should teens be able to drink ?

[dell9031]

They can drink when there 21....i will be happy to share a galss of wine, a beer, or a mixed drink with my child when they are old enough to drink.

[Pbeans]

This is already a law in several states.  In my state Teens can have limited amounts of booze when out at a sit-down resturant with their parents.  The rules are they can not sit at a bar.

Now, I don't think parents should be allowing teens to drink at house parties. That seems to send a mixed message about booze consumption.

[ahunter300]

everyone should be able to drink even children - if you go to europe - children are allowed to have beer and wine at the dinner table - when you see beer and wine as food and not as an escape reality issue - then you will see that beer and wine have certain nutritional benefits that are helpful - there was a time and still is in curtain countries where you can not drink the water and only water with beer or wine added to them are safe to drink - yes, everyone should enjoy beer and wine but responsibly

[jongarton]

ok I really am at odds with myself on this one!!! prohibition was instated for a reason in the 20's to tax alcohol! but as an adult with a daughter who at some point will be rebellious and want to try "new" things, I'd rather she come to dear old dad for advice and learn from him! no legal drinking age should not be lowered to 18 because you always have young teenagers who are gonna want to test laws and drink and drive and kill themselves and/or others!
        In privacy of own home with parental supervision maybe but how many kids do you hear about who actually left their OWN homes and went out and killed someone after drinking?

[NickOfSpencer]

A child coming from a family that drinks alot cant help but question what its like. Im only 19 and i grew up around a family that likes to enjoy alcohol from time to time (never excessive or over the limit). I was also just arrested and thrown in jail for underage consumption. It can happen to anyone, and it sucks. Without a job I had to sell personal items to come up with court costs and pay for classes. They were going to put a misdemeanor on my record but later due to me taking classes etc I had it dropped down. What sucked most was it was right before the holidays. I could tell the cops had nothing better to do that night and that there was nobody else in the jail but me and my buddy. But still it taught me a lesson and im not going to touch alcohol until after im 21 and then some. To all you parents, make sure you abosolutely know where your kids are and who their with. If you think its the wrong crowd dont be afraid to make them upset by telling them "no you cant hang out today". But keep them busy, on their feet, chores or something. And dont drink around or with them until their old enough.... Thats all i can say.

[bungholiotgn]

Of course teens SHOULD NOT be allowed to drink. Since they are underage, many teens are immature and make poor decisions because they haven't learned many life lessons yet. Why add alcohol to the mix? Yeah they will probably experiment and find a way to do it anyways, but making it legal is just stupid.

[strumcat]

I could buy and consume 3.2 beer at 18, in my state at that time. I realize that the world is a very different place now than it was then, so maybe the laws now are how they should be.

[Cuppycake]

You people do realize that we have babied our children into pathetic excuses for human beings. I mean come on children used to be treated as adults at much younger ages. Now you find that they are treated like babies for so long that most never ever grow up. Come the f*%$ on people!

[angel379227]

Underage drinking in moderation is just fine. Anyone who says otherwise was never truly a teenager.

[GoGoKokiGo]

The Legal age for drinking in The U.S.A. is 21 and by then your not a teen anymore.

Isn't the age when you're considered an adult 18? That is when parental consent is no longer needed. Anywhoodles, I find it dumb that they can't drink till they're 21 but then can smoke when they're 18 and join the army at 17. Whoever choose these ages was *bleep*-backwards.

[lvstephanie]

The Legal age for drinking in The U.S.A. is 21 and by then your not a teen anymore.

A little lesson in federalism... The US federal government does not setup what the drinking age is. As with most other crimes, it is up to the states to decide what is considered a crime and what the punishments should be when the crime is committed. For example, murder is usually considered a state offense, not a federal offense. In the case of the drinking age, the federal government tries to persuade the state governments to establish the 21 drinking age by withholding federal transportation dollars if they make the drinking age less than 21.

This is why several of the posts say stuff like "Teens can drink as long as they're with their parents"; again that is what is allowed in that particular state, but not all states have that law. In Utah up until last July, it was illegal to drink alcohol in any public establishment regardless of age -- you could only drink in private clubs (which meant that bars "private clubs" would charge a cover-charge "membership dues" to be able to go into them). This is also why Wisconsin was discussing dropping the drinking age to 18 in the state. Their reasoning was that the tax revenue generated by the lower drinking age would offset any moneys lost from the federal government.

As for my feeling about what the drinking age should be... I believe that there should be an age of maturity set where all "adult" activities are legal: drinking, voting, signing-up for the military, watching *bleep*, smoking, etc. Now whether that age should be 18 or 21 I feel is open; it just does not seem right that a person can vote, fight in a war, etc. but not be allowed to drink. I actually think that 18 would be a good age. This is the time when most people are moving out on there own, either by going to college, going into the military, or even just working on there own. Most will have graduated high-school by then and are making plans for their adult lives.

I also think that the "age of majority" idea should encompass some things that are much younger in other states (and may be upsetting to many out there). If there was to be an age of majority, I think that driving, getting married, and having consensual sex should also fall under that purview. For a lot of these other things, teens are also too immature to handle correctly. People complain about the number of accidents teens would have if the drinking age was lowered, but teens are already having a high number of accidents because of their reckless behavior behind the wheel (which is why insurance premiums are so high for young drivers). 

[drama247]

Wow! I think teenagers should wait until they are older to ruin their livers with alcohol.
I am 26 and I don't drink any alcohol. I just choose not to.

[mommadixon]

not until they are 21 i don't believe even then if you can not control yourself then you should not even do it then

[tsubasa731]

as a teen, my parents always told me that if i really wanted to drink, it should be with them

[reymadrid123]

Underage drinking in moderation is just fine. Anyone who says otherwise was never truly a teenager.

I agree with you. Most teens are going to drink, whether their parents allow them to or not. If they understand all the effects of alcohol, I don't see a problem with them having it in moderation.