College presidents seek debate on drinking age

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College presidents seek debate on drinking age

This is a refreshing change from the usual 'nanny state' proposed legislation.

IMHO, if a person is old enough to enter a contract, go to war, or vote, he's old enough to drink.

Granted seldom to they wait tio be 21.

Tp Alcolhol, the cause and solution tp most of the worlds problems

I don't drink, I haven't ever drunk more than one sip of wine, more or less against my will, and I don't plan to drink once I turn 21. However, most people my age and younger do. In many countries, the drinking age is 18, or even 16. Why are American teenagers be able to drive a vehicle that could crash and kill an entire family, but not make decisions about what goes into their own body? The law stops so few people who want to drink from actually doing so, and, as is often the case by forcing a substance or behavior underground, makes the problem worse. Rather than experimenting with alcohol in a safe environment with family members present, minors who want to drink instead do so more often around others of their own age who do not have the foresight or responsibility to know when to stop. Would a world without people drinking before they knew their limits be nice? Of course. But is it practical to enforce? Hardly.

IMNSHO They should abolish the drinking age altogether.

I currently go to college. I'm of age and I like to drink. The alcohol parties would become less popular if the age was lowered to 18. Then all the popular parties would be the drug parties.

Drugs you got to have drugs.

It's about time, as the old canard goes, old enough to die for your country should be old enough to have a drink.

We should definitly lower our drinking age to be inline with the rest of the world. What i dont get is why us americans have the youngest driving age but highest drinking age in the world

Both the drinking and driving ages are 18 here and it works really well. Especially as new drivers of any age for four years cannot have any alcohol in their blood and drive at the same time therefore the issue of drunk driving is not there.

Just lower the age to 18 and get it over it. They're going to get drunk anyway, might as well regulate it.

If i'm old enough to get married and die in a war, I should be old enough to order wine with dinner at a restaurant. I mean...seriously....

I agree cuz they trust us to drive alone at 16, fight in war, vote, and live on our own at 18, so why should we have to wait till age 21 to take a sip of alcohol.

I started at age 16, and drank most every night. Over the years I've stopped, then started again, and lately have been drinking way too much.

Don't know if lowering the age is really a good idea ....

I still can't believe it's 21 in the US, how ridiculous.

And what's the point? Really? People from overseas who've been drinking legally from 16 or 18 get caught out. Nobody in other countries is damaged for life by having a drop or two when they're younger.

What happens when you make something illegal or harder to get? It just makes it that much more appealing and tempting to get hold of...

I believe we have the highest drinking age in the world, but we do get the youngest driving age, so i guess its a worthy tradeoff. Alcohol ages used to be up to each state, with some having it at 18 and others at 21. Then in 1984 a federal law was passed saying that every state had to increase it to 21. Raising the drinking age has only lowered the crash rate a tiny bit, barely enough to make a difference.

I don't drink very much at all - maybe occasional half-glass of wine or champagne, or half-cocktail, every 3-4 months, about as light you can get without drinking at all. Even on my 21st birthday I only had one drink worth.

Besides the usual argument of "well 18 year olds can do x, y, z, but can't have a drink" I don't see a whole lot of reason to lower any. Also I think it's not good for the feds to be regulating this. It should be up to the individual states, not for the feds to strongarm states into setting it.

The problem is that drink driving is a major problem and is very deadly. That is the reason why I would strongly support the college president's debate, US has much higher drinking age than many countries that have far lower drink driving rates. Obviously the 21 age has not been effective enough, it is worth a debate to figure out the best approach instead of blindly putting age restrictions on.

As the age to get a driver's license is 16 in 32 of the 50 states, there should not be a drinking age so kids can learn the effects of alcohol before going onto the road. And i don't drink even though my friends do illegally because I hate the taste, do you non-americans really think it is fair for us to wait until age 21 to take a sip.

Punishments are very strict in Seattle for anyone under 21 having alcohol. It can result in jail time, community service, probation, loss of driving priveledges and so much other stuff.