As an 18 year old, I can...?

Question

1. Buy one of the most dangerous, addictive products made, cigarettes.
2. Go into a gay bathhouse, in fact they give discounts to 18 year olds. Judgment to play safe is critical to protect yourself.
3. Join the military, putting my life and future on the line.

All these things require very adult decision-making ability where your entire future could be in jeopardy if you choose to participate in these activities. And on my 18th birthday I can choose any of them.

Yet I can't buy a bottle of wine or a six pack of beer until I'm 21 !!!

What kind of screwy society do we live in here in the land of the free and home of the brave?

Odin&#39;s daughter · Accepted Answer

It's like being able to consent to sex at 16 and drive at 17 but not be able to go clubbing or have a credit card until you're 18. You'd think that the possibility of bringing up a child and having other people's lives in your hands was more important than having a night out or spending money. 

I think we should make 18 the legal age for everything.

greyguy · Answer

You are certainly not the first to pose this question.  When I was your age (back in the ooooooooold days) you could get drafted into the military at 19 and go to Vietnam without even asking for it, yet in those days anyone under 21 couldn't vote and was not considered an "adult" (e.g., couldn't sign a contract, buy property, arrange for one's own medical care, etc.) in most states.
There are two responses to your question - one is simply to turn it around and say, "Since you have to be 21 to drink, why shouldn't you have to be 21 to buy cigarettes, enlist in the Armed Forces, etc.?"  Or, "Since you can drive a car at 16, why can't you do all that other stuff at 16?"
The fact is that our laws are not consistent and do not follow rational order.  Angels in heaven do not make laws.  The making of laws is a political process, and many influences (such as, but not limited to, money) determine their form.
It is reasonable to grant people different rights and privileges at different ages.  The pressures of society change these ages fairly often - when I was a child, you could drive a car at 12 in South Dakota and drink at 18 in New York.  Those have now changed, because whoever was applying the pressure persuaded whoever was in the state legislatures to change them.

Nicholas A · Answer

You can thank special interest groups and insurance companies for this. It used to be that you could buy alcohol in most states at the age of 18.

latem321 · Answer

There are legal ethics and there are personal ethics. Yes it is hard when legal ethics override personal ethics... 
Land of the free and home of the brew!

In Australia it's 18 to drink.

Anonymous · Answer

NO cigarettes...this is bad for health...
NO gay...it is unnatural for natural guyes like you...!
Military???as you wish but i think you must put your efforts on your education...this is the only support for you in this life...and when you are 30 years old with fantastic job you will remember my advice...don't push yourself in unnecessary things friend...

Anonymous · Answer

well if you join the service, you can drink on the base,.....

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As an 18 year old, I can...?

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