I think that many 18 yr olds drink because it is illegal. I would rather see them out in the bars where they can be seen by peers and police, than in a private(hiding it) setting. If they do steal alcohol, then they are hiding when they drink it. In a bar a friend or relative usually takes care of them (grabs the keys) or the police will be called on them by bouncers, bartenders or owners. I think many teens wouldn't be trying drinking if it weren't the big TABOO, that we have set it up to be. We tell 18 year olds that they are old to kill someone with a gun in Iraq, but too immature to have a beer. Don't assume that underage drinker will over-drink, every person is different. In many small communities there isn't any nightlife for a young person. The only reason the drinking age was raised, is that older people lobby better. I have always believed that if we went to war, this would be overturned. It only makes sense. Young people need to be more politically active, as are the AARP set. Education, good role models, and the public all are the key. Drinking responsibly is all of our duties. Right now they just sneak and hide, which is ironic, that is the MO of the alcoholic.

When the drinking age was lower most places the 18 year olds could only buy low alcohol beer. This makes it harder to get drunk and hopefully foster responciblity. If you wait until everybody is responcible, some people should never be allowed to drink.

i just read a lot of these posts and they are so true and the punishments for underage drinking are so absolutley ridiculous....

drinking age should be a case to case thing. lowering the drinking age would cause less underage drinking but only to a certain extent. i know people who are my age and drink responsibly. when me and my friends drink, we give the keys to one person and have that person hide them until the next day when everyone is sober. and only one of those friends ever gets beligerently drunk. most of us just like to sit back and have a beer or two. teach more classes in school about alcahol. and honestly, the tabacco age limit should be raised before this legislation is shut down, smoking in any form causes more harm than responsible drinking. despite what "adults" think, most kids these days dont drink and drive. there are the select few that are idiots and DWI. like i said, it should be a case to case thing, if your caught drinking under 18, make it a harsh penalty and raise that persons drinking age.

I am stunned to read that people do not understand alcohol is an addictive substance and that there is scientific evidence that the earlier you start drinking the greater the likelihood you will develop an addiction. This is NOT the same as any other activity. Alcohol use, tobacco use have HEALTH consequences. "Age discrimination" is legal -- age of licensing, age to be elected to Congress, age to collect social security. Please stop equating "adulthood" with responsible behavior. The only beneficiaries of lowering the drinking the age will be the beer, wine and distilled spirits industries. Your brain makes a computer look primitive by comparison -- you know enough not to spill a liquid on your computer -- stop and think what alcohol does to the brain -- the impairment you seek when drinking is caused by an altered brain -- 18 year olds demonstrated they weren't capable of drinking responsibilty and the law was changed back to 21 in all states by 1987 -- what makes anyone think there is any benefit in changing the law?

take it down a notch and maybe it won't be such a big deal; it will become something on the side to have a drink or two, not the concept of "Oh my gosh I'm drinking alcohol" every time someone has a beer People have become way too caught up in everything in this country; everyone should step back and look at an issue objectively before deciding if making it a big deal will be beneficial or detrimental rather than just looking for an emotionally instigated cause.

Lowering the drinking age will provide the United States with benefits that we do not currently have: 1. The ability to give kids good role models for drinking (e.g. parents, parents' friends, friends' parents, University organized functions) 2. A sense of logic and responsibility- I know it's repetitive but an eighteen year old is currently responsible enough to choose to smoke cigarettes, go overseas to kill or be killed, and choose the future of this country through voting; also, being given the responsibility of drinking in a safe environment before being encouraged to binge drink at college or in other aspects of life would be beneficial 3. The ability to regulate- I am a proponent of a lowered drinking age (to eighteen), but a maintenance of the zero-tolerance policy until an individual is 21 (i.e. no driving after ANY drinks until 21) 4. A more relaxed viewpoint- this wall of posts, along with the national debate, shows how ridiculous and meaningful the word "Drinking" has become in our society...

I think you just have to ask yourself this, do you class an 18 year old as an adult, if so then then they should be allowed to purchase and drink alcohol and if not , you shouldn't be sending someone you wouldn't even regard as adult off to fight in a war.

To those who say that under 18 laws were a failure. Would you support an increase in the drinking age to say 25,35,45,or 55 if there was sufficient data to suggest that lives would be saved by doing so? Why not ban alcohol all together? How about banning cars if I could prove that allowing people to drive cars increases mortality rates? If we followed this logic, there would be little left in the US that wasn't banned. Heck why not ban salt and fat while we're at it. Heart disease and mortality both raise with consumption of salt and fat, so let's get rid of them too. Take an econ lesson please!

You can vote at 18,buy a gun, and kill people as a member of the armed forces. But you cannot legally buy alcohol? Makes ZERO sense!

21 yo minimum drinking laws are age discrimination plain and simple. To those that maintain they save lives, I say so would capping the driving age at 75. Of course that will never happen because senior citizens have a much better lobbying organization (AARP). Banning bars would do wonders for reducing drunk driving, but again, bars have better representation. Basically, the 21 minimum is a civics lesson for our young. Yes, they are wrong. But by the time you can get it to court, you’re over 21 and don’t care about the rights of the others that are now in the shoes you formerly wore. The drinking/armed services argument is valid though. But I feel it ought to go the other way. You shouldn’t be able to join the military until you’re 21. If you’re not mature enough to handle the responsibilities of alcohol consumption, you certainly are not mature enough to give you life away.

Also, the thing that should be treated much more harshly should be any reckless driving. Too many people drive like crap and cause accidents without drinking, and get away with it because alcohol wasn't involved! Conversely, I know many people who can have one or two drinks and drive responsibly. I know I'll have some sanctimonious know-it-alls trying to rebut me, but I know I'm right - punish them for the reckless driving, not for one or two beers!!!

To anybody who espouses keeping it at 21 - why don't we go ahead and raise it to 26? That will lower drunk driving accidents even more. But it's wrong because we're a free country and the decision to drink alcohol is a personal adult decision, not the government's. The ends do not justify the means. How about we ban all personal driving and require everyone to use public transportation? That would reduce accidents. And it uses the same logic.

Let's set the record straight: 1)France and countries where there is no drinking age have the highest incidence of alcohol related problems. 2)Kids drink to get drunk and don't relize that when they throw up it's because they have overdosed on alcohol (a toxin)and could die if they don't throw up. 3)Few drunk drivers believe they are impaired when they get behind the wheel of a car 4) In the military you are trained to excel as a soldier and this is NOT related to your age. 4) Age 21 was re-enacted AFTER Age 18 failed miserably. Do some homework and look at the problems when 18 year olds could drink legally 5)Age 21 is NOT designed to stop underage drinking-it is to raise awareness of the seriousness of alcohol use and to delay the age of first use. There is a big difference between an 18 year old and a 21 year old and I don't know many people who make sober decisions about sex, driving, walking, bicycling, whatever, when they are drunk. Walking impaired leads to fatalities as well.

Age-21 drinking laws save lives. It reduced underage drinking fatalities by 49% when finally enforced in 1987. Alcohol consumption by adolescents is a health issue. Also,there is a three year influence span--21 year olds aren't likely to be hanging out and buying for 14-17 year olds. Kids will drink, but don't make it easy for them to die, develop an addiction; or ruin their lives by making bad decisions while impaired.

The 21 year drinking age serves only two purposes. The first purpose it serves is to make governments a boatload of money from underage drinking fines. the second is to blame another group for drunk driving besides drunk drivers. The point is, either you're an adult, or you're not. Childhood is extended way too long in this country because of overprotective parents and zero tolerance policies. The only way people will grow up is if they are encouraged to take responsibility.

Most of the opponents of the lower limit mention traffic deaths as a major drawback. Why don't we just increase the licensing age? In some European countries, you must be over 18 to drive. Keeping teens off the road would save vastly more lives than keeping teens sober. It would also encourage walking, biking, and public transportation - all wonderful alternatives!

Lowering the drinking age to meet the age when one becomes an adult makes sense. If you have all of the responsibilities, you should also have all the the rights. When I started drinking at 16, most of the fun of drinking is the fact that it is illegal. After you turn 21 and the challenge of acquiring alcohol and the risk of getting caught goes away, the thrill is gone. I am 23 now, and I drink a lot less than when I was 18 and a freshmen. The same thing has happened to all of my friends who are the same age. Lower the drinking age and get rid of the thrill. Reactance is a strong urge and until the age is lowered, 18 year olds are going to get trashed like it's the last time every time they drink.

Making something illegal only means that you lose control of it. Making prostitution illegal doesn't get rid of it, it only pushes it underground. Making guns illegal doesn't get rid of them; it just means that only criminals (you know, the guys *who are doing illegal things anyway*) and law enforcement are the only ones that have them. Same goes for illegal drugs, drinking, and abortion. It's much better to have legalized abortion than un-safe abortion. Apply that thinking across the board.

In countries where they don't make a big deal about drinking, there are fewer problem-drinkers per capita. Setting the age at 21, apart from being ridiculously high, makes it seem like a big deal, hence causing more problems. Education, not legislation.

Maybe stop treating adults like retarded children? An 18-year-old is legally an adult as far as I'm concerned, although I've known childish middle-aged people. By all means teach responsible drinking - alcohol abuse is no joke, and drunk driving likewise - but it should not be illegal for adults to drink alcohol responsibly. Prohibition simply teaches disrespect for the law. For the record: I'm Australian (drinking age 18), 23 years old, have never been drunk and don't drink at all now.

Instead of arguing that the drinking age should be lowered because if a man is old enough to contract himself and his life to the military he is old enough to decide whether or not he would like a beer we should raise the legal age to join the military to 21. I think joining the military at the tender age of 18 is far more inappropriate then drinking before 21. How can we expect someone so young to be able to deal with what they see in war, say in IRAQ. These guys can't handle drinking but they can handle watching a friend get their limbs blown off??? Higher the military recruitment age, keep the drinking age at 21.

Clayton, it is because i am using personal experiences, not research. Thus the phrase "live and learn". I do know the facts, but I chose to use my experiences. Also, parents tell kids all the time to learn from their mistakes, but how many of us wind up doing it, and making our own opinions instead. (by the way, usually cursing in an argument usually makes people begin to ignore you, not listen)

I WANT TO KNOW WHO IT IS THAT IS INSTIGATING THIS CHANGE IN LEGISLATION? WHAT GROUP IS BEHIND THE CURTAIN, PULLING THE STRINGS OF THESE GOVERNMENT PUPPETS AND WHY?

Solution, just bring back prohibition, then the only ones that can drink are scofflaws and illegal immigrants.

It will never happen. The states CAN set their own drinking ages BUT the US FED will impose things to make it impossible. Case in point : Up until like 10 years ago the Drinking Age in LOUISIANA was 18...then the FED said "CHANGE IT TO 21 OR WE WILL REVOKE ALL FEDERAL HIGHWAY FUNDING" Boom , Loisiana changed it to 21. Same will happen to these states.

I'm good with military exemptions to the law. But why not also lower it to 19 with the condition that people under 21 can only buy alcohol after successfully completing their freshman year and currently being enrolled in a college or university? That would do two things: 1) Encourage kids to get more education, and 2.) Encourage them to not drink too much. If they party too hard, they can't stay in school. No school=no liquor.

What they should do is lower the age of consent for sex to 16. They're throwing 17 year old guys in jail for having sex with their 16 year old girlfriends - with lifetime sex offender registration. They have 22 year old teaching assistants going to federal prison for a decade for flashing their hoohah's to willing teen boys on web cams over the internet. But, they have no problem lowering the drinking age on some abstract principle of "if they can go to war and kill, they can drink" - even though the numbers overwhelmingly show the saving of lots of lives by upping the driking age to 21. Teens are a whole lot safer when they're having sex than when they're driving drunk.

as a Canadian, this is so funny.... we have limits of 18 and 19, depending on the province. and surprise - that's when most people go to university

Using alcohol as a bribe to get people to join the military is sick. Either change it for everyone, or change it for no one.

As a 17 year old in high school, I feel that, because America restricts liberties and limits minors on what we can do, it makes us want to rebel. But that's not the only reason we experiment, I think it's the alcohol industry, their advertisements are very provocative and appealing to anyone really. I can't wait to be able to legally drink and go to a bar and enjoy a hard earned beer after work. But I know that it's the media that put that image into my head and it's pretty scary actually. As a country, I don't think it was smart to change the age to 21 in the first place, there wasn't a problem before that, and it was just MADDs opinions, but I also think the results would be tragic if it changed back to 18, the appeal would not go away. It would be an epidemic. So, I guess America f***ed up, but personally I don't think the states would change it back, and if they did, the government would find another way to bribe them. Also, Mel, your posts are very vague and they make you seem ignorant. Research it.

change the age to 18. if you can fight and die for your county you should be able to drunk and get drunk. damn MADD. they are out of control

I fail to see the logic in allowing the drinking age to be lowered to 18...or 16, as some have suggested. The idea that this will take the infatuation with it away from teens is ridiculous. I cannot believe that there are responsible adults who would suggest legislation of this type! The only way we will keep our kids from dying on roads due to drinking and driving is if we stop telling them that it is wonderful, glamorous, sexy and cool to drink. They model us, remember? Why would we want to get them "used" to using alcohol at an earlier age? If you think this is a good thing, someone has brainwashed you into thinking this way...namely, the alcohol industry, who doesn't give a darn about the slaughter of our kids on the highways. How much more revenue do you think lowering the drinking age will create for them?

I am 17 and know people that have driven after drinking in order to get home or hide the fact that they’ve been drinking. If the drinking age was lower, people my age wouldn't have to lie to their parents about where they are or what they are doing. Having the drinking age lowered to 16 would allow parents to help model and control drinking in moderation. I also know people that drink to rebel against their parents and take joy out of drinking just because it is illegal. A new law would eliminate this thrill. Alcoholism many times takes its root when a person hides the fact they've been drinking. Some people have stated that people under 21 are not capable of making responsible decisions with alcohol. Whether it is legal or not, there is under-aged drinking occurring everyday. It is the parent's and the government's duty to educate, hope and pray that their child will make the best and most responsible decision they can make at the time. The government should issue permits to people between the ages of 16 and 21. These permits should only come after a mandatory health and safety class.

I am 18 and I have already drank(in states that it is legal of course). Many of my friends have also drank. In high school everyone experiments at one point or another, whether they are 14 or 18. However, none of us have ever driven drunk. I do know a few of my friends that have thrown up once. But after that one time, it never happened again. Don't even first time drinkers that are 21 make that same mistake? I have friends that have even at 21 and in college. Are you trying to say 18 year olds are completely incapable of making wise decisions? Look at my friends and I. We drink more responsibly than half of the legal drinkers out there. So instead of immediately assuming that we cannot handle ourselves, talk to us, figure out our point of views, experiences, and responsibilities before being so quick to judge us.

Instead of lowering the drinking age because "18 year olds are able to fight and die for this country and vote, they should be allowed to drink..." I think they should raise the military enlistment age to 21 and also make it that you are not considered a legal adult until you're 21. 18 year olds have a hard enough time trying to make decisions on college, jobs, etc. and I don't feel being 18 or 19 or 20 make you mentally capable enough to be able to decide such life altering decisions. Not to mention we need some more attentive parents out there who aren't too busy with their own lives to continue raising their children through their teen years. Too many parents take a back seat to "regain their own youth" during these crucial teen years for their children.

If we follow some of the logic in some of these posts then people actually shouldn't be drinking until age 25 to be sure the brain is fully developed! I know the brain is still developing and also believe it is possible for people to do a great deal of harm to themselves when drinking to excess, I don't believe that low risk drinking would be harmful. But, while we are at it lets seperate the issues of drinking age and drinking and driving. I don't care if you are 14 (legal in SD) or 85, if you have had anything to drink, DON'T DRIVE. I truly do not believe that just because the age is lowered means we have to have an increase in car crashes or drinking and driving problems. I do agree that part of the problem is that we don't teach young people how to drink appropriately. If we are going to seriously look at lowering the drinking age then I want to know how all the young adults are going to change the bad behavior that abounds. Are you going to start acting like adults and stop all the binge drinking and stop drinking yourselves to death? Not that older adults can't and don't do that as well.

Want some facts? Try these: At a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08%, the relative risk for a fatal crash in an 18 year old male is 3 times greater than a 21 year old male driver with the same BAC, and 34 times greater than a sober 25 year old. There are many reasons for the difference but the fact remains, younger drivers are at much higher risk for causing a fatal crash. Source: Handbook of the Medical Consequences of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, pg 12-13 (Haworth Press, 2008)

Perhaps we should raise the age for joining the military to 21.

While I am not positive what I feel about the drinking age- Don't tell me that suddenly 18-20 year olds will stop drinking irresponsibly just because they were "legally allowed" to drink. I know plenty of 21 year olds and older who drink or have drank irresponsibly. I can see the logic in how can you DRAFT someone into a war against their will but not let them drink, but there hasn't been a draft in over 20 years, so 18 year olds today are CHOOSING to join the miliary. And if you are not mature enough to understand that joining the military may mean you have to fight in a war, you definitely are not ready to drink alcohol. And if you argue that people will drink underage anyways, well people do illegal drugs, steal, rape, murder, etc, should all these things be legal as well? Alcohol education needs to start in jr high and it shouldn't be "alchohol is bad so don't do it", it should be this is the detrimental effects of alcohol based on scientific studies, and this is how it can impair your brain and physiological development at all ages. And then lets work to make it easier for youths and college students to find alternatives to drinking.