Comments on: Pros and cons of lowering the drinking age

By: shay

shay — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:57:30 +0000

When many states lowered their drinking age [to 18] in the 1970s, alcohol-related highway deaths rose. If we abandon the 21-year drinking age, we can expect to forfeit a lot of lives, both young and old.
When drunk, young people may do things which cause longer term problems, such as having unprotected sex.
If 18-year-olds are allowed legal access to alcohol, younger teens will have a greater opportunity to obtain it illegally from older peers

By: James

James — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:58:48 +0000

It’s sad that the guy above me is a college student. Just look at the poor grammar.

By: dud

dud — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:33:17 +0000

this is cool i want to drink right know

By: Beth E.

Beth E. — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:58:52 +0000

If the drinking age is lowered it will have some problems. Not everything works perfect. However other countries that have a lower drinking age have more mature teenagers who take responsiblity because of the fact that they are entrusted to make decisions. When you tell someone they’re not allowed to do something what’s the natural reaction of most people? They want to do whatever it is that they’re not allowed to do more. Since it’s somethiong that they’re not suppose to do, when it presents itself in a situation people are more likely to over do then make a smart decision and know when to stop. Also with a lower derinking age comes more education about what happens if you drink to much or drink and drive. More people who have this opportunity open to them know more about the consequences and how to prevent them from happening. Sure there will always be the large handful of people who make this idea look terrible but that happens with everything that is established. Not everyopne does what they’re suppose to all the time. So why let a single group of people have such a contraversial effect on a subject that can futher help younger people?

By: kaleigh

kaleigh — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:46:07 +0000

i think younge adult that are 18 should have the right to drink. they have all other rights why sholdnt they be able to drink. people over the age of 21 drink and drive just the same as underage people.and if you learn about drinking at a younger age you would be less likely to drink as an adult. causing less birth defects to unborn children while a mother is pregnante

By: David

David — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:38:10 +0000

I had the unique experience to be at ASU back in 1986 as a freshman. Then it was called Augusta College and just like all other 18 year old teens I was looking forward to my college experience. I was in the unlucky half of my high school graduating class that was not grand-fathered when the drinking age went from 18 to 21. Strangely all my friends in my class that were just a few months older were able to drink. The topic of drinking age was as important one to my class and was constantly talked about. The clear cut age marker separated most of my group into the haves and the have nots. Back then drinking was still an expected rite of passage that came with adulthood and I felt robbed. I can tell you with honesty that I support going back to the drinking age being 18. Now as a high school administrator working with teens every day, I see that most 18 year old students are still learning to make good decisions. My argument is like many others, if an 18 year old can already make so many other legal life altering decisions (drive a car, marry, go into debt, smoke, choose a college, have sex, and enter into the military) then alcohol is not the big boogie man we were told it was. I have seen both sides of this argument as my underage college friends drove drunk and put their lives (and others) at risk. In my opinion, I still feel denying a 18, 19 or 20 year old the opportunity to act responsibly does not lessen the impact of teen drinking. I believe keeping the drinking age at 21 continues to disenfranchise our young adults and promotes a type of lost years mentality. It seems a generation of adults have been denied their right to be fully empowered and for good or bad wear the yoke of adulthood. In the end, denying a right to any adult culturally shrugs of their viability as citizens.

By: Dr. Octogonapus

Dr. Octogonapus — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:43:52 +0000

BLLLAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGHHH!!!!!!!!!!

By: Natalie

Natalie — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:34:45 +0000

I think we should lower the drinking age because I swear everyone of my friends in school drinks. No matter what their told, what the law sats, what their parents believe, their all going to do what they want to do. It’s no different when you go to college, in my opinion it gets worse because we have freedom from parents and authority but we still know what is right and wrong but we trust ourselves and know what our body can and cannot handle. Being in college is mostly in our minds about the friends, bars, parties, and yeah in the back of our minds some school. We can’t fully be and adult and have our freedom if we still have the barrier of not being 21 yet, it’s not fair because we can’t have the “legal” fun freedom that everyone else can.

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:39:54 +0000

definitely feel that the drinking age should be lowered to 18. our US government, gives 18 year olds the responsibility of voting, and going to war, and to sit on a jury. i believe that there are 18 year old, adults i might add, that are responsible enough to be able to handle this privilage responsibliy.

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:37:26 +0000

18 year olds? wreckless.. yet we still let them vote, go to war, and sit on a jury.. i defenly