States consider lowering the drinking age...

['97ventureowner]

Here's something many members on this site would be happy with:http://www.9wsyr.com/news/local/stor...4-f13e9a90dadb

[J-Ri]

Seems to me it would be a good idea. Thinking back to highschool, we could get any alcohol we wanted at almost any time, but couldn't keep it without our parents finding it. The solution? Drink all of it, and then somehow get the car home so our parents didn't find out we were drinking. Driving was always the most practical way to get it there... fortunately we never killed anyone.

[72chevelleOhio]

Originally Posted by J-Ri

Seems to me it would be a good idea. Thinking back to highschool, we could get any alcohol we wanted at almost any time,

If the age was lowered, that would give a greater number of kids a chance at getting alcohol. That opens the door for doing even more stupid things. Your buddies were probably careful (if you'd call it that) getting the booze so they wouldn't get caught and could continue to do so.
On the other hand, I know first hand about how people in general do things just because its wrong or illegal. Way back when my school started the D.A.R.E program, that just made more kids do drugs because it was bad, illegal, cool ect. Same for the "no sex" b.s. they tried. (It started as I was close to graduating, but there was an increase in pregnant teens) They do what they are told not to. If its "okay" MAYBE they will try it and move on to something else. I believe its france where everyone has a glass of wine at dinner? (a custom?) and the they don't even come close to our alcoholism rate.

[2.2 Straight six]

I think the truth is that if kids are really determined to drink they will. if it's put there in front of them, more will because they can and there are no reprocussions.

over here you can buy alcohol from 18, but can drink from 5. we used to drink at school aged ~15 because we could get away with it, and it made class go faster. most kids were getting wated on the weekends at parties and clubs, but if you're 16 and manage to buy alcohol, all the police do is take it off you and move you along.

i think lowering the drinking age will see an increase in teen drinking by quite a lot, and a fair increase in alcoholism.

at the end of the day, if they want it enough they'll get it, regardless of the legality.

[J-Ri]

It was no problem at all to get alcohol. All I had to do was quit shaving on Tuesday and by Friday I'd have a good enough beard that hardly anyone would card me (which wasn't always possible because I had a job that didn't allow facial hair... the solution was to get a warning about shaving on Wednesday and take off Thursday and Friday). That was when I was 17 or 18. Part (or most) of the fun of drinking was getting away with it. I'm 22 now, and drink MUCH less than when I was in highschool.

[Damien]

I think the age should be lowered for no other reason than the miltary service relation. Old enough to die for your country but not drink if you survive.

They used to allow any service member to drink with valid ID...or was it just on base? I forget, but mostly they let them overseas. Honestly I'm not sure I care, but if it happens police need to be on stand by. I seriously think kids...well, 18yrs can get alcohol whenever and wherever for the most part but somewhere in most of their heads, why drive and take a better chance of getting caught. Now that it's legal, idk. Just being at college and traveling the world, you see so many stupid people...

['97ventureowner]

Back in the '80s the drinking age was 18 and one year it was moved to 19 and then finally 21. I was able to legally drink when I turned 19 in the mid '80s. I think lowering the age may be beneficial in a few ways. First it could cut down on the number of kids illegally trying to obtain alcohol which can cause a host of problems on it's own. I like the idea of requiring young adults to take a course before becoming legal,( hey we do it for driving and we have sex education, why not tech responsible drinking? Maybe some will listen) Also it may take the "rush" away from some kids who try to get alcohol illegally by making it available and thus less tempting to "break the law " because they can. Another benefit from lowering the age to purchase alcohol is a benefit to the states in an increase in revenues from the collection of taxes on alcohol purchases. NY is considering raising the tax on certain alcoholic beverages and changing certain classes of alcohol and this could create more revenue for the states.( I'm not saying that's a good benefit just that it's a result of one action, but it could be beneficial to others who can benefit from the increase in revenues if it is used to help others.)

[72chevelleOhio]

Originally Posted by '97ventureowner

Back in the '80s the drinking age was 18 and one year it was moved to 19 and then finally 21. I was able to legally drink when I turned 19 in the mid '80s.

3/2 beer?

[Damien]

Originally Posted by '97ventureowner

Back in the '80s the drinking age was 18 and one year it was moved to 19 and then finally 21. I was able to legally drink when I turned 19 in the mid '80s. I think lowering the age may be beneficial in a few ways. First it could cut down on the number of kids illegally trying to obtain alcohol which can cause a host of problems on it's own. I like the idea of requiring young adults to take a course before becoming legal,( hey we do it for driving and we have sex education, why not tech responsible drinking? Maybe some will listen) Also it may take the "rush" away from some kids who try to get alcohol illegally by making it available and thus less tempting to "break the law " because they can. Another benefit from lowering the age to purchase alcohol is a benefit to the states in an increase in revenues from the collection of taxes on alcohol purchases. NY is considering raising the tax on certain alcoholic beverages and changing certain classes of alcohol and this could create more revenue for the states.( I'm not saying that's a good benefit just that it's a result of one action, but it could be beneficial to others who can benefit from the increase in revenues if it is used to help others.)

Sorry, very good points. But what started going off in my head was someone saying, "Let's lowe the drinking age to 18! That'll be 3 more years of people to collect taxes from!!!"

['97ventureowner]

Originally Posted by Damien

Sorry, very good points. But what started going off in my head was someone saying, "Let's lowe the drinking age to 18! That'll be 3 more years of people to collect taxes from!!!"

That wasn't the intent of my post but leave it to some lawmaker to come up with that idea, especially in revenue-strapped states where they could use an infusion of monies. Less people are smoking so the next group to target would be the drinkers.
I think as time goes on we realize our "mistakes" and sometimes are able to correct them. For instance, look at Prohibition and how well that worked. People were still able to get alcohol by different means, and the situation today is similar. The 18 to 20 year olds have their own "Prohibition" but that isn't stopping them from buying/consuming alcohol.

[72chevelleOhio]

Originally Posted by 72chevelleOhio

3/2 beer?

You made me wiki it '97.....
It didn't even have Ohio listed as having it. Back in the late '80's early '90's Ohio finally done away with letting 18 year olds buy the lower alcohol content beer. They couldn't buy the regular beer. It went straight to 21 or nothing. Did New York have something similar, or could you buy any beer you wanted at 18?

['97ventureowner]

IIRC ( you have to keep in mind we're talking 20+ years now The drinking age went to 19 in 1985, I remember going on my lunch break in college to go downtown to the Sheriff's department to get a "Sheriff's ID" which had your picture and birthdate on it and allowed you to purchase alcohol. Our driver's licenses didn't have pictures on them yet and once they did they supplanted the Sheriffs IDs. ( I felt real old about 10 years later when I was IDed buying beer and presented my Sherrifs ID. The young girl behind the counter, (probably 16) said , "What's that?" I was mortified as when I was that age we all couldn't wait to get our very own Sherrifs ID and to have this young girl not even know what one was ? OMG I explained it to her and she said "Oh , okay but we only are allowed to accept picture ID driver's licenses. "
The drinking age was brought up to 21 a short time later, perhaps not quite a year since becoming 19 . I think it was a sort of stop-gap measure to incrementally raise the age from 18 to 19 and then to 21 instead of going full bore 18 to 21. But hey who knows what's on the minds of our lawmakers anyways:dunno? We never had any laws that I knew of that limited what kinds of alcohol one could purchase at that age. It was straight beer, wine, spirits, etc. I don't even think lighter alcohol beer was around then was it? Today, there are so many choices out there it boggles one's mind. You have your malt beverages, different shades of light beers and "near beers, and others.
BTW what is "3/2 beer" ? I don't think I've ever heard or seen that.

[thrasher]

I seriously cringe at the idea of 18 year olds being able to legally obtain alcohol. They're not mature enough to make responsible decisions regarding alcohol and driving, or alcohol and anything else for that matter. I can't see how legalizing alcohol for 18 year olds could result in anything but negative consequences, other than the aforementioned increase in revenues for states. But I would expect to see large increases in the number of DUIs as well as alcohol related fatalities.

[Damien]

^There might as well not be an age requirement in college. 18 is hardly most 12th graders and even then it was easy to get a hold of. But instead of stealing it, now they'll be paying for. I think things would change and like naything at first it'd take some time and I'd just stay off the roads at night it would get better.

[new2mitsu]

Originally Posted by thrasher

I seriously cringe at the idea of 18 year olds being able to legally obtain alcohol. They're not mature enough to make responsible decisions regarding alcohol and driving, or alcohol and anything else for that matter. I can't see how legalizing alcohol for 18 year olds could result in anything but negative consequences, other than the aforementioned increase in revenues for states. But I would expect to see large increases in the number of DUIs as well as alcohol related fatalities.

I'd say thats a pretty narrow minded concept. And i totally disagree about increases in fatalaties and what not. If kids wanna drink now they do... Just like in my pre 18 days i smoked, but now that im above age... its just kinda not as fun anymore. Also, do you think 21 year olds are any more responsible than 18 year olds? Because, being in that age range... i seriously doubt it. there is always the dumass out the to ruin it. but in the long run i think that it would lose its appeal