Drinking Age Laws - Do They Need To Change?

[joepole]

>the kids who are old enough to drive, but aren't old enough to buy beer anywhere, are getting the beer/alcohol anyway, and getting behind the wheel.

But that has nothing to do with whether the drinking age is 18 or 21. And is teen drinking and driving really a problem? How many kids get killed doing that each year? Two?

[AnimeSpirit]

Originally Posted by joepole

But that has nothing to do with whether the drinking age is 18 or 21. And is teen drinking and driving really a problem? How many kids get killed doing that each year? Two?

Is alcohol a significant factor in teenagers' crashes? Yes. Young drivers are less likely than adults to drive after drinking alcohol, but their crash risk is substantially higher when they do. This is especially true at low and moderate blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) and is thought to result from teenagers' relative inexperience with drinking, with driving, and with combining the two.

In 2005, 25 percent of 16-20-year-old passenger vehicle drivers fatally injured in crashes had high BACs (0.08 percent or higher). The percentage of fatally injured drivers with high BACs was much lower among females (15 percent) than among males (29 percent), and also was lower among 16-17-year-old drivers (15 percent) than among 18-19-year-old (26 percent) or 20-year-old (36 percent) drivers.

Drivers ages 16-20 with BACs of 0.05-0.08 percent are far more likely than sober teenage drivers to be killed in single-vehicle crashes — 17 times more likely for males, 7 times more likely for females. At BACs of 0.08-0.10, fatality risks are even higher, 52 times for males, 15 times for females.

I'd say a LOT more than 2.

http://www.iihs.org/research/qanda/underage.html

[Al Swearengen]

I say, if you're old enough to vote, and more importantly, DIE for your country, then you're sure as hell old enough to drink!

[howela]

Originally Posted by Al Swearengen

I say, if you're old enough to vote, and more importantly, DIE for your country, then you're sure as hell old enough to drink!

I agree. I remember my early years in the military. I couldn't legally buy a beer in Georgia before I shipped out to Vietnam. Al is right... mature enough to die for your country is mature enough to decide how to drink.

[LateNight]

Originally Posted by howela

I agree. I remember my early years in the military. I couldn't legally buy a beer in Georgia before I shipped out to Vietnam. Al is right... mature enough to die for your country is mature enough to decide how to drink.
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Hard to argue with that kind of logic.. old enough to be issued a weapon, old enough to fight and die for your country.. but uh.. sorry son, can't sell you a beer.. that's @#$#@$@

[piemaker720]

You know I agree if you are old enough to defend your country you should be allowed to drink. On the other hand that should only apply to the military, why would I want some lazy young person who thinks they are too good to join or bad mouths our soldiers to benefit.

[AnimeSpirit]

I was in the military myself. Some commands have cool commanders who feel the same way as most of you. When they pull into a country where the drinking age is lower, they can authorize servicemen under 21 to drink if they want. In some countries, you're old enough to drink if you can see over the bar.

[Pocahontas]

Originally Posted by Al Swearengen

I say, if you're old enough to vote, and more importantly, DIE for your country, then you're sure as hell old enough to drink!

Makes sense to me!