen as a forbidden pleasure.

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ORIGINAL: pahunkboy

I note the MADD group scolding the forces on this.... 

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ORIGINAL: FatDomDaddy

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ORIGINAL: slvemike4u

Hom many ums do you have FDD,any parent's  worst nightmare begins and ends at the intersection of drinking and driving.Society has no justifiable reason to move those two actions closer for the young.Certainly not,if anything move it back a year or two,there is somthing to be said for living to see your 25th birthday

One starting college this year.

18 years olds can serve on jurys, serve beer, wine and in many states liquor as waiters and waitress, They can marry too... but you would deny them a beer at the end of the day because you ASSUME they will drink 10 and drive,

I'd rather have my um have access to beer and wine ON campus where they coud walk home. Dittio for service men and women on base.

The reason Drunk driving states are down is better policing, better education and tougher criminal penalities. Those are the proper ways to stop drunk driving, no punish a hard working 18-20 year old that wants a beer or two on the weekend.

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ORIGINAL: FatDomDaddy

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ORIGINAL: pahunkboy

I note the MADD group scolding the forces on this.... 

MADD has become a temprence union who's real agenda is a return to proibition

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ORIGINAL: youngstownsubm

Drinking and driving is harmful to others, yes, but no one's suggesting changing DUI laws. It's illegal to drive drunk for someone who's 50, and it's no different for people who are 18. If you're willing to drive drunk, which is against the law, then why would the legal drinking age matter to you?

We live in a nanny state intent on making as many dumb laws as possible. The government has no right to tell anyone what they can or can't do with their body. Until you're 18 you're your parents' responsibility; if they want to let their 16-year-old kid have a glass of wine, fine.

With that being said, I'm 23 so I don't really give a fuck.

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ORIGINAL: slvemike4u

Imagine for a minute a cop pulling over a car full of 18 y./o,he smells alcohol....but the kid blows a legal number.Would you give that officer no oter recourse but to let that child and his car full of other children drive merrily away,perhaps to their tragic deaths?

quote:

ORIGINAL: slvemike4u
FDD see my previous post as it relates to teen driving and drinking.We disagree on whether requiring an um to wait till he is 21 for a legal beer qualifies as punishment.Lets not kid ourselves in most case the access is there,they are doing it anyway...I see no reason to put a legal stamp of approval on it....hard working or not...