Your view on the drinking age of Alcohol

Hydro Cannon

Hydro Cannon

Just a random dood
Member
So, for one of my classes, I am running a poll, and need to get some feedback regarding a subject I started: "Should the legal drinking age of alcohol be lowered from 21?" So if you could take the time (whether it be quick or elaborate) to answer the following questions:

1. "Do you think adults are generally more mature at age 21 compared to 18?"

2. "Should the strength of alcohol beverages affect the drinking age for that beverage? (Hard whiskey, beer, etc.)

3. "If the drinking age was lowered to an age where you could legally drink (if you couldn't) , would you?"

4. "How old are you?"

5. "Do you think the legal drinking age should be lowered from 21?"

Love to hear your guy's response on it!
 
RE: Your guys view on the drinking age of Alcohol

Here are my responses:

1) I'm not sure about this one. Don't know enough people for it.

2) I feel that the law should be the same for all different alcoholic beverages. I feel this because i believe that alcohol is alcohol, and it will still affect people no matter how strong it is. Anyways, even if they did, how would the government regulate it?

3) I would definitely not because I don't want to have stuff like alcohol affect my body.

4) 13 Years of Age.

5) If anything, I think that it should be raised to 24-25, so that the people drinking could be more mature and know what it will do to their bodies.

jmho
 
RE: Your guys view on the drinking age of Alcohol

I'd love to help.

1. They're a little more mature. Most people have jobs by that age, so they would have hopefully learned some responsibility by then. They're not as mature as they could be, though, especially in the case of college students like myself.

2. I don't think so. From the lightest of beers to the hardest of Vodkas, the age should stay the same no matter the drink.

3. Not really. Sure, I'd enjoy a drink at a party or event every once in a while, but I wouldn't take it as far as a lot of students my age do.

4. 18.

5. No. People already drink before the age of 21. Taking away the consequences of underage drinking would result in even more accidents and deaths than we have now.
 
RE: Your guys view on the drinking age of Alcohol

1. Not by much. Age has little to do with maturity (mentally anyway), it's a process that happens differently with each person. And 3 years doesn't tend to be long enough for the average person to mature.

2. I'm not really sure on this one. I want to say no, but I feel as though it might be beneficial to have more restrictions on drinks with higher alcohol content (higher drinking age, lower limit on the number of drinks).

3. I'm legal, but yeah, I'd drink whenever it's legal.

4. 21

5. Short answer, yes, it makes no sense to be able to indulge in more dangerous activities at a lower age (driving and serving in the military to name a few). Long answer, I think we as a society need to take a better look at what defines adulthood, at what age we should be given the right to indulge in certain activities, and to what extent those activities should be legal. Because right now, it's not very consistent. You can die for your country at 18 but you can't drink an ounce of liquor. Anyone over 21 can drink as much alcohol as they want, but no one can smoke pot. And most of the age limits don't really make much sense from a biological standpoint. 18 and 21 aren't really significant ages in terms of biological development, most people are usually physically mature by 16, while the brain isn't fully developed until your late 20s. It annoys me every time someone brings up that "your brain isn't finished maturing" argument for when someone questions the drinking age being 21 because it doesn't make any sense. By that logic, not only should the drink age be much higher (like 28 or something), but so should the legal age for everything else like smoking, having sex, getting married, driving, voting, and serving in the military. So what we as a society need to do is pick an age (preferably something that has some sort of biological basis), and make these activities legal or illegal depending on how dangerous they are. And since the legal age for adulthood seems to be firmly rooted at 18, it may as well be that.
 
RE: Your guys view on the drinking age of Alcohol

1. That's really tough....as a college student, I see plenty of people who are quite mature, and others I'm just like OH GOD WHY?

2. Nope.

3. I guess every now and then? I have a vomit phobia so I'm not big on alcohol in the first place. :p

4. 20

5. NOPE.
 
RE: Your guys view on the drinking age of Alcohol

1. "Do you think adults are generally more mature at age 21 compared to 18?"

I would say so. This is a little less than the difference between my older brother and I. I wouldn't say he's much more mature than I am, but I do believe that the experiences somebody undergoes over 3 years shapes them into a more grown up individual. It varies by person of course, but I think there is definitely a difference (even if only a little) because for the most part, people are maturing daily.


2. "Should the strength of alcohol beverages affect the drinking age for that beverage? (Hard whiskey, beer, etc.)

I don't think so. I don't drink, but I'd think consuming enough of the lesser alcoholic beverage could build up to about the same as if they drank the hard stuff. At that point, the age restrictions have probably served no purpose.

3. "If the drinking age was lowered to an age where you could legally drink (if you couldn't) , would you?"

I wouldn't drink because I recognize the largely negative effects it can have on your body (although many consistent drinkers will try to refute this fact, which is plain ignorance). Now, alcohol in complete control and moderation obviously isn't going to kill you. I also wouldn't simply because I don't like it (yes I have tasted a few) :p

Just as a side note, drinking age hardly matters these days. Kids who want to drink always get their hands on it one way or another.

4. "How old are you?"
18, just about 19 if that makes a difference for your assignment.

5. "Do you think the legal drinking age should be lowered from 21?"

Excuse me while I laugh. HA.
Nah. Many, many people of legal age can't even drink responsibly, why would we want it in the hands of anyone any younger? Although we've established the fact that many under aged people definitely do drink, lowering the legal age would obviously only magnify the issue. I wouldn't even feel safe on the roads anymore if it were lowered. The legal age should be increased if anything.
 
RE: Your guys view on the drinking age of Alcohol

1. I don't think that there is much of a difference between 18 and 21.

2. No, it shouldn't. Alcohol is Alcohol and the amount consumed can still be dangerous no matter what your age is or what your drink is.

3. Eww, I definitely wouldn't. I actually took a sip of some Alcoholic drink once when I was very young, my Grandma was drunk and she told me to take a sip, so I did but the second it touched my toung I spit it out.

4. I'm 18.

5. Definitely not. We already have 21 year old people dying and getting sick from it, and we don't need that age decreasing.
 
RE: Your guys view on the drinking age of Alcohol

Brave Vesperia said:
3. Eww, I definitely wouldn't. I actually took a sip of some Alcoholic drink once when I was very young, my Grandma was drunk and she told me to take a sip, so I did but the second it touched my toung I spit it out.
Click to expand...

Rofl, that reminds me of when I was about 12 and my grandma was cleaning out her pantry...she found an old bottle of Guinness and asked me to taste it to see if it was stale, as if I would've known the difference. xD That was THE nastiest thing I've ever tasted!
 
RE: Your guys view on the drinking age of Alcohol

1. No. The maturity level of 18-21 year olds is generally the same, but it depends on the individual of course.

2. No. Same age for all alcoholic beverages.

3. I probably wouldn't have. I didn't really start drinking until I was about 24 so I wouldn't have started earlier if the legal age were lower.

4. 26

5. No way. There are already enough arrests and deaths due to intoxicated drivers. That number would skyrocket if the legal drinking age were lowered. It should be raised if anything.
 
RE: Your guys view on the drinking age of Alcohol

Now for my attempt at being unbiased. Yeah, right.
1. Maturity has *nearly* nothing to do with age. I believe it is how someone is raised. For instance, I can't even smoke (not saying ever will anyway), but yet I know kids in school who smoke, and they are complete a**hats 24/7. So, the answer is no. There isn't a difference.
2. dafuq? How would that be even possible? If someone who has newly became legal has a drink of 190 Octane, they will likely wake up next morning and think "Dear god, that was a horrible idea."
3.YES! My pain of dealing with the idiots on this planet would be less of nuisance!
4. Seventeen and a half.
5. Yes. Canada's age is 19. People in my city actually go over to Canada to go clubbing when they're 19, for that reason. Basically, Bolt said it best.
 
RE: Your guys view on the drinking age of Alcohol

Thanks guys for the feedback, it's helped me alot! ^^ I got the responses I needed
 
RE: Your guys view on the drinking age of Alcohol

1. "Do you think adults are generally more mature at age 21 compared to 18?"
Well the legal drinking age in Australia (where I live) is 18 and some people can drink responsibly but many can't so not really.

2. "Should the strength of alcohol beverages affect the drinking age for that beverage? (Hard whiskey, beer, etc.)
I think the stronger the alcohol the higher the legal drinking age. Possibly ranging from 18-21 although as others have said a few years age difference often doesn't make for a more mature person.

3. "If the drinking age was lowered to an age where you could legally drink (if you couldn't) , would you?"
Well since i'm 13 no but when i'm a bit older probably :p

4. "How old are you?"
13.

5. "Do you think the legal drinking age should be lowered from 21?"
Only certain alcohol that's not too strong.
 
RE: Your guys view on the drinking age of Alcohol

1. "Do you think adults are generally more mature at age 21 compared to 18?"
No that depends on the person, not age. I know some adults 40+ who still drink (a lot) and drive and all of my friends don't.

2. "Should the strength of alcohol beverages affect the drinking age for that beverage? (Hard whiskey, beer, etc.)
Yes, beer and wine at 16 ; Whiskey, wodka at 18 (maybe 20)

3. "If the drinking age was lowered to an age where you could legally drink (if you couldn't) , would you?"
I don't know, I was 16 when I was allowed to drink beer and I think that was a good age for me. When you are young you want to experiment (some more than others). Then it's best to start with beer and wine.

4. "How old are you?"
25

5. "Do you think the legal drinking age should be lowered from 21?"
Yes, it's better to learn how to deal with alcohol than forbid it, because when somebody wants to try it they will.
 
RE: Your guys view on the drinking age of Alcohol

1. "Do you think adults are generally more mature at age 21 compared to 18?"
I don't think age is a factor; it depends purely on the individual.

2. "Should the strength of alcohol beverages affect the drinking age for that beverage? (Hard whiskey, beer, etc.)
No; I think it's the responsibility of the individual to know what they are drinking, and thus adjust the quantity they consume to meet that.

3. "If the drinking age was lowered to an age where you could legally drink (if you couldn't) , would you?"
No. I just don't have any interest in drinking. Not that the law would make any difference around here - although legally you have to be 18 to purchase alcohol, you can consume it from 5, so all it takes is for one member of a friendship group to have a reasonable parent to supply drink.

4. "How old are you?"
17

5. "Do you think the legal drinking age should be lowered from 21?"
I honestly don't know why it is so high in the US, so yes, I think it would make sense to lower it. Most people I know have been drinking since they were about 14 without any issues; sometimes it's necessary to assume a degree of common sense in individuals. It also makes drinking less of a big deal and more of a casual thing which accompanies conversation, so people are less likely to go out specifically to get drunk off their heads and instead go out to spend time with friends and have a couple of drinks whilst they're at it.
 
RE: Your guys view on the drinking age of Alcohol

Hydro Cannon said:
2. "Should the strength of alcohol beverages affect the drinking age for that beverage? (Hard whiskey, beer, etc.)
Click to expand...

There is a difference. The lower the percentage of alcohol, the more one has to consume to reach the same level of consumed alcohol as one can reach with a drink of a higher alcohol percentage. Some people might still be able to consume enough to the point where it does not matter anymore, but one must not forget that it takes at least 10 glasses of beer to reach the same amount of consumed alcohol as you would reach after 1 glass of rum. And since not everyone is going to drink liters of alcoholic beverages at a night, there is a diference, even if it was minimal. However whether this should affect the drinking age is not up to me, it would not make a difference for me either, so I do not care.

Alcohol has both negetive and positive effects (yes people, I am going to argue in favour of alcohol as well). The negative effects include damage to the liver, the brain, and in some cases alcoholism, and of course many more. However, on the beneficial side (and I will be talking about moderate consumption only), alcohol will dilute your blood, making it easier for your heart to pump, and thus will decrease chances of numerous heart diseases, for example heart attacks. It also reduces the chances of getting diabetes and various forms of dementia by more than 25%, and it has of course many more benefits. Whether it is better for you to drink or not to drink is mostly a personal question. An elderly person with a known family history of heart attacks might be better off drinking a glass of alcohol every now and then. However a younger person, with no risk of any disease at all, does not have any reason to consume alcohol more than is advised.
 
RE: Your guys view on the drinking age of Alcohol

In Canada certain places the drinking age is 18, but it is mostly 19. I feel that 18 is too low (same with 21 for that matter, probably should be something like 25 or something).
 
RE: Your guys view on the drinking age of Alcohol

SheNinja said:
In Canada certain places the drinking age is 18, but it is mostly 19. I feel that 18 is too low (same with 21 for that matter, probably should be something like 25 or something).
Click to expand...

25 is WAY too old. I believe the drinking age should be a minimum is 18. At that age already in the U.S. you are already considered an adult. If you're in the army (even in basic) I believe it should be any age however. You fight for your country, you should be able to drink as you please.
 
RE: Your guys view on the drinking age of Alcohol

Equinox said:
SheNinja said:
In Canada certain places the drinking age is 18, but it is mostly 19. I feel that 18 is too low (same with 21 for that matter, probably should be something like 25 or something).
Click to expand...

25 is WAY too old. I believe the drinking age should be a minimum is 18. At that age already in the U.S. you are already considered an adult. If you're in the army (even in basic) I believe it should be any age however. You fight for your country, you should be able to drink as you please.
Click to expand...

Well like I said, 18 doesn't really have a strong biological basis. You're past the point where you're finished growing physically (that would be about 16), and the brain actually isn't fully developed until about your late 20's (there's one section of your brain that helps you make rational decisions that isn't fully developed until then, which is why many teenagers and young adults typically make such rash decisions). 25 would make sense by that logic, but like I said, if they're going to use that as a rationale to keep the drinking age high, they need to raise the legal age for just about everything else, since all of that is equally dangerous (smoking, driving, voting, serving in the military, etc). If society believes you are too immature to be able to drink freely, then how are you any more qualified for any of these other things? But since I find it unlikely that a campaign to raise the legal age for many of these things, it would just be easier to make the drinking age 18.
 
RE: Your guys view on the drinking age of Alcohol

^I'd rather have people be considered 'mature' enough to drink before they are 'mature' enough to defend my country and my own civil rights.
However, not 18. Nineteen, imo. Imagine someone like me, who is crazy in all possible adjectives of the word. Now, give him a nice shot of, say, tequila? Most likely, I'd become everybody's nightmare.

Kinda Off-Topic, but if anyone wants to, look for the 'Six Drunk Personalities' video from College Humor on YouTube. Basically got it down to a tee.
 
RE: Your guys view on the drinking age of Alcohol

Haunted Water said:
^I'd rather have people be considered 'mature' enough to drink before they are 'mature' enough to defend my country and my own civil rights.
However, not 18. Nineteen, imo. Imagine someone like me, who is crazy in all possible adjectives of the word. Now, give him a nice shot of, say, tequila? Most likely, I'd become everybody's nightmare.

Kinda Off-Topic, but if anyone wants to, look for the 'Six Drunk Personalities' video from College Humor on YouTube. Basically got it down to a tee.
Click to expand...

So you consider that if you are defending your country you aren't mature enough to drink? That's kinda what I got out of that... Mature and immature are too blurry of a boundary, because people can be both under and over the age that are mature and immature, and not to mention people have different meanings of maturity (inb4 dictionary quote).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top