Comments on: Lowering drinking age to 18

By: January 12 roundup

January 12 roundup — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 05:36:44 +0000

[…] policy expert Philip Cook on Amethyst Initiative (reducing drinking age) [guestblogging at […]

By: catastrophy

catastrophy — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 00:26:28 +0000

that works, it sounds like a good idea, you might want to increase the penalties a bit more but overall its sounds good, if the teens think its just not worth the risk then the amount of illegal activities drops. Most people over the age of 21 believe that it should stay the way it is. because it does not effect them anymore and they don’t want it to change. The risk is pretty high but the rewards are on the same level. I have to go for now, ill finish up later. class 😛

By: Marc Smith

Marc Smith — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 17:33:10 +0000

I am an attorney who handles DWI cases in a college town and the solution is simple and will put me out of business. Lower the drinking age to 18, make all DWI offense convictions, including impaired offenses result in a mandatory 30 days in jail for the first offense and at least one year for the second. Mandatory revocation of license until 21 after release from jail. Require all new drivers to be screened for drug and alcohol abuse and deny them a license unless they complete a substance abuse program and then they have to pay for an interlock device that will not allow the car to start unless the driver blows below the legal limit. All drivers will have to consent in writing, co-signed by the parent, to a mandatory jail sentence when they apply for a license if convicted on a plea or trial so there is no wiggling out of mandatory jail sentences. If mental illness is involved, the driver can be committed to a mental institution for 30 days. If you drink and drive you will be incarcerated. If an adult wants to have wine with his meal in a restaurant, tough. The driver can have a soda that night out and watch everyone else drink. Or take the risk and go to jail.

The fact is, teens and young adults are going to drink for the purpose of getting drunk no matter what you do so let’s keep them off the roads and increase the level of alcohol and STD (because kids get drunk to have sex) awareness in high schools and colleges while drastically increasing the mandatory punishments for first time offenders. After the first few thousand do the mandatory 30 days in jail and the word gets around, the problem will abate.

By: catastrophy

catastrophy — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 09:10:02 +0000

DAMM!!!! (drunks against mad mothers)

By: catastrophy

catastrophy — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 17:00:46 +0000

yes for the first month or so a lot of people would go out of control. But after that the effects of having a lower drinking age would be for the better. And not all 18yos are immature. hell, I know more immature 30+ yo then I do immature under 21s. Some people are mature and others are immature depending on the topic. I don’t believe that lowering the drinking will have long term negative side affects, but I believe that it will either stay the same or help the current problem. The biggest issue is that 21 years is a very long time its 1/4 of your life! why should they have to wait that long? whats the point?

By: john

john — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 04:27:23 +0000

This is by far the most ignorant fight of all fights. Why would you let imature 18 year old kids drink legally? They all already do it illegally, I know I did. That shows right there the maturity level of an 18 year old. I spent two years in another country living by our government rules when they dropped the drinking age to twenty. All hell broke loose and people were going to jail left and right for drunk driving, public urination, disrespect, assualt. The funny thing about the drunk driving part is that we were not even allowed to drive! So, yeah I think it would be a great idea for us to drop the drinking age. That will solve all problems. It might even drop the suicide rate.

By: hallie

hallie — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 05:35:50 +0000

i think that it should remain 21.
my brother and parents survived without drinking.
so can everyone else.

By: catastrophy

catastrophy — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 02:18:20 +0000

Well we could call your rules hypothetical. Like If such a think were to happen and be legal I would……. That way there is no legal responsibility on your part.

By: OBQuiet

OBQuiet — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 04:17:58 +0000

catastrophy.

I could be wrong but in most states, I do not think it is illegal for your to drink at your parents home. I am not sure if they are required to be present. I an not a lawyer and this should not be considered legal advise.

If someone can confirm my belief about the law in PA, I may confess my own parental rules.

By: catastrophy

catastrophy — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:51:42 +0000

I am 18 years old, That makes me seem a little bias. I see no appeal to drinking, Its just a pain. I can do EVERYTHING but go and buy a beer. If someone my age were to drink it would be in a bar or at my dorm. The chances that it would be in my car are almost zero. Why bother if its legal elsewhere and I can just bring it there. If I drink in my car its illegal now and illegal at home, but at home I would get caught and in serious trouble. And bringing back the I can get killed and fly a fighter plane but not have wine? For the a little while after the change there would be some trouble but after it became the norm then it would be no big deal. It loses a lot of its meaning when its legal.