Laws

[tgman]

I started thinking about this a lot after i went to florida last year(first time in the u.s) because over in england im legally aloud to drink (Im 18) but when i went to the u.s i wasnt even aloud a bit of alcohol and it gets really boring whatching my mum dad and older brother and sister gettin drunk and havin fun but what i think is really strange is that you can choose whether you want to drive or not at sixteen and you can buy a gun but why arent you able to choose to drink until your'e 21.
what are youre veiws on this and do you think the laws should change in on of the countrys?

 

[Ellie]

It should be based on maturity and not on age.

How is someone one day younger than 18 less mature than someone just turned 18?

 

[Incognitus]

So how will you objectively measure maturity?

 

[Zekallinos]

First, you should revise your grammar a little. I am sure it's mostly typos but it is quite an annoyance.

I may not be 18, but laws are there to prevent problems that would happen otherwise. You may be a mature person who knows your own limits, but the governement has decided that according to statistics, people under age X doing thing Y often gets problem Z. So for the common good, it has to be there. It is not possible to create a law that will make everyone happy and protect them at once, unfortunatly.

is really strange is that you can choose whether you want to drive or not at sixteen and you can buy a gun but why arent you able to choose to drink until your'e 21

I'm not sure I see your point here. Drinking and driving is the same thing. But have an age from which you can "choose" to do it or not. Like I said, the governement judge that it was ok to drive at 16 at drink at 21. It's their judgement, and that is what is in place. It's like if you said "Why can I go to rollercoasters at 13, but not drink at 13?".

You got to follow the rules. The governement can't make exceptions for you, or anyone, because they would then have to remove the laws, and problems would ensue, problem that are not whorth your hapiness. (Not to mention that, not objectively, I feel that you are just mad that you were left out and blame the law).

Edit :

So how will you objectively measure maturity?

You can't. Actually, I feel that immature people will be dishonest in the so called "test" in order to get their drinking liscence or whatever. I mean, it is human nature to try their best to get what they want is it not?

 

[Stardust]

It should be based on maturity and not on age.

How is someone one day younger than 18 less mature than someone just turned 18?

Unfortunately, we've become so populated that we're nothing more than statistics to some people.

Alcohol is poison, and I treat it like that.  I'm not afraid of it, but I don't intend to drink it of my own accord.  It can make even the most intelligent person look like a complete idiot.  Since you're not from here (the U.S.A.), you may not know about Prohibition.  It was an amendment that completely banned the making and selling of alcohol.  The executive branch was unable to enforce the law, so it eventually was repealed.  The restrictions on drinking are most likely a compensation for this failure.

 

[Ellie]

So how will you objectively measure maturity?

I'm being hypothetical.

In the ideal world, some form of test could be done maybe. It's probably impossible though.



The drinking age was 18 before prohibition.

 

[FlippyD]

Teens + driving = more access to jobs and a stronger economy.
Teens + drunkenness = problems that hurt the economy.

Same with smoking age versus draft age.

 

[Shadow_Strike]

You need a license in most of America to own a gun, so that comparison is out of the question. And driving =/= drinking. Infact, I can't see why you're not allowed to drink bleach. There are no laws against drinking bleach. Or is it specifically alcohol that you want to drink at an earlier age, without government intervention?

Stick with bleach, it'll do what alcohol does to you overall, just faster. Also, there is something wrong if you require alcohol to have fun. Thats your problem, because last I checked, people were having fun without it.

 

[Stardust]

wootness - the feeling of extreme happiness to the point of blissfulness; drunk on air.

In other words, you can be drunk without consuming alcohol.  Just have a good time.  Eventually, you'll laugh so hard that your brain isn't getting enough oxygen, which creates wootness.

 

[FlippyD]

Coming from a family of people who regularly drink and most of them have/had drinking problems I can say that the family factor is an important one. It's not so much that he wanted to have fun and drinking was the only way, but that his family bonds in a way through drinking and having an enjoyable time. Hell, they could all just get a little sauced and not really hurt anyone.

 

[Shadow_Strike]

Chinese new year baby, everyone drinks. Hell, I had my first shot of Mai Tai. Just 4 more years till I can drink though.

 

[Venetia]

All these kids commenting on drinking is amusing. "I'll never do it!" "It's poison!" blah blah blah

I don't drink much, either, but it DOES help make a crummy time better. Life is so fucking boring. You get up, go to work, go home, make dinner, clean up, go to bed. Repeat. You don't have money to travel and you don't have money for hobbies or expensive outings, so you hit a bar with a friend or two and get shitfaced. For an evening, the world is a little less crummy and boring, so long as you don't get hooked on the stuff.

Kids can't drink because they're idiots. They don't want to admit it, but they always find out how absurdly stupid they were when they're adults.

I'm not sure why the drinking age is 21 here, but it probably has a lot to do with the prohibition era.

Personally, I believe, once a kid hits 18, they're an adult. If they can go off and die in a war, they should be able to do whatever the hell they want. If a consenting adult wants to do something and it's not infringing on the health or welfare or rights of another individual, then they can do whatever the hell they want.

But you know old people and devout people. They think that whatever they say is the right way. Drinking and gambling and butt sex are "evil", so they're restricted.

God I hate fogeys.

 

[FlippyD]

Let's go get drunk and play a few rounds of poker, betting ways in which we'll sodomize the elderly!! \m/

 

[Stardust]

It is poison, which is why our liver filters it from our bodies.  It's not a bad poison, but it's not good for us.  I'll probably end up having a drink once in a while, but I'll be very cautious when doing so.  I like being able to think clearly.

I do agree that it should be legal at 18, though.  At that point, you're considered an adult, and you should be able to make your own decisions.

 

[Venetia]

It is poison, which is why our liver filters it from our bodies.  It's not a bad poison, but it's not good for us.  I'll probably end up having a drink once in a while, but I'll be very cautious when doing so.  I like being able to think clearly.

Lots of things are poisons. That doesn't necessarily make them bad.

Technically anything charred is toxic (100% carcinogens, anyone), and many things considered poisonous to other animals (like chocolate to dogs), passes fine in our bodies. Most preservatives are mild forms of poison, as are many types of pollen and even chemicals on vegetables. If you eat too much of almost anything it can become toxic, even things like potassium or iron.

But give a lot of credit to your liver, it's capable of amazing things. And it's there for a reason. Sure, getting drunk a lot will abuse it, but social drinking every once in a while can actually be good for you, because it reduces stress and thins blood, which can be good for your heart.

Moderation is honestly the key to anything.

But anyway that's off-topic, I just was tired of hearing kids moan about alckyhall.

 

[Stardust]

Moderation is honestly the key to anything.

That's very true.  I'm not obnoxious about alcohol.  I just don't think I'll drink much, if any.  I'm perfectly happy with wootness.  But we're definitely getting off-topic.

 

[kaze950]

I think there should just be an "adult" age, 18, where you can do drinking, smoking, driving, e.t.c.

Some states already have driving at 18 though, I think.

I really have no idea where the "21" number comes from. I guess it is just one of the many laws that doesn't really make sense to me.

 

[Ellie]

Move to Britain then, nothing's 21 here .

It used to be 16 for school leaving and getting jobs etc, but that's changing as of this year or something, to 18.

I think if they are going to have an age limit, it should be 18. After all, you can sign contracts, get a job, drive, smoke, gamble, buy superglue, overdose on paracetemol, and buy knives; but can't drink? Sniffing glue is way more harmful.

 

[Acera]

I really have no idea where the "21" number comes from. I guess it is just one of the many laws that doesn't really make sense to me.

In Holland they have a system for 'young adults' who just got their driving license, they work with some sort of point system (I don't know details though). Each time you violate traffic rules you get 1 point, after a certain amount of points (I think it's 5) you lose your driving license and you have to do a re-exam. If you then mess up again you lose your driving license again. You leave this system if you have shown the government that you are capable of 'mature' driving for 5 years without getting the 5 points. Now, onto the topic;

If you allow driving at the age of 16 and drinking at the age of 21 you can (note: can) have 5 years of driving experience before you can legally start drinking. I guess they thought that if you're a 'matured' (the 5 years experience) driver, you will not drink and drive.

But the line has to be drawn somewhere. You can't allow everyone to drink, drive or whatever. As far as I know on average your body stops growing at the age of 18. So drinking liquor past that age shouldn't damage your body as much as it would do at earlier ages.

 

[kaze950]

It's kind of stupid though. If someone is going to drink in drive, they are most likely going to get at a 7/11, not a bar. And I don't know how concerned a 7/11 attendant is at IDing people for beer.

I mean, according to our country, you are an adult at 18 right? I think the drinking age should be lowered because I don't think the government should be able to say what a legal adult can consume. You have to admit, it sounds stupid when you can die in a war at 18, yet can't drink a can of beer.