4 ms·

The most frustrating part about the USA setting the drinking age to 21 is that they give 18-year-olds guns and airplanes and bombs and tell them to kill people

by cryptoz 16y ago

The most frustrating part about the USA setting the drinking age to 21 is that they give 18-year-olds guns and airplanes and bombs and tell them to kill people in Iraq. But if that kid wants to have a goodbye beer with his dad before he goes to war, he'll be thrown in jail (and maybe his dad, too?). WTF!? That's just bullshit. Killing people = okay at 18, drinking a beer = okay at 21. Crazy.

arethuza 16y ago
Is it really illegal to consume alcohol when you are 20 in the USA? In Scotland (possibly the rest of the UK) it's only illegal for under 18s to purchase alcohol - and even then you can have wine/beer in a restaurant from 16.
- jerf 16y ago
  When you realize what to look for, you realize Puritanism is alive and well in the US. "Hairshirt environmentalists", neoprohibitionists, the way we approach sex ed. Don't get me wrong, by no means is it dominant, it's just that like any other interest group, a small organized group of people against a lot of organized people with weak opinions can do wonders with getting favorable laws passed. I wouldn't be surprised a majority of people think 21 is a silly age limit, but only weakly (perhaps even cowed into saying otherwise in polls), whereas the ones trying to keep it in place believe they are the last bastion standing between society and every teenager in the US getting blotto and smashing their cars into walls at 140kph, and they vote and campaign accordingly. Also, technically, it's a state-by-state thing but 21 is pretty popular.
  - gyardley 16y ago
    America culturally is very diverse, and varies greatly from state to state. When a policy seems oddly uniform across all the states, it's likely due to a Supreme Court ruling or federal legislation. In the case of minimum drinking ages, it's a need for federal highway money that's alive and well in the United States - in 1984, Ronald Reagan tied receiving the full portion of federal funds for infrastructure to having a minimum drinking age of 21. Prior to that, minimum drinking ages varied from 18 to 21 depending on the state - each state set its own social policy, which in my opinion is how it should be. Digging deeper into the issue, you can see how certain states resisted raising their drinking age, despite funding implications - Wyoming took several years to raise their drinking age, and Louisiana had a loophole that made it illegal buy alcohol but not illegal to sell it until the mid-1990s. On the PATH, a commuter train from New Jersey to New York, there are public service ads from Mothers Against Drunk Driving against lowering the drinking age, since deaths from drunk driving have dropped dramatically since 1984. Whenever I see one, I get the urge to scribble 'correlation is not causation' on it.
- jcl 16y ago
  In the US, it's illegal for under-21s to purchase alcohol anywhere, but the consumption laws vary by state. According to Wikipedia, there are 14 states where consumption itself is illegal under 21; others either implicitly permit it or describe situations in which it is permitted. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_drinking_age#Americas http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_drinking_age#Americas http://alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov/Underage_Possession_Consumption_Internal_Possession_of_Alcohol.html?tab=Maps http://alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov/Underage_Possession_Consu...
- steveklabnik 16y ago
  Not only is it illegal, you'll see people with almost a split personality about it. A friend's mother offered me a drink three times once, so I finally accepted. Her entire family drinks heavily at family functions. When I was straightedge they were really, really confused. And then she got livid when I... purchased some alcohol and left it around my house, and it got lost. Very very strange.
roel_v 16y ago
"But if that kid wants to have a goodbye beer with his dad before he goes to war, he'll be thrown in jail (and maybe his dad, too?)" No he won't. Most states have maximum penalties set to fines in the magnitude of $500, some form of community service and/or driving licence suspension. I know this is popular rhetoric for anti-war or anti-US people, but come on, either make a good argument or don't bother at all.
- cryptoz 16y ago
  > I know this is popular rhetoric for anti-war or anti-US people, but come on, either make a good argument or don't bother at all. Ouch, sorry. When I lived in the USA, that's what my school told me: drinking alcohol (as an adult, 18+) under the age of 21 will get land you in jail. I moved to Canada when I was 13, so I never encountered this personally. But do note that what I said, I was told by the USA Government education system, Georgia specifically. shrug Sorry if they lied to me.
  - roel_v 16y ago
    My reaction was knee-jerk and colored by me hearing the argument repeatedly from people who fit the profile for the two categories I mentioned; I was too quick to put you in those categories without knowing anything further about you, so sorry for that - I should've been more factual and leave out the last sentence.
  - anamax 16y ago
    > But do note that what I said, I was told by the USA Government education system, Georgia specifically. What makes you think that public school teachers anywhere know the law? Did you believe everything that they told you?
Hovertruck 16y ago
Actually (at least in Virginia) I'm pretty sure it's legal to consume alcohol in your own home with your family. I'm not 100% certain on that.
ohyes 16y ago
IANAL, but... It isn't illegal for your dad to buy you beer if you are under 21. It is illegal for him to buy your friends beer. It isn't illegal to buy beer if you are under 21. It is illegal to sell beer to someone under 21. It is illegal to use a fake id. It is illegal to buy beer for anyone under 21, even if you are under 21. Public intoxication is also illegal in various states. I agree with your outrage over the 'drinking age,' but you won't get thrown in jail for having a beer if you aren't 21.
- daten 16y ago
  In the United States, this varies depending on the state. As of January 1, 2007, 14 states and the District of Columbia ban underage consumption outright, 19 states do not specifically ban underage consumption, and an additional 17 states have family member and/or location exceptions to their underage consumption laws. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Minimum_Drinking_Age_Act_of_1984 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Minimum_Drinking_Age_A...
joshuacc 16y ago
This isn't true of Mississippi at least. There are no age restrictions on consumption of alcohol, just on purchases.
stonemetal 16y ago
There are reasons why the drinking age is set to where it is, if you did a little research at all you would know what they are. You might find it interesting that every nation in the world that has a drinking age has it set around the same age(20-21).

by cryptoz 16y ago

arethuza 16y ago

Is it really illegal to consume alcohol when you are 20 in the USA? In Scotland (possibly the rest of the UK) it's only illegal for under 18s to purchase alcohol - and even then you can have wine/beer in a restaurant from 16.

jerf 16y ago
When you realize what to look for, you realize Puritanism is alive and well in the US. "Hairshirt environmentalists", neoprohibitionists, the way we approach sex ed. Don't get me wrong, by no means is it dominant, it's just that like any other interest group, a small organized group of people against a lot of organized people with weak opinions can do wonders with getting favorable laws passed. I wouldn't be surprised a majority of people think 21 is a silly age limit, but only weakly (perhaps even cowed into saying otherwise in polls), whereas the ones trying to keep it in place believe they are the last bastion standing between society and every teenager in the US getting blotto and smashing their cars into walls at 140kph, and they vote and campaign accordingly. Also, technically, it's a state-by-state thing but 21 is pretty popular.
- gyardley 16y ago
  America culturally is very diverse, and varies greatly from state to state. When a policy seems oddly uniform across all the states, it's likely due to a Supreme Court ruling or federal legislation. In the case of minimum drinking ages, it's a need for federal highway money that's alive and well in the United States - in 1984, Ronald Reagan tied receiving the full portion of federal funds for infrastructure to having a minimum drinking age of 21. Prior to that, minimum drinking ages varied from 18 to 21 depending on the state - each state set its own social policy, which in my opinion is how it should be. Digging deeper into the issue, you can see how certain states resisted raising their drinking age, despite funding implications - Wyoming took several years to raise their drinking age, and Louisiana had a loophole that made it illegal buy alcohol but not illegal to sell it until the mid-1990s. On the PATH, a commuter train from New Jersey to New York, there are public service ads from Mothers Against Drunk Driving against lowering the drinking age, since deaths from drunk driving have dropped dramatically since 1984. Whenever I see one, I get the urge to scribble 'correlation is not causation' on it.
jcl 16y ago
In the US, it's illegal for under-21s to purchase alcohol anywhere, but the consumption laws vary by state. According to Wikipedia, there are 14 states where consumption itself is illegal under 21; others either implicitly permit it or describe situations in which it is permitted. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_drinking_age#Americas http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_drinking_age#Americas http://alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov/Underage_Possession_Consumption_Internal_Possession_of_Alcohol.html?tab=Maps http://alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov/Underage_Possession_Consu...
steveklabnik 16y ago
Not only is it illegal, you'll see people with almost a split personality about it. A friend's mother offered me a drink three times once, so I finally accepted. Her entire family drinks heavily at family functions. When I was straightedge they were really, really confused. And then she got livid when I... purchased some alcohol and left it around my house, and it got lost. Very very strange.

roel_v 16y ago

"But if that kid wants to have a goodbye beer with his dad before he goes to war, he'll be thrown in jail (and maybe his dad, too?)" No he won't. Most states have maximum penalties set to fines in the magnitude of $500, some form of community service and/or driving licence suspension. I know this is popular rhetoric for anti-war or anti-US people, but come on, either make a good argument or don't bother at all.

cryptoz 16y ago
> I know this is popular rhetoric for anti-war or anti-US people, but come on, either make a good argument or don't bother at all. Ouch, sorry. When I lived in the USA, that's what my school told me: drinking alcohol (as an adult, 18+) under the age of 21 will get land you in jail. I moved to Canada when I was 13, so I never encountered this personally. But do note that what I said, I was told by the USA Government education system, Georgia specifically. shrug Sorry if they lied to me.
- roel_v 16y ago
  My reaction was knee-jerk and colored by me hearing the argument repeatedly from people who fit the profile for the two categories I mentioned; I was too quick to put you in those categories without knowing anything further about you, so sorry for that - I should've been more factual and leave out the last sentence.
- anamax 16y ago
  > But do note that what I said, I was told by the USA Government education system, Georgia specifically. What makes you think that public school teachers anywhere know the law? Did you believe everything that they told you?

Hovertruck 16y ago

Actually (at least in Virginia) I'm pretty sure it's legal to consume alcohol in your own home with your family. I'm not 100% certain on that.

ohyes 16y ago

IANAL, but... It isn't illegal for your dad to buy you beer if you are under 21. It is illegal for him to buy your friends beer. It isn't illegal to buy beer if you are under 21. It is illegal to sell beer to someone under 21. It is illegal to use a fake id. It is illegal to buy beer for anyone under 21, even if you are under 21. Public intoxication is also illegal in various states. I agree with your outrage over the 'drinking age,' but you won't get thrown in jail for having a beer if you aren't 21.

daten 16y ago
In the United States, this varies depending on the state. As of January 1, 2007, 14 states and the District of Columbia ban underage consumption outright, 19 states do not specifically ban underage consumption, and an additional 17 states have family member and/or location exceptions to their underage consumption laws. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Minimum_Drinking_Age_Act_of_1984 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Minimum_Drinking_Age_A...

joshuacc 16y ago

This isn't true of Mississippi at least. There are no age restrictions on consumption of alcohol, just on purchases.

stonemetal 16y ago

There are reasons why the drinking age is set to where it is, if you did a little research at all you would know what they are. You might find it interesting that every nation in the world that has a drinking age has it set around the same age(20-21).