Drinking Ages

While I was reading this article I found it very interesting about all that statistics that they had in comparison to those with the United States. It doesn’t tell you that what the drinking age is in Canada, but since I recently went there I know that it is 19. I do find this very amusing since I have some friends that like to just go to Canada for the weekend to drink and then by Monday they are back home. I also have friends who have the free for all parties just here in Michigan too. With our two countries being so close together and yet the drinking ages pretty much different isn’t there a need to maybe make the drinking age one number? I suppose for some Canadians they may feel the same way about the gambling age. In Canada you have to be 19 which is the drinking age, but in Michigan and many parts of the United States you must be at least 18 at some casinos or 21, our drinking age, at many more. In my personal opinion I think that the drinking age should either be 18 or 19. My reasoning is because high school students are going to drink no matter if it illegal or not. If they don’t once they reach college and are allowed to then they may waste a couple of their semesters by drinking and going to parties since this would be their first experience with the stuff. My opinion is my own, but somehow I could see where it might help the solution some, but then again it may not be the answer.

http://www.safety-council.org/info/traffic/impaired/age.html

I think that this article was very interesting. My friends and I have gone to Canada a couple of different times when we turned 19 and I always thought it was kind of crazy that the age limit was younger especially with Michigan right across the border. They have to know that kids from Michigan are coming over just to drink. But like you said no matter what the age limit kids are going to drink so I don’t know what the proper solution. On the one hand I look at it like if you can join the military at 18 and go fight for our country you should be able to drink, but on the other hand I know of some kids in high school that probably couldn’t handle the responsibility of being able to legally purchase beer. So I don’t know what the best solution is.

Another thing to look at when talking about the drinking age in other countries is how many problems they have with drinking. Most other countries with lower drinking ages don’t have near the substance abuse problem that the United States has. In other countries children are brought up drinking alcohol and it is seen as a common drink used at home and conservatively. The problem is that in the U.S. we have to sneak around to drink and that’s when problems start with binge drinking and drunk driving. In Canada they combat the young drinking age and threat of drunk driving with offering more taxi services and also the penalty for drunk driving is severe, unlike in the U.S. where you can often get probation for your first offense. I think that the drinking age should be lowered and maybe we can help kids grow up respecting the use of alcohol not learning how to sneak around and drink a lot.

I tend to agree, Alecia. There are many different sides to the topic of drinking age, and I think many of the points are valid.

However, in reading this article, one thing that stood out for me was the report that in 2002, "drivers aged 19 to 24 represented 56 per cent of reported incidents; a stunning 44 percent of fatally injured drivers aged 20-25 had been drinking." So, I don't see where raising the drinking age to 21 is going to solve anything, since the reported incidents involve drivers up to the age of 25 who can legally drink. If the reasoning to raise the drinking age is based on that, that makes no sense to me.

Another thing is that, in the US, we have a different legal age for different things - for instance, 18 for gambling, voting, military; 21 for drinking. If we are going to have a legal age, then I feel it should be the same across the board for everything.

I don't think raising the drinking age to 21 is going to solve anything, for Canada. Many people in high school and early 20's do drink and party more. It's almost a given - not all do, but it's a common thing and I think it will continue no matter what the legal age is. So, I think Alecia had a very good point about other countries where their is a lower drinking age (or perhaps none at all) and children are brought up to learn to drink conservatively and without a big taboo over it.

I think the answer to the high rate of drunk driving accidents in the younger age group would be in providing safer methods of travel - free taxi service on college campuses for example, so students could have a safe mode of travel home.

I agree with you that there should be one set drinking age, but we can not change the policies in different countries. As far as I am concerned with America, I think it should be lowered to 18. I can honestly say this without any bias because I am one of the few that have never even touched a drink. Not that I am afraid of breaking the law only being 18, I does not sound appealing to me as of right now. But like you said the kids are going to drink whether or not it is legal, however I do not agree with your reasoning however. It seems very vague and has no real evidence behind why it would be better. First, I think it would be safer for the kids being able to go out to a bar and drink in public, being supervised rather than trying to find a time where they can be alone. As those of you who do drink might have noticed when teenagers drink they do not do so for fun, they do it to get smashed. Being in public they would be able to be cut off at some point, or at least have a better chance than being egged on by fellow teenagers. Also from a social standpoint it should be a right. If you are considered an adult at 18 and are allowed to die for your country, vote for a president, and are out of high school why not be allowed to drink. I believe there are other reasons as well but I could make a paper out of this topic. Overall I agree with what you are saying though, it is going to happen anyways, let them get it out of their system now and learn how to drink responsibly while they still have parental supervision, and also avoid legal issues.

This article is definitely a well debated one. I agree with you, I think the drinking age should be the same in all places. Many of my friends go to Canada as well. Like you said, we are going to drink no matter what the age is. Plus, when we turn 18 we are held accountable for a lot more responsible things. We are considered adults, can go to jail, and can go die for a country. But yet, we can’t legally drink? I think that situation is a little messed up! Then again, some kids in high school would definitely not be able to handle buying their own booze. They need to come up with some kind of a system to kind of control that.

This article was very interesting and had many good stats to back up its claims. After reading it I feel that Canada should raise its legal drinking age to 21. I feel this would be a good thing because it may not stop all teenage drinking but it might scare some of the shyer teenagers from illegally drinking in Canada. It was interesting to hear that in the United States that the binge drinking has increased by over 50%. I was surprised that the amount of car accidents related to drinking was actually lower than other places even though the amount of binge drinking has increased.

Changing the drinking age to 19 would only cause more problems. If the age was 19 there would be many more frequent drinkers out there and im guessing there would be many more DUI's. Your wrong when you said kids go to parties anyway, i mean i know they do but if the drinknig age was 19 then all the kids who are 19 who arent frequent drinkers would go to parties and drink just for the fact that they can. Maybe putting the drinking age to 19 would dull down MIP's and such that is basically giving high school kids the right to drink. There are some kids who drink but not that much because they are underage and if it got changed to 19 they would all start drinking. I just think 19 is just to young for teens to be able to go out and buy beer whenever they want. It would just be best for it to stay at 21 just for the fact of safety. I believe alot more people would be getting in trouble and probably be more dropouts because kids would go to the bars all the time even though they cant really afford it. It needs to stay at 21 atleast for now just for the better.

I feel that the drinking age should just be lowered to 19. My feelings are that most high school seniors are going to be 18, and if they lower it to 18 they may have problems with that in the high schools. I think its funny that the gambling age and drinking is the same in Canada and most parts of the U.S. I also wonder if the U.S. lowered the drinking age we would have less drinking problems, in Europe like Germany kids can drink when they are 16, this helps them learn a little more control , and most kids don’t drink there the way we drink in the united states; which most of the time is to be out of control and totally drunk.