Comments on: The Debate On Lowering The Drinking Age

60 Minutes: Some Say Age Should Be Lowered To 18, But MADD And Others Strongly Disagree

[jackcrhs]

My group and I have never found any reason to believe, (from our observations) that my peers are capable of consuming alchohol in reasonable amounts. I have personally witnessed, on several ocassions, how my peers (16-18) consume alcohol (unacceptable). I believe that the drinking age should remain at 21 because stastics have suggested that more drunk driving incendents occured within the time period where the drinking age was lowered to 18. To particulary argue the idea that lowering the drinking age to further the ability of management my group has determined that it is a dangerous precendent. Underage drinkers manage to recieve alcohol even if it is against the law. It is more likley than not that even younger drinkers will be more capable of getting alcohol because younger people have relationships to indivduals closer to their age. The fines for being caught with alcohol are not intense enough for me to believe that the drinking age should be lowered.

[Adreeene]

The idea that people are going to magically learn to be responsible drinkers and to drink alcohol in moderation because they take a class and get a license to drink is ludicrous. Guess what Mr. McCardell, in European countries where the legal drinking age is 18 (and in a few countries 16) they are having HUGE problems with kids binge drinking too. Children as young as 10 years old are being admitted to emergency rooms every day in Europe because of alcohol poisoning. Don't be fooled that the Europeans know how to drink moderately because their kids act just as stupid about alcohol as our kids do.
SHAME ON YOU 60 MINUTES FOR LEAVING SO MUCH EVIDENCE OUT OF THIS REPORT. GET ALL THE FACTS AND DO ANOTHER ONE TO TRY TO FIX THE DAMAGE YOU HAVE DONE.

[RahCRHS]

I don't think it matters whether or not they lower the drinking age or keep it the same. Kids who are of age or not will still be able to get alcohol, whether it's from an 18 year old, a 21 year old, or an 18 year old who knows a 21 year old. If someone wants alcohol they can and will get it. Lowering or keeping the drinking age will still allow kids to drive drunk and be naive about it.Those ho choose to act stupidly will suffer the consequences, things happen, people die, no change of a law that doesn't do it's job anyway is going to change that.

[jimcrhs]

The drinking age should be lowered because if you can die in battle, you should be able to buy a beer. This would stimulate the economy which would then in turn eliminate stress. No stress = no war.

[joshcrhs]

The drinking age should remain at 21. Regardless of the drinking age, everyone who wants alcohol can get it. There would be a lot less accidents on the roads with the age at 21 rather than 18. With the age at 18 there would be a lot more DUI's, deaths, and arrests because 18 years may not be able to make responsible decisions. For these reasons, I would keep the drinking age at 21.

[JulioFranchez]

I can go to war, decide who lives and dies, decide who runs our country, slowly kill myself with cigarettes and even have sex with a prostitute in vegas. But I cant drink. This doesn't make sense. It is undefendable prohibition on all 18-20 year olds. Prohibition does not and will not work. In fact it endangers the youth of America. If one can not drink before college how can one be expected to know how to deal with all that alcohol?

[rikacrhs]

The drinking age should remain at 21 because teenagers do not show responsibiity at the age of 18. If it is lowered, it will enable teens younger than 18 to have closer connections to getting alcohol (more underage people will drive drunk under the influence). Under the infuence of alcohol, you have lowered inhibitions. Therefore, you may be more likely to chose other intoxicated substances. There is a lot of peer pressure that 18 year olds will not be able to handle. They will abuse the privlages and buy alcohol for younger teens because it is considered easy money.

[Adreeene]

John McCardell is an idiot. He calls MADD ridiculous for setting an idealistic goal of no underage drinking and yet he thinks his idea of having a class and getting a license to drink will eliminate binge drinking deaths-oh please! In a perfect world maybe kids would learn moderation if they were allowed to drink but this isn't a perfect world and his approach will NOT work. Besides, teens' brains are still developing so the idea that they will all of a sudden become responsible and be able to control their impulses because it isn't against the rules is ludicrous.
As heartless as this may sound it is better that the binge drinkers of the world are forced into hiding and dying of alcohol poisoning than going out, drinking legally, driving and killing innocent sober drivers an passengers on the road.
Wake up America, Wake up 60 minutes! Go out and read the research about how alcohol impacts young people (yes even "mature" 18-year-olds) differently than those over 21. This is a matter of science NOT a matter of prudish idealists trying to cram their beliefs down everyone else's throats.

[pherri]

Like Gordy in the 60 Minutes story, my best friend from grade school died as a freshman in college from alcohol poisoning at a fraternity event. He and his so-called 'brothers' were all 18 or older. He died face up, asphyxiated by his own vomit while the party continued elsewhere. Picture that when you consider making alcohol even more accessible to people who do not understand how quickly it can kill them or their friends.

[EMK49]

In most homes parents are willing to do whatever it takes to keep their kids safe. In their infancy, we have them immunized to ward off disease. When they begin to establish independence as young children we discuss "stranger danger" to give them skills to protect themselves. We set curfews and emphasize safe driving habits as our teens start to drive. We are even willing to talk to them about the dangers of drugs.

Preventing teens from drinking before they are 21 may be the most difficult issue for parents to discuss. Teen drinking is often thought of as a rite of passage, glamorized on television shows and romanticized in teen movies. Drinking is a legal activity for adults and is very common among the parents that are now trying to talk to their teens. It runs deep in our culture and for these reasons, it often leaves many parents speechless.

Lowering the drinking age is going backwards, not forwards. We need a culture change, not to encourage more destructive behavior.

http://parentsagainstunderagedrinking.info/