Posted on 08/14/2007 4:12:49 PM PDT by Mr. Blonde
Over the strong objection of federal safety officials, a quiet movement to lower the legal drinking age to 18 is taking root as advocates argue that teenagers who are allowed to vote and fight for their country should also be able to enjoy a beer or two.
The proposal, which is the subject of a national petition drive by the National Youth Rights Association, has been studied in a handful of states in recent years, including Florida, Wisconsin, Vermont and Missouri, where supporters are pushing a ballot initiative.
Opponents of the idea point to a reported rise in binge drinking as teenagers increasingly turn to hard liquor as proof that minors should not be allowed to drink, but proponents look at the same data and draw the opposite conclusion.
“Raising the drinking age to 21 was passed with the very best of intentions, but it’s had the very worst of outcomes,” said David J. Hanson, an alcohol policy expert at the State University of New York-Potsdam. “Just like during national Prohibition, the law has pushed and forced underage drinking and youthful drinking underground, where we have no control over it.”
But Mark Rosenker, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, countered: “Why would we repeal or weaken laws that save lives? It doesn’t make sense.”
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
“Over the strong objection of federal safety officials, a quiet movement to lower the legal drinking age to 18 is taking root as advocates argue that teenagers who are allowed to vote and fight for their country should also be able to enjoy a beer or two.”
Let those willing to fight for their country drink at age 18. As for the rest of the cowards ... let em wait till they are more mature.
The infamous facist police state of Germany has a drinking age of 16.
Thank God we live in a free country, where it is 21.
Are you sure? I was in Germany when I was 15 and had no trouble buying beer. Of course this was 1971. I always thought there was no age restriction in Europe.
I think there are age restrictions, but with varying degrees of enforcement.
So anyone who is not or has not been in the army is a coward?
(rolls eyes)
Yes, I am sure - I took my kids there a few months age.
At 18, no restrictions - this was important to my son, who turned 18 while there.
At 16, no restrictions on bier.
At 12, you may drink bier, if your parents are present.
But thank God, we live in a free country, where these things are illegal.
(And yes, the age restrictions are new - twenty years ago, there were none.)
It is not logical to say you are an adult in all but one area. Either lower the drinking age to 18 or raise the age of adulthood to 21.
The only thing that is different today, is that people then were willing to take responsibility for their actions, even when they were drunk. Now, we have Lawyers to “protect” us from the consequences of our own stupids decisions.
Hmmm. Wonder how I’d vote on this.
I’ve always believed that if you’re old enough to die for your country, you’re old enough for a fscking’ beer.
Exactly! You nailed it, HTB.
I think the drinking age should be 19, as well as gambling, viewing porn, smoking, enlisting in the military, voting, etc.
I am not going to lay the blame at the feet of lawyers on this one. It is more special interest groups with axes to grind that we have to think for this. Like MADD.
The federal highway funds were used to make the states roll over on this issue or there would be many 18 year olds who would already be full citizens.
“The legal age for alcohol in the USA is 21 years old. The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 required all states to raise their minimum purchase and public possession of alcohol age to 21. States that did not comply faced a reduction in highway funds under the Federal Highway Aid Act. The U.S. Department of Transportation has determined that all states are in compliance with this act. The national law specifically prohibits purchase and public possession of alcoholic beverages. It does not prohibit persons under 21 (also called youth or minors) from drinking.”
State laws vary.
MADD, Now there is a group near and dear to a litigators black little heart.
Perhaps its time to revive the group’ “Drivers Against MADD” mothers. (DAMMADD)
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