Stapel
FIAT 850 coupé
My opinion was this:
Drinking from 21 a stupidity?
- Thread starter Stapel
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My opinion was this:
Greadius
:yeah:
Some day, many years ago, some guy left some oddly gathered ingredients in a container and forgot about it. A week later, a buddy of his bet him two wives and a scrawny goat to drink the stuff. After he did, he said it wasn't bad, his inhibitions were lowered, then he threw up and passed out. The craze spread and alcohol is now completely ingrained in almost every culture of the world.
I think 18 should be the legal age for everything; a matter of treating people like an adult. Its not like anyone actually grows to maturity before, say, 25-30ish, so you're not saving yourself much trouble by limiting 19 year olds from purchasing alcohol.
I'd prefer obscene tax rates, and some experimental ingredients that would make people who consume to much bald, impotent, fat, and ugly.
Oh, wait, that already happens? Well damnit, what is it about the stuff that is so appealing?
I think 18 should be the legal age for everything; a matter of treating people like an adult. Its not like anyone actually grows to maturity before, say, 25-30ish, so you're not saving yourself much trouble by limiting 19 year olds from purchasing alcohol.
I'd prefer obscene tax rates, and some experimental ingredients that would make people who consume to much bald, impotent, fat, and ugly.
Oh, wait, that already happens? Well damnit, what is it about the stuff that is so appealing?
Stapel
FIAT 850 coupé
I think it is a stupidity! Here drinking is allowed from 16, driving from 18...
And it is not that common for 18 year olds to drive.... So maybe the discussion has a false start anyway.
Drinking being allowed from age 21, IMHO, is ridiculous. Alcohol, appearently, is seen as the devil himself in US. Why is that?
When judging from US TV series, someone who takes a nap of a beer is an alcoholic.... Alcohol, when consumed in a moderate way, is healthy! And: It is tasteful! It is one of the good things life has to offer!
As it can get dangerous (like a million things in this world), I think it is best that parents teach there children to use alcohol in a responsible way. Waiting till 21, that chance is gone!
I remember a family party when I was 15: My aunt made a fool of me, becasue I ordered a cola.....
And it is not that common for 18 year olds to drive.... So maybe the discussion has a false start anyway.
Drinking being allowed from age 21, IMHO, is ridiculous. Alcohol, appearently, is seen as the devil himself in US. Why is that?
When judging from US TV series, someone who takes a nap of a beer is an alcoholic.... Alcohol, when consumed in a moderate way, is healthy! And: It is tasteful! It is one of the good things life has to offer!
As it can get dangerous (like a million things in this world), I think it is best that parents teach there children to use alcohol in a responsible way. Waiting till 21, that chance is gone!
I remember a family party when I was 15: My aunt made a fool of me, becasue I ordered a cola.....
Stapel
FIAT 850 coupé
BTW: legal age in NL is 16.
I can't see a reason why legal drinking shouln't come with adulthood. How can you forbid something to an adult (e.g a 20-year-old) and allow it to another (22-year-old) ? it's simply unfair and IMHO accomplishes nothing; or do you really think that people in 21-year-countries won't drink until they reach the legal drinking age?
Smaasnekje
Should be medicated...
Man! Thats unfair! I have to ask some of my friends to buy beer and stuff for me because its about 1 year, 3 months and a few days until I'll be allowed to buy booze...
Ah, crap, I'm going to Denmark anyway..
Hiding it from my parents is easy... I have done it for 2 years now..
I know! Let's make the legal drinking age in the US 16 and see what happens from there! Why? Because alcohol is supposedly good for you! And it supposedly tastes good! 
Doctors say a glass of wine can be healthy for a person, not alcohol in general. But what the hell does that have to do with the legal drinking age? You think 16 year olds should be allowed to drink just because it will make them healthier? That's bull. You can be just as healthy with the absense of alcohol. And I don't care if there are people who drink only for the taste and the "healthy" aspects of it; the fact of the matter is, the vast majority of youth are going to drink to get drunk, not to have something that tastes good and makes them healthier. When the states changed the age from 18 to 21 traffic fatalities related to alcohol decreased signifigantly. That's more than enough reason for me to keep it at 21 in the states. If you don't like it, move to wherever Stapel is and drink to your health.
This is going to be one of those issues similar to legalizing marijuana, and I can already bet that the majority of people here will say that the legal age should be 18 without even thinking of the real consequences otherwise.
Doctors say a glass of wine can be healthy for a person, not alcohol in general. But what the hell does that have to do with the legal drinking age? You think 16 year olds should be allowed to drink just because it will make them healthier? That's bull. You can be just as healthy with the absense of alcohol. And I don't care if there are people who drink only for the taste and the "healthy" aspects of it; the fact of the matter is, the vast majority of youth are going to drink to get drunk, not to have something that tastes good and makes them healthier. When the states changed the age from 18 to 21 traffic fatalities related to alcohol decreased signifigantly. That's more than enough reason for me to keep it at 21 in the states. If you don't like it, move to wherever Stapel is and drink to your health.
This is going to be one of those issues similar to legalizing marijuana, and I can already bet that the majority of people here will say that the legal age should be 18 without even thinking of the real consequences otherwise.
CurtSibling
ENEMY ACE™
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2001
- Messages
- 29,455
Drinking, period is stupidity.
Live clean!
Live clean!
That's all well and good Jeratain, and you make some valid points.
But, I still say it is ludicrous that you cannot legally have even a glass of wine until you are 21. It's not like you're suddenly going to sprout horns or something. At least they should change it to 'unless in the company of a responsible adult'. Make it a PG rating.
But, I still say it is ludicrous that you cannot legally have even a glass of wine until you are 21. It's not like you're suddenly going to sprout horns or something. At least they should change it to 'unless in the company of a responsible adult'. Make it a PG rating.
Stapel
FIAT 850 coupé
@Jeratain: It is not my point that people should start drinking because it is healthy! It is my point that there is no reason to prohibit it, beacuse it is not unhealthy, when used properly.
You make it sound like I want drinking to be compulsary from age 16
!
I agree that traffic fatalities should be decreased! But why prohibiting alcohol to all 18-year-old, when some are not able to handle it? There are a million things that can be prohibited for that reason.
Another thing: Prohibiting common things is pointless! Howmany americans do really wait until 21 before drinking?
You make it sound like I want drinking to be compulsary from age 16
!I agree that traffic fatalities should be decreased! But why prohibiting alcohol to all 18-year-old, when some are not able to handle it? There are a million things that can be prohibited for that reason.
Another thing: Prohibiting common things is pointless! Howmany americans do really wait until 21 before drinking?
Nad
Known Troublemaker
I've been drinking since I was 12 and it hasn't done me any harm
(Well, a little bit)
(Well, perhaps more than a little bit)
(Ermmm, quite a lot actually)
(I'm dying)
BAN THE STUFF 
(Well, a little bit)
(Well, perhaps more than a little bit)
(Ermmm, quite a lot actually)
(I'm dying)
BAN THE STUFF
Stapel
FIAT 850 coupé
Originally posted by CurtSibling
Drinking, period is stupidity.
Live clean!
Curt, you just dropped a hundred points on the Stapel-respect-chart! I don't expect you to care btw. In fact, if you do, you will drop another 50 points!
For heaven's sake! You live in her majesty's land of distilleries!
Hitro
Feistus Raclettus
If driving incidents are a problem then raise the driving age, not the drinking age.
It's quite easy to argument that people who have already made their experiences with alcohol when they are allowed to drive are not that likely to combine both. If kids want to experiment with alcohol I'd better keep potential weapons of mass destruction like cars away from them.
Furthermore I always find it questionable to ban things for certain groups of individuals based on a higher risk per statistical average.
Why punish a responsible adult who never drinks and drives for the stupidity of others in his age group?
Besides that I guess nobody cares about prohibitions of that kind anyway, they rather encourage it.
It's quite easy to argument that people who have already made their experiences with alcohol when they are allowed to drive are not that likely to combine both. If kids want to experiment with alcohol I'd better keep potential weapons of mass destruction like cars away from them.
Furthermore I always find it questionable to ban things for certain groups of individuals based on a higher risk per statistical average.
Why punish a responsible adult who never drinks and drives for the stupidity of others in his age group?
Besides that I guess nobody cares about prohibitions of that kind anyway, they rather encourage it.
Okay.
Wait, I thought you just said there is no reason to prohibit it?
Either you want to have less drunk driving related accidents or you don't.It's not prohibited. Underage people can drink if their parents allow it and in the proper situations. It is not legal for a minor to purchase and/or drink alcohol on their own for safety purposes. If it were pointless there wouldn't be any laws against it. These limits and restrictions are the result of many years of experience with 18 year olds legally being allowed to drink. The US is far different than Denmark or any other European country in the way that the cities are spread and the roads - so it's unfair to try and compare the two countries. In the US people drive their own cars more than in Europe - the only places that people don't drive that much are in major metropolis cities like New York, Chicago, San Francisco, etc - not the suburbs. There are lots of Americans (if not all) that drink alcohol before they are 21. That's all fine and dandy, but those laws keep the youth out of bars and clubs so they don't hop behind the wheel afterwards and drive into a pedestrian or something.
Smaasnekje
Should be medicated...
I think its better that you dirnk until you throw up when youre young(throwing up at parties in Norway is called "Fjortis Fylla" wich can be translated into 14 year old drunk wich means that you behave like a forteen year old who doesnt know his or hers limits) than when youre 21...
Hitro: If the public transportation system in America were that good and if this country were small and compacted together I would agree with you. But it's not. Driving is essential to many of the youth and raising the driving age would be a burden upon many citizens. Our public transportation in many areas are weak, and cannot accomodate everyone. Like I keep trying to say, you can't easily compare European countries to America, it's very different.
Jorge
Yo mismo
Using the same argument I could say that legal age to drive should be 21.
Hitro
Feistus Raclettus
That's allright, Jeratain, but I think you have to agree that drinking (legal or not) is kind of essential to many kids as well (or at least they think so, which comes down to the same result).
So either you take away a necessary means of transportation (though one could argue that they can be driven by others) or a personal freedom. The second would be unacceptable for me, and if the first is not practical then I'd say you have to live with both combined.
So either you take away a necessary means of transportation (though one could argue that they can be driven by others) or a personal freedom. The second would be unacceptable for me, and if the first is not practical then I'd say you have to live with both combined.
Smaasnekje
Should be medicated...
Well, I don't know about you guys, but I now got the sudden urge to go outside with a couple of beers and some good music and enjoy the summer! Bye! C you guys in an hour!
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