Drinking Age

[MarkDel]

Of course it should be lowered to 18, though it should be handled on a state by state basis.

When I grew up in New York the drinking age was 18 and the world didn't exactly fall apart. In fact, I remember the move to 19 and eventually 21, and all that did was create a "forbidden fruit" nature to alcohol which led to MORE drinking among the people in my generation.

If a person can go to war and get shot at, or appear in a porno movie, or vote at age 18, why in the HELL should they have to wait until they are 21 to have a drink???

I have a funny story about that too. When I was 25, I started dating this girl who I met when she gave me a lapdance at one of my friends' bachelor parties. She was gorgeous and a really hot dancer, but on our first formal "date" I accidentally put her in an embarassing situation. After dinner I take her to this bar and she gets proofed, but she's only 19 so she can't get in the freakin' bar!!! And that struck me as incredibly ridiculous....that this girl could be engaging in an adult job like STRIPPER but was considered a non-adult when it came to drinking...that's ludicrous!

[MarkDel]

No it should not be lowered. I believe NJ lowered it to 18 years old a few years ago and it failed, miserably. NJ's drinking age is now back at 21 years old.

Not sure about New Jersey, but I do know that in many states the age was raised to 21 from 18 or 19 soley because the federal government threatened to withhold federal funds from states that did not do what the federal government wanted.

The feds did the same thing with DUI laws. The feds forced the states to accept a very low definition of DUI.

Carl,

That is correct. They actually withheld Federal Highway Improvement Funds...gotta love those Democratic Congresses back in the 1980's!!!!

[MarkDel]

I can't believe you all think it should be lowered. When you are assigned to respond to a drink driving accident when a drunk 17 year old killed himself and 4 other people, and you have to notify the parents I think you'll change your mind.

Case and point. 18 year olds are NOT mature enough for alcohol.

Raggage,

You've been a cop too long...think about it...they are not mature enough to drink, but they are mature enough to vote for the people who make the rules on who is mature enough to drink...think about it...

[MarkDel]

Uh, I'd hate to be the one to break this to you, but it was Reagan who established the 21 drinking age.

Uh, I hate to break this to you.

But, Congress was the one who withheld the money.

Carl,

Please, I warned you about using those nasty facts to ruin an argument...LOL