Drinking Age

[Curious Cat]

so... how does it affect drinking?

 

[Agnapostate]

so... how does it affect drinking?

In two direct ways. The physical developmental state of the adolescent brain is used as a rationale for preventing them from drinking alcohol on both the grounds that their brains are not capable of physically tolerating alcohol and that their brains are not sufficiently developed to enable them to make rational decisions about alcohol consumption.

 

[Curious Cat]

oh. wow. ok then...

 

[gabrielh]

If an 18 year old wants to drink, they will drink. There's no avoiding that. If they are considered adults, and can be trusted to defend this nation to the death, then of course we should allow them to drink at 18 legally. We should let them vote at 16 too.

 

[kaya'08]

We should let them vote at 16 too.

Meh whats the point, there not interested in politics at that age. Just pushing needles and alcohol.

 

[gabrielh]

Meh whats the point, there not interested in politics at that age. Just pushing needles and ciggies.

Many are, unfortunately, but I have met several, 16 and younger, who have a profound interest in politics; I was one of them.

 

[kaya'08]

Many are, unfortunately, but I have met several, 16 and younger, who have a profound interest in politics; I was one of them.

Well i am around that age, and i obviously take a huge interest but im still pushing the ciggies and the spliffs :lol:

 

[Curious Cat]

im 16, but i would NOT trust my friends to make the right decisions for this country. i trust them with my own life, but they dont think things through, and a majority of them want things because their parents dont. we are still in the rebellious stage, and i think the country would suffer if 16 year olds were allowed to vote. and if they were allowed to vote then theyd want to start drinking at 16 as well. and its just a chain from there on.:doh

 

[Catz Part Deux]

I don't really see any reason for the U.S. to have our drinking age at 21. The drinking age in the UK is 16, and that seems about right to me. I'd say that something like 80% of American teenagers have their first drink around that age. I'd far rather, as a parent, that our society allowed young people to drink openly, so we can teach responsible use of alcohol, then to be such puritans about it that we make drinking into something glamorous and mystical.

I grew up with strict tee-totaling Southern Baptist parents. As soon as I was old enough to run with my friends, we were drinking our asses off, with no sense of responsibility. It would have been better if we'd grown up seeing our parents have one beer, and handle it responsibly.

I blame the freaking religious right, starting with the whacked out prohibitionist movement.

 

[kaya'08]

im 16, but i would NOT trust my friends to make the right decisions for this country. i trust them with my own life, but they dont think things through, and a majority of them want things because their parents dont. we are still in the rebellious stage, and i think the country would suffer if 16 year olds were allowed to vote. and if they were allowed to vote then theyd want to start drinking at 16 as well. and its just a chain from there on.:doh

Thats a good point, they would all vote nationalists. Ask most 16 yo what the best strategy in Afghanistan would be and the typical reply in my experience is "bomb the muslim ****ers" or "nuke em".

 

[Catz Part Deux]

Thats a good point, they would all vote nationalists. Ask most 16 yo what the best strategy in Afghanistan would be and the typical reply in my experience is "bomb the muslim ****ers" or "nuke em".

Wow. My daughter is 15, and if you asked her that question, you'd get an articulate answer. In fact, I'd trust her with the vote far more than I would the average message board Kool-Aid drinker (from either side of the lunatic fringe).

 

[Real Talk]

well i do. i dont know all that much about the government, so what i learn online here, is pretty much all i do know, except for my personal opinions and beliefs. and hes right about that, what i learn here will help me form whatever i believe later on in life. :shrug:

this is truley a shame.
Word to the wise.
Sounding smart, and beign smart. 2 differant things

 

[Real Talk]

As a youth I benifited from having a collective watering hole, and a woman who lived their and took care of the place who was kind to us, and who we grew to view like a parent (my friends mothers house).

We had somewhere to get drunk.
Somewhere to invite girls - where they could drink in a safe environment.
We had places on hand to sleep, making driving unececary.
And we had a stake in the place (we wanted to be welcome, and did not want to abuse the kindness of the hosts).

We drank quite a bit. But nothing bad came of it. And we all became relatively responsible drinkers (and one, now recovered, alcaholic).

We were not in cars. Other people were. Because the car, in the modern world, is the young persons lounge. In a world where space is rare and expensive.

 

[Agnapostate]

Wow. My daughter is 15, and if you asked her that question, you'd get an articulate answer. In fact, I'd trust her with the vote far more than I would the average message board Kool-Aid drinker (from either side of the lunatic fringe).

It's still no less anecdotal than "My son won't even clean his room; he's too immature for civics; he got a 'C' in History" is, though. Thankfully, that's why empirical research exists, though so does belligerent unwillingness to heed it.

 

[kaya'08]

Wow. My daughter is 15, and if you asked her that question, you'd get an articulate answer. In fact, I'd trust her with the vote far more than I would the average message board Kool-Aid drinker (from either side of the lunatic fringe).

Its just that most 16 year olds have no concrete knowledge on politics or what is good for there country so the rest of us have to suffer. :lol:

 

[Catz Part Deux]

It's still no less anecdotal than "My son won't even clean his room; he's too immature for civics; he got a 'C' in History" is, though. Thankfully, that's why empirical research exists, though so does belligerent unwillingness to heed it.

I agree. I get tired of negative stereotypes about young people, though. I remain consistently impressed by them. MY friends and I in high school and college mostly wanted to make a lot of money, that was as far as our aspirations went. I'm amazed how many young adults and teenagers today really want to make the world a better place. I find it rather inspiring.

 

[Catz Part Deux]

Its just that most 16 year olds have no concrete knowledge on politics or what is good for there country so the rest of us have to suffer. :lol:

I think that is largely attributable to low standards of adults. My kids and I have been discussing politics, religion, you name it, all the taboos, for years. My 11-year-old was probably a more informed "voter" than many of the parents of his peers.

 

[rathi]

There are tons of politically knowledgeable kids out there, often through the internet. I started debating on forums like this one 9 years ago as my first entry to politics, and certainly shaped my beliefs.

I honestly don't find 16 year olds any worse voters than most of the adult populace. They are mostly ignorant, but most adults aren't really any better. The only real factor that matters in becoming educated in politics is the time and ability to learn.

 

[Thoreau]

ok, so im feeling a little left out now, what is a binge drinker?

The definition of a binge is 4 or more drinks consumed within in an hour or less. So getting drunk does not necessarily have to correlate with binge drinking but binge drinking always correlates with getting drunk.

 

[Thoreau]

I honestly don't find 16 year olds any worse voters than most of the adult populace. They are mostly ignorant, but most adults aren't really any better. The only real factor that matters in becoming educated in politics is the time and ability to learn.

I think by and large those under 18 almost exclusively hold the same opinions as their parents. And sometimes the same is true for those of legal voting age... They are ignorant which is why they parrot the opinions of their parents because they are seen as the pillars of knowledge.

 

[Catz Part Deux]

I think by and large those under 18 almost exclusively hold the same opinions as their parents. And sometimes the same is true for those of legal voting age... They are ignorant which is why they parrot the opinions of their parents because they are seen as the pillars of knowledge.

So, what if the parents are in disagreement?

Is it your view that those under 18 are incapable of independent thought?

 

[rathi]

I think by and large those under 18 almost exclusively hold the same opinions as their parents. And sometimes the same is true for those of legal voting age... They are ignorant which is why they parrot the opinions of their parents because they are seen as the pillars of knowledge.

Although it is often the case, thanks to internet, more and more kids are learning about politics on their own. I would say that age isn't really the factor. Considering that kids can't vote, why should they be interested in something they have no part in? I suspect lowering the voting age would increase the interest in politics among the teenaged population.

 

[Agnapostate]

I think by and large those under 18 almost exclusively hold the same opinions as their parents. And sometimes the same is true for those of legal voting age... They are ignorant which is why they parrot the opinions of their parents because they are seen as the pillars of knowledge.

I think by and large those over 18 aren't much different. The large majority of parents attempt to instill their respective social, political, religious, or other ideological beliefs in their offspring.

 

[Caine]

Although it is often the case, thanks to internet, more and more kids are learning about politics on their own. I would say that age isn't really the factor. Considering that kids can't vote, why should they be interested in something they have no part in? I suspect lowering the voting age would increase the interest in politics among the teenaged population.

Lets take what you just stated back on topic here...

"I suspect lowering the drinking age would increase the interest in drinking among the teenaged population."


Hmmm.....

 

[Agnapostate]

And if it would? Youth alcohol consumption is more widespread in Europe than in America (thus constituting a greater "interest in drinking among the teenaged population"), but binge drinking is more widespread here, which means that European youth are able to drink in moderation and thus derive the health benefits from doing so.