I think you have better and less congested roads, too.


How do you get a ticket if you're not driving?

UT made a good point about this nonsense a while back. We are both in that age group of guys that crossed state lines for booze because of drinking age disparity between states. It gave us all a certain amount of disrespect for the randomness of lawmakers. People ended up driving for drinking instead of staying close to home...

Out of interest. Do the drinking laws (in most states) apply uniformly, or are under-18s allowed to drink at home, with supervision?

In our present environment, allowing your kids to drink at home would probably lead to some misapplication of the laws around child abuse. In America, you're supposed to drink with strangers in a bar as far from home as possible.

A drinking ticket/citation.

I thought that was so I wouldn't embarrass my mom with my drunken behavior.

Laws vary from state to state.. here's a handy map.

Yeh G I don't know if I mentioned it before, but that was the issue that I would say "turned" me libertarian. I just couldn't believe that all these legislators were taking the approach that would clearly kill more teenagers in order for them to look like they were being politically responsible.

We made the state line trip a few times even though it was an hour away and, I swear, I drank nothing out of it. I didn't learn to drink until the correct time and place for it ... college.

As someone who has a lot of friends who work in the bar and club industry, I have to say lower it. Darn selfish college kids using fake IDs get tons of businesses in trouble. :(

I don't really understand why so many young people have such ridiculous attitudes about alcohol. Drinks can taste good and make you feel happy, but I don't see the appeal of (for the guys) buying cheap beer in huge quantities and chugging it until it makes you sick, or (for the girls) buying cheap liquor with enough sugary mixers to disguise the taste and drinking until it makes you sick. What's wrong with having a drink or two with food, feeling a nice buzz, and then going to bed with someone you won't be ashamed of in the morning? :D

Because its coooooooooool. I think it has to do with that is the social norm or what people think everyone else is doing.

This is actually what I strive for and same with most of my friends. I like the buzz and the feelings I get from it and then I'll sober up while keeping that same feeling then drink a Gatorade before I go to bed and I'm feeling great in the morning.

I only needed to get alcohol poisoning once to realize that I didn't want to do that again...

Because it cuts my chances of getting laid, waaaaaaaaaay down.

They need to pick one. Adult is adult.
If they leave it at 21 then they need to raise the military age to that.

I have to say that I think it's weird that a person can live in Australia and have been drinking socially for a couple of years, then take a trip to the US and they can't buy a beer legally.

What Ducksy said is true here. Drink driving is not the major cause of road accidents for young drivers. Speed is.

As to other social issues associated with young drinkers. I think they're there for some people all their lives. I don't think youngsters are the only ones who behave like dickheads when they're pissed.

The main concern I have with young people drinking too much are the implications for their health to do with not quite mature livers etc. That being said, kids will always get drinks if they want to badly enough. Laws don't stop people abusing alcohol.

...and the voting age and age for adult prosecution... Hmmm... Let's go back to 18. I'm not real keen on extending childhood, some folks won't grow up.

I agree, make everything 18. We would also lose a lot in taxes if going to 21 as the adult age.