What should the drinking age be ?
This poll is about beer wich contains 5% alcohol maximum. This also applies to any alcoholic drinks wich contain low alcohol percentages of 5% or less. his is the age old debate, should the ages be raised or lowered ?
Myself i think 16 is as we have it here is fine. Most people drink before this age aniways. I can't imagine having to wait until your 18. But some politicians are discussing raising it to 17. In my opinion it wil just make 16 year olds drink on the streets or at home.
There is also the problem of an older guy buying drinks for his younger friends.
In my opinion alcohol can be fun as long as you can handle it. To those who cannot it can become problematic, especially to those around them. That's the intriguing thing, a mature 16 year old could proberbly handle it better than half the adults.
What do you guys think, stricter laws or more freedom ?
18. quite possibly 16. i think it could be beneficial to start at 16 that way parents can be involved in their kids' drinking habits and encourage healthy ones instead of having to do it on the sneak.
at the very least, 18. if you're old enough to die for your country and old enough to commit yourself to dying for your country, you're old enough to buy a beer.
iamnotaparakeet
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Drinking isn't the best idea for health or finances or safety or relationships, varying per person.
There isn't anything immoral about it and the government shouldn't have a say anyway, so there should be no drinking age (id est, anyone can drink.) And, before it is asked, I do mean alcohol.
BTW, I don't drink alcohol, but that is because, under the assumption that it is heritable, I have alcoholism on both my mother's and father's side. I have a spending problem as it is, so drinking wouldn't help it any.
There isn't anything immoral about it and the government shouldn't have a say anyway, so there should be no drinking age (id est, anyone can drink.) And, before it is asked, I do mean alcohol.
BTW, I don't drink alcohol, but that is because, under the assumption that it is heritable, I have alcoholism on both my mother's and father's side. I have a spending problem as it is, so drinking wouldn't help it any.
In your case i wouldn't drink either proberly. I have an alcoholic family member who i am not related to by blood. People who cannot handle alcohol can ruin lives. I tend to drink at home with my gf or friends sometimes myself, so it isn't nearly as expencive as going out. When i do go out to a club it always seems ridicilous to me how the price is like 10 times that of a supermarket.
There isn't anything immoral about it and the government shouldn't have a say anyway, so there should be no drinking age (id est, anyone can drink.) And, before it is asked, I do mean alcohol.
babysteps. gotta lower the drinking age before abolishing it. not that it'd make a lot of difference in implimentation but rather the public psyche has to move towards it.
i think age has very little to do with it, though. i think it's more the kind of drinking you're around and the psychology of the drink.
it's kind of ingrained in the american culture for whatever reason to drink abusively. i've recognized that more and more and have generally cut my drinking down (though i'll be getting alcohol poisoning this weekend...but that's a planned event). from what i heard from friends who've lived abroad, the drinking culture isn't similar to america in most places.
iamnotaparakeet
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Joined: 31 Jul 2007
Age: 38
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There isn't anything immoral about it and the government shouldn't have a say anyway, so there should be no drinking age (id est, anyone can drink.) And, before it is asked, I do mean alcohol.
babysteps. gotta lower the drinking age before abolishing it. not that it'd make a lot of difference in implimentation but rather the public psyche has to move towards it.
i think age has very little to do with it, though. i think it's more the kind of drinking you're around and the psychology of the drink.
it's kind of ingrained in the american culture for whatever reason to drink abusively. i've recognized that more and more and have generally cut my drinking down (though i'll be getting alcohol poisoning this weekend...but that's a planned event). from what i heard from friends who've lived abroad, the drinking culture isn't similar to america in most places.
What I think is that the government shouldn't have authority over people in such a nitpicking way.
There isn't anything immoral about it and the government shouldn't have a say anyway, so there should be no drinking age (id est, anyone can drink.) And, before it is asked, I do mean alcohol.
babysteps. gotta lower the drinking age before abolishing it. not that it'd make a lot of difference in implimentation but rather the public psyche has to move towards it.
i think age has very little to do with it, though. i think it's more the kind of drinking you're around and the psychology of the drink.
it's kind of ingrained in the american culture for whatever reason to drink abusively. i've recognized that more and more and have generally cut my drinking down (though i'll be getting alcohol poisoning this weekend...but that's a planned event). from what i heard from friends who've lived abroad, the drinking culture isn't similar to america in most places.
What I think is that the government shouldn't have authority over people in such a nitpicking way.
good point. what else does this extend to?
psilosibin mushrooms? (which johns hopkins is researching right now)
marijuana? (which half the state of california is researching right now)
cocaine? (which causes some of the most annoying, loathesome people)
heroin? (which leaves most people entirely worthless)
meth? (which is about as bad as coke)
personally...i'd say everything should be legal except heroin. and that's mainly because i've yet to see anyone who could do heroin "casually". then again, same with meth and crack (though powdered cocaine is very casual and is more of a social drug).
iamnotaparakeet
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Joined: 31 Jul 2007
Age: 38
Gender: Male
Posts: 25,091
Location: 0.5 Galactic radius
There isn't anything immoral about it and the government shouldn't have a say anyway, so there should be no drinking age (id est, anyone can drink.) And, before it is asked, I do mean alcohol.
babysteps. gotta lower the drinking age before abolishing it. not that it'd make a lot of difference in implimentation but rather the public psyche has to move towards it.
i think age has very little to do with it, though. i think it's more the kind of drinking you're around and the psychology of the drink.
it's kind of ingrained in the american culture for whatever reason to drink abusively. i've recognized that more and more and have generally cut my drinking down (though i'll be getting alcohol poisoning this weekend...but that's a planned event). from what i heard from friends who've lived abroad, the drinking culture isn't similar to america in most places.
What I think is that the government shouldn't have authority over people in such a nitpicking way.
good point. what else does this extend to?
psilosibin mushrooms? (which johns hopkins is researching right now)
marijuana? (which half the state of california is researching right now)
cocaine? (which causes some of the most annoying, loathesome people)
heroin? (which leaves most people entirely worthless)
meth? (which is about as bad as coke)
personally...i'd say everything should be legal except heroin. and that's mainly because i've yet to see anyone who could do heroin "casually". then again, same with meth and crack (though powdered cocaine is very casual and is more of a social drug).
Just have it sold at Wal-Mart so the local business dies out.