Should the legal drinking age be lowered to 18 ??

No.

My state tried that years ago. Drunk driving accidents, injuries, and deaths shot up. So did insurance rates, too We put it back to 21, and the level of these dropped back down. Too many kids that age don't have the maturity or judgment to handle drinking.

And I'd be curious to see what would happen if the drinking age was moved to 23, or even 25.

And to the people who say that 18 year olds can join the military and go to war, so why not let them drink, I say that those people get extensive training on how to be a soldier, how to make decisions as a soldier, how to use their weapons, how to work as a team, how to fight effectively, and how to survive. If we gave 18 year olds 1/10th that amount of training before we allowed them to drink, then most of them might be able to drink responsibly. But I wouldn't count on it working for all of them.

I don't think it should be lowered AT ALL! I wouldn't stop anyone from drinking though. I personally think the the smoking age should be higher. I find this ridiculous! What's next? Lowering the age of when a child can watch porn to 15?

They all say that drinking and smoking can be bad for you so why lower it so younger people can drink? I know by 18 you can go to war and stuff, but how would little kids think when they look up to soldiers who fight for our country and then they see them at a bar drinking? They may think it is alright too. Besides at this age you may still be in High School. Most High Schoolers I know are immature!

Seriously I don't know what is the point of teaching teens not to smoke or drink if you can do it at 18 anyway. Most people this days don't know the meaning of "Drink Responsibly" and "Don't Drink and Drive". I guarantee that the death rates from car accidents will go up if this happens.

Yes. If a person is of legal age to die for their country but they can't walk into a bar when they return from Iraq..where is the justice in that?

Lowering the drinking age would likely eliminate most of the binge drinking that occurs amongst underage drinkers. We need to have family discussions and possible school programs on responsible drinking and there will not be a problem with the drinking age being lowered to 18. It's not the age that makes people binge it's the fact that they are doing somethign illegal and therefore rebellious.

Probably not. If it happens the number of alcohol related traffic accidents and fatalities will go up, up, and away. 18 year old kids, most of which turn 18 in high school, aren't necessarily the most mature people, and then you add alcohol and large pieces of metal that weigh 3,000 lbs, and travel up to and over 100 mph doesn't sound like a good mix to me. Not too many 16 y/o can pass as a 21 y/o, but many could pass as 18.

Traffic crashes are the number ONE killer of people in this country aged 15-20, 31% are alcohol related. That's a lot of young people whose lives were taken before they lived.

For the people who keep bringing up that if you can join the military at 18, then why can't you drink at 18. Well, join the military then because they can drink at 18. If you don't join then you don't get the privilege.

In my opinion as the mom of a teenager, absolutely NOT! I don't understand the logic behind "we will stop binge drinking on our college campuses if we lower the drinking age". Now the 18 year olds will legally be able to buy the alcohol that they will binge on.

It has nothing to do with "if" you can buy it, it has everything to do with the maturity of the level of the person consuming it. This will do nothing but put MORE alcohol into the hands of the people who can least handle it.

(Good question though-thanks for putting it out there for debate)

No. The younger you are when you start to drink, the more likely you will become an alcoholic. See the studies in the link below.

The fact that you can join the military or vote is irrelevant. It is a non-sequitur to assert that you should have the right to drink, just because you have been given the privilege of joining the military and voting. Military service, voting and drinking are simply not related.

no even though kids are drinking at 18 does not make it right enough people die in accidents because of dui or dwi that would just raise the amount of deaths by that much more because you would have these kids going to bars and clubs and think they are so great driving a little alcohol is not going to make a difference but it does so no it should not be lowered to 18

Yes. You are legally an adult at 18. You can vote which gives you a say in the government. You can join the military be handed a gun and sent to war.

How does drinking alcohol somehow require more maturity than that?

Its 19 in Canada and thousands of Americans just go there to drink legally.

i see were some people are comming from if your old enough to fight for our country you should be old enough to drink BUT if your fighting you shouldn't be drinking (bad roll model) but i think the age of 21 is to young i think your not really mature enough to drink until 25 and some are not then either but 18 is way to young. if they change the age limit to younger audiences they are only going to up the death rates!!!

i take it ur from america or somewhere here in australia the legal age is 18 im nineteen but i think 21 a good age i go out n see so many uncontolable immature young ppl that cant handle it all the young boys wanting to fight and the girls acting like sl*ts seriously even though id have to go with out for now is fine also to many road accidents with young ppl drink driving