Wisconsin: Lowering the drinking to 18 again!

[Cosmicman]

There is talks all over Wisconsin about the state possibly might be lowering the drinking age to 18. Lots of colleges have said they believe by doing this it will stop a lot of kids from "binge drinking" because they don't have to hide the drinking...etc.

Personally, I really am on the fence with this one. I have seen a lot of idiots who don't need to be drinking and then I have seen some that are pretty responsible people.

I guess if you are old enough to fight for your country, you should be able to have a beer. You can't really part hairs with this one.

Crack open a six pack and join the rest of the state assuming you're 21 or over, that is. Wisconsin ranks as the leading state in the nation for binge drinking across all categories, according to a report released last week by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.

In Wisconsin, 33 percent of young adults ages 18 to 24 reported binge drinking, consuming five or more alcoholic beverages in a single occasion, in the last month. Twenty-eight percent of 25- to 41-year-old adults and 31 percent of high school students admitted binging, said Paul Moberg, deputy director of the institute and the report's project director.

Nationally, 15 percent of all adults and 26 percent of high schoolers reported binge drinking.

The bottom line is that there is a lot of very heavy drinking in the state of Wisconsin and a lot of people think that if they lowered the drinking age it would teach people to be responsible and drink socially instead of hiding in a closet with a half barrel slamming tappers.

The big debates are over lowering the drinking age is heating up in several states, fueled in part by legislators who contend that men and women who are old enough to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan are responsible enough to buy alcohol legally.



Thoughts anybody?

[Mikey]

Great idea

Lower it to the age of Highschool Seniors

[Cosmicman]

Great idea

Lower it to the age of Highschool Seniors

My mom used to tell me stories when she was a senior in High School. Her and her classmates would stop for a beer after school before they went home. Oh my god. Those were the days I guess.


She also told me about a lot of kids she went to school with that were seniors that came to school drunk or had drinking issues.

I am really on the fence with this one.

[Mikey]

Kids aint like they used to be, though

Today, kids just got stupid.

I would never lower the age.

[garagesale]

Kids aint like they used to be, though

Today, kids just got stupid.

I think people are just stupid when they drink (for the most part). Although, I have to say all the guys at Mego Meet seemed very well-behaved.

But, oh, I remember those days of 18 beer... and then having the rug pulled out on me the day after I turned 20 and the drinking age went up to 21. Never thought that was right.

Seems silly to grant people majority in every other way but refuse them full citizenship as if they were felons or something. Like the 2/3-person rule they used to have for counting slaves in the South before the Civil War. It just doesn't make sense. You're either a full citizen or there's some individual, specific reason you're not.

Unless an adult has committed some specific infraction, there should be no reason that person should not be able to partake in any other normally legal activity.

BTW, I think kids should not be able to drive until they're 18.

I think we're into politics now...

JamesD

[apes3978]

The bottom line is that there is a lot of very heavy drinking in the state of Wisconsin and a lot of people think that if they lowered the drinking age it would teach people to be responsible and drink socially instead of hiding in a closet with a half barrel slamming tappers.

That part about it "teaching responsibility" is a huge crock... Take a lot of those people and say "Here, have at it" and they'll be like the proverbial kid in a candy store... They'd be drinking up all they can and having free access to it will make a lot of them even more irresponsible... Instead of just drinking here and there on the weekends, they'll be drinking all the time.

I'm not pro or con on this whole thing but I see the way people can be and I'm thinking a lot of people will be just as careless as they are now, only they will be allowed to do it...

But, I will say the biggest part of it is this: If it really is being discussed, then it's only a proposed way for the state to get some much needed ca$h... Sure, they might lose the Hwy. funding if they lower it, but what they'd gain in drunk driving fines and the like would make up for it... It's all about money, not teaching "responsible drinking habits".

The big debates are over lowering the drinking age is heating up in several states, fueled in part by legislators who contend that men and women who are old enough to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan are responsible enough to buy alcohol legally.

This part does make some sense... I'd say apply the lowered age ONLY to active military and end it at that... If the 18 year old *is* responsible enough to join the military and serve, then that puts them on a different level ("usually")... They're not some punk in the 12th grade who's gonna go do a round or two with their math teacher after class... And yeah, this lowered drinking age bit can be applied to other 18-20 yr. olds in "adult" businesses/situations. But not to "Joe College" who is just bursting at the seams to get to the university to have access to unlimited liquor and saying he/she is just "learning to drink socially/responsibly"...

[Mikey]

My opinion...

I'm old enough to die in Iraq, but i'm not old enough to collect Social Security

It's not fair ........ :(

[toys2cool]

I guess if you're considered an adult at 18 then why not....I wish they would'nt, but w/e

[UnderdogDJLSW]

Shouldn't the question be how are the 18 year old binge drinkers getting their alcohol? (I can guess how, but shouldn't they then be doing more stings, etc?)

[4NDR01D]

The drinking age in Canada is 19, so of course we start at 16 or 17. I always assume this to be true of the teens in the USA as well, and woul be really surprised if it weren't the case. IMHO you could make the drinking age 55 and you'd have 55 year olds acting like idiots. It takes a couple of years to learn how to control your alchol.
Also, if 5+ drinks makes a binge drinker then count me in. I really don't drink very often, but I never just have 1, truthfully I drink to get drunk, not tipsy, glowing or buzzed. DRUNK. oh,and for the record I think todays teens are way smarter than your generation or mine, but they still probably act like idiots when their drunk.

[apes3978]

Shouldn't the question be how are the 18 year old binge drinkers getting their alcohol? (I can guess how, but shouldn't they then be doing more stings, etc?)

They usually raid Mom 'n Pops stash.

[Vortigern99]

This is not a good idea. The spike in traffic fatalities alone should be enough of a disincentive.

[thunderbolt]

If I lived in Wisconsin, I'd want to drink asap.

[garagesale]

This is not a good idea. The spike in traffic fatalities alone should be enough of a disincentive.

Of course, the spike in motorcycle accidents right now (b/c of gas prices more of us are riding 2-wheeled vehicles) is being led by guys our age.

I say, lower the gas prices, not the drinking age!

Uh-oh, more politics!

JamesD

[Mawni]

The drinking (and gambling) age in my part of Canada is 18.

I agree, if you can vote and serve in the military (or be drafted) you should be able to drink a beer. I didn't drink very much when I was 18 but I do know that at university most people drank at bars and they're not usually sitting up beer bongs at bars. I don't remember binge drinking being a big problem.