Lower Drinking Age to 18? (Page 1 of 5)

I don't think it has much to do with age. I know some 45 year olds that would make you want to raise the drinking age to 50!
Seriously, I know some 18 year olds that are quite reasonable and could handle it, others that aren't ready.

actually age has a huge impact on this issue...and THAT is where the problem lies.  A PERSON is a smart, reasonable being.  PEOPLE are dumb, stupid cattle.

   I would say from a law enforcement (what I do) standpoint...18 is a very bad idea.  Reason  is 18 year olds generally hang out with others within their peer group...meaning high schoolers.  Once a person gets older and begins to hang around newer (usually other, older people) the chances for things going bad in any context are reduced since they generally have more life experience and have learned the consequences of bad decisions (speaking in broad terms here). 
  Plus, the LITERAL development of the brain itself is a major sticking point.  A younger persons cognitive process (the decision making part of the brain) is not as developed as a person who is older.  Why is that important?  Because a person who is lacking in that part of the brain (younger people) will only see the 'fun' or 'most enjoyable' in relation to a given situation.  Not the possible repercussion's that accompany all decisions.

   ***off the soap box***

Ditto!!....this is coming from a recovering alky!.....started when I was 10, went fulltime at 16....screwed up all my dreams of being a professional baseball player...if alcoholism runs in your family , you are already facing an up hill battle....hey maybe I'm just a loser, whatever

Dave

I don't know you but if you kicked the addiction, then your cool in my book.  A person that takes ANY action to change the negative in their lives is a good person.

Wise words Eva....wise words.

"But it´s hard to say what´s the "right age" to be responisble enough ... some are responsible at the age of 15, some at the age of 30 and some maybe never ....

Eva"

id say lower it to 18 or get rid of it.  you look at places without a limit or a lower limit the teen drinking statistics are significantly better.  you think the drinking age prevents kids that want alcohol from getting it, you are simply wrong.  im about to turn 21 so i no longer have any personal interest in it, but i do think if you did it now, preferably just got and gave it some time(i'm talking decades) alcohol wouldnt be given the forbidden fruit type treatment and there wouldnt be as much binge drinking with younger kids and then the problems associated with that would also decrease.  of course binge drinking is never going to totally go away, it is after all fun now and then, but it may happen less and the problems associated with it like i say may fade alittle bit.  i agree with eva too, responsibility doesnt really have an age limit.  you get some people still binging and driving drunk their whole lives and you get some safer kids.  anyway i dont think you are that much more responsible at 21 than 18.

as for what shred is saying i view that as a personal responisbility thing.  im not putting you down(alcholism runs in my family too) but obviously the law had nothing to do with you starting to drink at ten.  the law was in place and you were still able to drink.

here is my point.  as someone who can represent the recent laws etc, i wasnt a part of the hip cool drinking crowd at all in highschool, but i could still get alcohol pretty much whenever i want.  my real point is that the law really doesnt prevent kids from getting alcohol, just like drug laws don't prevent kids from getting drugs.  although hell it does apparently prevent them better than the drug laws.  that is a whole different problem though

Here's a thought.  And it's not that big of a stretch.  18 and drunk?  Keys in your pocket?  Gonna give 'em up?

Obviously I'm not talking about a kid that has wine with dinner, has coffee with dessert and then takes his date home.  So don't flame me about that.  I'm with Bill.

Drink and drive and kill one of my family and I get to publicly execute the guilty party.  Does that sound uncivilized?  Is that a fair trade?  You're 18 or 48 and you drink...fine.  Give me your keys.  No questions.

Drunk driving is morally irresponsible for all the obvious reasons at any age.  Get drunk at whatever age and hurt somebody and natural selection becomes the deciding factor.

Even though I am one of them there recovered sorts, I have no problem with anybody partying or "taking the edge off," however they so desire.  I don't even think it should be against the law.  That's my choice.  I have fuel in my shed out back...not gonna drink that either.    Just give up the wheels.

Bluezman has a point...as do others.  Experimentation becomes illegal and therefore chic, glamorous and dangerous.  The laws are ineffective, somewhat.

But I can't help wondering if young people would feel differently if it were their kids they were giving permission to.  I hear stories and see cases (it's my job) all the time about underagers do this and that...WHERE ARE THEIR PARENTS?

Shred is not alone.  I'm not either.  It's a big enough crap shoot out there.  I wonder how adding alcohol to the hot blooded 18 - 20 population would make it safer.  Some recovered folks have children they've never seen...

Thanks to the LEO
Jeff

I would say many 18-21 year olds are doing a fine job serving our nation in Iraq right now.