Today marks the 74th anniversary of the end of Prohibition. I hope you drink up, because I can’t, and of course won’t be until I’m 21.
When an American turns 18, he can fight and die for his country, buy pornography, and vote. Some choose the first, many choose the second, and far too few choose the third. However, a legal adult at that age can’t drink. Ignoring dry countries, there is no other country in the world with a higher drinking age. Across North America, most jurisdictions have settled on 18 (with most of Canada at 19), and in Europe, many countries have even lower drinking ages. In Great Britain, one must be 18 to buy and 5 to drink. It’s 18 in Puerto Rico and 15 in Kiribati. Naturally, the prohibition of alcohol for adults under 21 (and teenagers too) has worked just about as well as the prohibition on alcohol for adults.
Once you turn 18, you’re an adult–but you still can’t drink.
What, exactly, is so special about alcohol that it is considered more damaging than porn and war? And what could possibly be more American than voting, and then going to go drink over the choices you had? Just curious.
Ponder that, my friends, whilst all of my readers that are of legal age get wasted in a gutter somewhere. Buy an extra beer for Kenton.
3 Comments
With a valid military ID… an 18 year old should be able to purchase alcohol, at the very least on premises…
actually I support 18 on premises and 21 off premises for all 18 year olds… the point being on premises you have to be responsible to get home…
when you are buying take out, chances are you are driving…
in 1983 the law was still 18 on premises, and it started rising each year from there, I know because I just graduated and went into the Marines…
Each day I get older and wonder how more people aren’t alcoholics (in fact I think there are many that never fess up to it.) Some of the dumbest things people regret can be chalked up to having a beer. I say raise the ‘fighting’ age don’t lower the drinking age.
You are a smart guy - talk to some drunks and get the facts.
The later you start the better your chances.
When I was growing up in New York, the drinking age was 18. It changed nation-wide in 1983, as STD pointed out.
In Europe people can drink at 18. I don’t think their rate of alcoholism is significantly higher than ours. And they have less trouble with binge drinking and a lot of the other foolish behavior that American young people engage in. We have made alcohol forbidden fruit, which we always know makes it more attractive. And worse, because kids sneak it while away from adults, they don’t learn how to handle alcohol responsibly.
I favor lowering the drinking age but enforcing strict penalties for drunk driving and alcohol-related crimes. Penalize irresponsible behavior not drinking per se.