Why not 18?

[Chris Jensen]

(puts down the sippy cup of Ensure and puts in his teeth) I was in the 3rd grade when the drinking age in the US went from 18 to 21 and even my 3rd grade mind knew it didnt make any sense as my teacher at the time explained that you could still do everything else an adult can do at 18 except drink.

This ties into the marijuana debate thread, I have no problems following a law that makes sense. If it doesnt, it can take a flying leap for all I care.

If marijuana were more dangerous than alcohol or tobacco I could understand it being illegal, but it's not so why should it be? And why should I care that someone is telling me not to smoke it just because?

 

[manliestofmen]

I don't get why the legal age in BC is 19 where it is 18 in Saskatchewan. Stop treating me like a kid BC. I'm considered a responsible guy and I don't need my parents to sign everything for me anymore.

As for yours, I don't know. Who writes these laws anyway?

yeah, never understood why i had to be 19 here, when i could go for a trip to basically anywhere else in canada and get totally hammered with no problems

 

[C95J]

The most retarded thing is that in the UK, I can join the army and potentially die for my country before ever being allowed to legally buy alcohol or tobacco. So that implies that my country is allowed to get me killed, but i'm not allowed to kill myself(slowly). It's bullshit, they should either lower the drinking and smoking ages to 16 or increase the age you need to be to join the army to 18.

I guess the thinking behind that is that people who want to join the army, have to be self disciplined and responsible, whilst the people who just want to get drunk every night and smoke weed are the sort of people who are just gonna lead a dead end life, and not bother with anything. Which, with the way things are going, is most of our population at the moment...

 

[C95J]

You think that's weird? In the UK you need to be at least 16 to have sex, but 18 to buy/watch porn. If you took the law literally then you'd need to wear a blind fold during for the first two years.

I think this might be true, correct me if I am wrong, but if two people, both under 16, have sex, then the male ONLY gets prosecuted for statutory rape, even if both of them agree, because the legal age for consent for sex is 16...

pretty big pile of bullshit there in my opinion (if I am right of course, this is what I have been told).

 

[Nohwear]

In general age of consent for dangerous activities (alcohol, smoking, sex, driving, ect) is an arbitrary number put in place based on the consensous of what the people in that area think is a reasonable age for a person to make an informed choice about that risk. It is of course mostly opinion or tradition. If they were doing it based on brain developement, the age for all those things should probably be 21-25 as we all know 16-21 year olds only THINK they are mature enough and generally realize otherwise later in life when they look back.

I never got why the US drinking age in some states is 21 either. It means I can't drink if I visit.

The US drinking age used to differ by state (like it Canada

I never got why the US drinking age in some states is 21 either. It means I can't drink if I visit.

*cracks open a beer in calgary*

It's 18 here.

The US drinking law used to differ by state (much like in Canada where it is 18 or 19 depending on province), and in fact it still does to some degree as there are excemption rules in certain circumstances in about half the states. The Federal government basically blackmailed the states into moving the age to 21 as part of a bit of a puratantical movement in um...84 or somthing like that. (Do what we say or no more roads money)

I am in total agreement. Like most regulations and other exact definitions it boils down to, because we had to draw a line somewhere.

 

[Sir_Tor]

Drinking age is 18 here but you have to be 20 to buy alcholic stuff. Exept for 3,5% beer which is 18.

Noone gives a rat arse though everyone starts drinking when they are 13-14 years old. Including me

 

[FinalHeart95]

You can join the army at 18, but you can't legally drink.

Of course, everyone starts getting drunk at like 13 (except me, not social enough to have the access to necessary materials), so I guess it's kinda pointless.

 

[Infernostrider]

here in the netherlands, you can drink beer and minor alcoholic beverages at 16, liquor at 18/21 (not sure), perform in porn at 18 and gamble at 18/21 (not sure)

but the difference between 18 and 21 is pretty arbitrary if you ask me

 

[ElTigreSantiago]

Here in Pennsylvania, I can die in Iraq at 18 but I can't legally drink until I'm 21. Makes perfect sense. In Germany, everybody can drink. And it's not a problem at all over there.

 

[Megacherv]

I'm about as confused about that as to why the age of consent for legal sex is 16, but the age to view porn is 18. Surely the former is more... 'intimate'.
Actually, no, I', more confused about my example.
And I still have no idea why the age is 21 for where you live. Maybe it is just in your state. Ages vary on things from state to state, country to country.

Actually, I heard somewhere that it's legal to watch porn at any age you wish, you just can't distribute it knowingly to an under 18 year-old, nor can you go out and buy it.

EDIT: Oh, and I'm 17 and I have 6 bottles of Budweiser in the fridge. Government doesn't care as long as it's in my house or someone else's

 

[SenseOfTumour]

I can't remember who it was, but I i recently heard a comedian talk on the UK limits...

'So it's 16 for sex, but 18 to have a drink? Who thought that was a good idea? "Say, do you wanna go for a drink ?" "I can't I'm 16" "Oh..ok..fancy a fuck instead?"

 

[Irony's Acolyte]

Just be happy that 18 year olds can vote now. 50 years ago you could go be made to war for you country but weren't allowed to vote for whether your country would go to war.

Its just the conservative part of the American culture. I have to agree that its pretty stupid that someone like me can watch porn, smoke cigars/cigarettes, kill someone legally (in the military), and vote on political issues; but when it comes to drinking alcohol, I'm not old enough yet to make a choice on drinking or not.

 

[blankedboy]

at 15 you can drive,

That is one of the most insane things I have ever heard. Do they want everyone to kill themselves? No fifteen year old I have ever known should be allowed anywhere near the driving seat of a car. I actually think the UK age (17) should be raised, as noone at that age is responsible enough.

(but soon 16)

-.-

 

[Sightless Wisdom]

Yeah, the legal ages for things are completely retarded. Example: legal age of consent: 16(used to be 14), legal age to view or own porn or sex toys... 18. Another: driving 16, drinking 19... so I can get in a car and run everyone down potentially killing myself and many others, but I can't have a couple beers. What the hell?!

(This in Ontario, Canada for those wondering)

 

[viranimus]

Ok, cant speak to gambling.

But last I checked, the reason why the drinking age was increased from 18 to 21, was federal peer pressure on the individual states, that had mandated that states were free to choose their legal drinking age, but any state that didnt adopt the 21 age group would be overlooked when it came to distribution of federal highway development funds. The funds would mean jobs, which is a major hotbutton issue for every state, always.

So there is your answer, it has nothing to do with age, maturity, responsibility, physical appearance, it all just boils down to politics that basically have nothing to do with the issue at hand.

 

[Magnalian]

I'm about as confused about that as to why the age of consent for legal sex is 16, but the age to view porn is 18. Surely the former is more... 'intimate'.
Actually, no, I', more confused about my example.
And I still have no idea why the age is 21 for where you live. Maybe it is just in your state. Ages vary on things from state to state, country to country.

I still don't get why Americans are allowed to drive before they're allowed to drink. Do you really want people who touch booze for the first time to already have a licence?

 

[dickseverywhere]

why do you want to gamble? seriously if you're that desperate to get rid of money just go donate it to the homeless or someone else who, unlike a casino actually deserve some money.

 

[EvilMaggot]

drinking age for denmark is 16 for beer, but for Vodka, Whiskey etc the strong stuff is from 18 the drinking age for beer was at 15 but was raised.. to many drunk teens

and gamble age is 18 anywhere in denmark

 

[bak00777]

i think Pennsylvania is 21 aswell, because i wanted to do the casino to celebrate my 18th birthday back in June, but i was told that i wasnt allowed in.

 

[xXGeckoXx]

In the UK it's 18... just saying.

Yeah I don't see the point of the 21 age in the US... mainly because people usually start drinking about 13 here, and almost everyone is by 16.

So legal ages for anything don't really phase me.

This. 21 is pointless. Just makes more people illegal and does not stop anyone from drinking.

Yeah, the legal ages for things are completely retarded. Example: legal age of consent: 16(used to be 14), legal age to view or own porn or sex toys... 18. Another: driving 16, drinking 19... so I can get in a car and run everyone down potentially killing myself and many others, but I can't have a couple beers. What the hell?!

(This in Ontario, Canada for those wondering)

Meh you can't drunk drive a few years. They should lower 19 to 18 in my opinion.