I posted this thread on the CMB and we had a great discussion over there, Im looking to get this continued over here since sadly our CMB is closing down in 2 days...

http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/stories/index.ssf?...466655360.xml&coll=2

I read this article in the Plain Dealer a couple days ago. Its about a group of college campus presidents who are on a group to attempt to lower the legal drinking age from 21 to 18. M.A.D.D. (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) is the main opposer, saying fatal accidents and other incidents from drinking will increase.

So I bring the debate to the CMB...should it be lowered? Should it stay at 21?

My take is keep it at 21. Im a 20 year old (21 in early October) college student. I don't think that lowering the drinking age is a good idea at all. First off the college drinking problem will just shoot up because underclassmen can just go out and buy alcohol and drink whenever they want...causing a dramatic effect in their schoolwork.

Alcohol will be all over campuses and easily accessible to anyone. I understand its not very hard to get it anyway, and I do drink myself at school, however I know how to control myself (Never had a hangover, never blacked out, never drove drunk...I drink to get a good buzz, have a good time, but at the same time am still coherent and not making stupid decisions)

Which brings me to my main point. The maturity level of 18 and 19 year olds is nowhere near the maturity level of a 21 year old. Many, Many kids get to college at 18 and all they want to do is party, party, party. A lot of students dont make it past their first semester of college because they have bad focus. Letting these kids drink legally at 18 is going to make it worse IMO.

The argument of 18 year olds can smoke, vote, serve on a jury and in the army is null because all of those rights that are gained at 18 are personal choices. A person wanting to join the army at 18 is no different than if they are 25, if they want to do it then do it. Theres is nothing that messes with the persons ability to function in the military. Alcohol messes with a persons judgement and impairs their abilities. Someone with a low maturity level will just drink as much as possible and end up in the hospital because they arent mature enough to handle their alcohol comsumption.

I'm curious to see the types of responses...we have a wide variety of opinions on this board...ranging from parents all the way down to 15 year olds...Im also curious to hear responses from people outside of America like TSO and Colly and such where the drinking age is 18 and how they feel about it.

no, it shouldn't

^^

To me if anything, it should be raised...to 25.

The whole thng to me is based on a persons intelligence level, and any quirky genes (such as alchoholism in the family), and history of addictive personality, criminal history etc. Alot of kids can make the right decision in their teens, but it seems the vast majority may not, and to me lowering it to 18 would make very little difference. You still promote alcohol to adults, and you make it even more readily available to young adults.

I think we all know that prohibition is not the answer, perhaps education at an early age....but that there is a mountain of a task to ask upon an adult to try to do. 

You are not gonna make everyone happy either way, and it's impossible to educate kids on the dangers of alcohol in excess and those who use when operating motor vehicles, you can't preach "safe drinking" to a teenageer, they will defy any reasoning and rebel, it's their nature. They will get it if it's 21, 18, 17, and if they are 15 and the age is lowered to 16, then they will get it somehow then too, just to spite the system.

The best you can hope for is that these kids survive long enough to grow into a good person, and the ones that had no chance anyway who fall into a doomed life almost from conception, well...at least you tried.  

I think the drinking age should be 18 or 19. 

18 may be too early because most people turn 18 their senior year of high school.  We already have a huge High School drinking problem in America (which a lot of times leads to drunk driving)...no need to make that a lot worse.  But on the other hand, I feel that if you are able to go overseas to war and die for your country at 18, then maybe you should be able to sit back and enjoy a brew.

If not 18, then definitely 19.  By the age of 19, your in college already on your own and responsible for yourself anyways.  Lets face it, if freshman in college want to drink they are easily going to find ways to do that regardless of the drinking age.  So why not make it 19?

Taking away the "illegal-ness" of it and making it more of just a regular thing for 18-20 year olds could help decrease all the binge drinking we have going on at college campuses.  As the excitement and fun of it kind of goes down when its just a legal thing, or at least Ive heard from 21 year olds.  Look at some of the countries overseas, their kids have been drinking at least wine with dinner since they were like 12, and they dont have as big of a drinking problem as the U.S. because its just a normal thing.   Lower the drinking age to 19.

did anybody just see this "18" year old kid that drove his car through a house lastnight?  He wasnt even drinking but he was running from the police because he had 2 cases of beer in the car. Hmmmmmmm. 18 year olds do enough stupid stuff without drinking now lets make it legal for them. The only thing this will do is make it even easier for high school kids to get there beer for there parties.  And I am almost sure DUI/Deaths will go up.