Lowering the drinking age

11 Mar 2009

I am curious what everyone's thought is on the subject in Connecticut they are talking about lowering the legal drinking age from 21 to 18. They claim it will slow down binge drinking but I think the real reason they want to is to help deal with the budget in the state. What are your thoughts. Me personaly I don't think they should change it. But then again if you are old enough at 18 to serve your country why can't you buy a beer right?

11 Mar 2009

In most of Europe it's around 18, same as Australia, so that would bring it into line.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_drinking_age

At the age of 18, I believe you're adult enough to make your own decisions on the matter.

11 Mar 2009

Yep very true. I always thought it was kind of stupid you can vote and serve in the military at 18 but like I said you can't buy a beer?

11 Mar 2009

Well the theory goes that if you keep the age at 21, then it will save lives. Drink driving being the obvious example, as young people cause more accidents on the road than any other group, regardless of alcohol intake as it is.

11 Mar 2009

Good point Nicola. I still think it is a bit stupid you have to be 21 in a way course when I turned 21 I never made a big deal about being able to drink never cared for it much just thought it was an interesting story. As I said one of the main reasons they have toyed with the idea of lowering it here is a new source of taxes to help with the budget for the state.

11 Mar 2009

So the theory is it will encourage 18-21 year old's to drink more? People in that category don't usually have a massive source of income, so I can't see it kickstarting the State economy all that much, can you? dontknow

It will just be shifting tax dollars from one source to another I'd have thought.

11 Mar 2009

when I was growing up you could drink "low" beer only. It was 3.2% alcohol. For reg beer and booze and wine it was still 21.
I think kids now have more money than we ever did.

11 Mar 2009

It also helped keep it out of schools - to a point.
It still happens, but not as much as it did in the middle 70's when the law changed to 18 yr old vote.
Thanks to Tricky Dicky.

In Minnesota we have casinos that allow drining over 21, but one is 18 and no booze.
They wanted the $$$ not the drunks.

Bat

12 Mar 2009

i agree with bikebum if you are old enough to serve in military, vote and probably a mulitude of other things then why can't you buy your own alcohol. i couldn't complain myself because i was buying my own at 19 because i look so much older, even when i shaved. plus i look at it now it is just another year added, i didn't even get drunk on my 21st.

12 Mar 2009

They tried it at 18 in Michigan, but soon raised it back up. I think it just creates more problems we're already dealing with from the 21-and-up crowd.

13 Mar 2009

Its 18 where I live, but the kids now respect the idea of having a DD but still too young! But then.... they would anyways and they do!