Do you remember your first taste of alcohol? How old were you? Twenty-one? All 50 states currently demand that their citizens reach age 21 before they can legally drink. But there's a growing movement that says mandatory minimum laws may do more harm than good. When determining the right date when a young person can take one of their final steps towards personal responsibility and freedom, what's the right answer?
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America is Out of Step with Most of the Rest of the World
On the fence
I'm actually on the fence on this issue. On the one hand, I understand and support the "if you're old enough to die for your country, you should be old enough to drink" position. I have actually lived this side of the issue, but I was stationed in places where I was allowed to drink before I was 21. I was able to restrain myself, though, and it never became a problem or issue.
On the other hand, the "America is out of step..." article misses the mark slightly. The problem is that American culture and European culture view alcohol in very different lights, and I don't think it has to do with adulthood. In Europe, alcohol is seen as a compliment to mealtime. It's like bread in America. In America, almost all ads and movies related to alcohol perpetuate the "party" side of it. In my humble opinion, that is the reason there are so many more teens here end up intoxicated when they drink. Until the perception of alcohol changes in this country, I don't think the results will, regardless of the legal drinking age.
- LagerHead
June 16, 2009 3:16PM
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