<p>They just need to get rid of the legal drinking age in the US or lower it to 18. There's no point in enforcing the legal drinking age since people will drink whether they are over or under 21......Plus I can drink without feeling guilty :)</p>
<p>you don’t feel guilty ;)</p>
<p>Agree, but only with an increased focus on preventing drunk driving, including harsher penalties.</p>
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<p>This sentence makes no logical sense.</p>
<p>Yeah, the penalties should be increased on drunk driving which kills people every year.</p>
<p>[John</a> McCardell - Drinking age - Choose Responsibility](<a href=“http://www.chooseresponsibility.org/]John”>http://www.chooseresponsibility.org/)</p>
<p>Seems like a good program from what I can see so far.</p>
<p>If they’re so concerned about 18 year old high school kids having alcohol (which makes it easier for younger high schoolers to have access), then just do it like most of Canada… make the drinking age 19.</p>
<p>Only 8 months left for me until I can (legally) drink…</p>
<p>Agreed with pandem. Hell, they ought to be doing that regardless.</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>I grew up about 1.5 hours from Niagara Falls - soon as we turned 19 we crossed the border.</p>
<p>It was great - drinking, strip clubs and gambling. The best part was I turned 19 at the end of my senoir year.</p>
<p>Oh, and I totally agree on increasing penalties for drunk driving. It’s ridiculous that dui/dwi’s have relatively minor penalties.</p>
<p>(I’m a firm believer that if you can feel the alcohol at all… ie even a .03… you have no place being anywhere near the wheel of a car. I don’t care if you think you are perfectly fine, even if you probably are).</p>
<p>I have no issues with heavier punishments on DUI’s, but they need to come up with stricter guidelines.</p>
<p>For example, I can be legally sober to drive in state A, but cross into state B and be “drunk.” They also need to develop a class system for DUI’s. For example a person who is .08 -1.0 (1.0 being the previous legal limit) isn’t as impaired as a person who is at 1.5 - 2.0.</p>
<p>Basically we need to differentiate between people who had one to many and people who are driving blackout drunk.</p>
<p>I would recommend that the less extreme cases (under 1.0) should just require a small fine or some other minimal punishment. Even now police have difficulty charging people in this bracket because a formal blood test is needed to charge a person with DUI, even with a failed sobriety test a + level breathalyzer. By the time the cop gets the person to the station to administer the test, their blood alcohol level drops back to a legal limit, thus creating an odd legal situation.</p>
<p>States often get more funding for highways if they have lower DUI limits, so it’s not unlikely that we see legal alcohol levels drop from .08, to .06 (which has been discussed in many states), or lower. Which in my opinion is a bit unreasonable.</p>
<p>If they keep lowering the level, eventually there will be an issue of whether or not bars and restaurants can legally serve alcohol, due to the fact that 90% of patrons drive to and from the location.</p>
<p>Oh, and I totally agree on increasing penalties for drunk driving. It’s ridiculous that dui/dwi’s have relatively minor penalties. ~ Johnson181</p>
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<p>I wouldn’t consider DUI penalties minor. The fines are realtively steep, as is losing your license (especially for a working adult) for x amount of time. Plus, a DUI can disqualify you from several career fields. Multiple DUI’s can give you jailtime.</p>
<p>The issue is potential, and can we impose penalites based on the potential of the crime and not the actual outcome. </p>
<p>I have no problem giving heavier penalties, in fact I think they are needed. I just think that before we do that, we need to establish better criteria for what a DUI is, and how we apply the law universally. I don’t think it would be good to have state A pass out 3 year jailtime (or whatever) for a DUI, while state B just imposes a fine.</p>
<p>well the other question is, how do we try and prevent alcoholism among teenagers? </p>
<p>Drinking is one thing but alcohol abuse is another problem. The drinking age doesn’t prevent this either but is there any way we can control alcoholism?</p>
<p>^ It starts at home, with a stable family structure and good parents.</p>
<p>I think some psychologists have suggested that there is a difference between teenage binge drinking and adult alcoholism, though.</p>
<p>BigEastBeast: Fair enough. I agree that penalties should be more universal. </p>
<p>But to address an earlier point of yours, how do you address “black out levels”? I’ve blown a bac of much higher than the standard level of ‘black out’ and been perfectly fine (friend had a breathalyzer lol). Actually, I’m fairly certain I was at the “pass out” level and was perfectly fine (but I’ve been called a tank for my size- 5’1 girl).</p>
<p>Yet others get to that point much quicker. Different people are affected differently by varying bac alcohol levels.</p>
<p>At 18 we can: drive a car, drive a motorcycle, fly a plane, gamble (depends on state), go to strip clubs, serve our country, and die for a country. </p>
<p>We can do all that, but can’t buy a beer?
I’m glad there is something called fake IDs. ;)</p>
<p>I’m glad there is something called homeless people ;)</p>
<p>IMO, if you blow a low BAC but still over the limit it should be a handy fine. If it’s higher, the fine should be higher. Second offense should get your license revoked for a year, third offense for life.</p>
<p>Injuring or killing anyone whilst driving drunk should get your license revoked permanently in every state, and get your car impounded.</p>
<p>BigEastBeast: Fair enough. I agree that penalties should be more universal. </p>
<p>But to address an earlier point of yours, how do you address “black out levels”? I’ve blown a bac of much higher than the standard level of ‘black out’ and been perfectly fine (friend had a breathalyzer lol). Actually, I’m fairly certain I was at the “pass out” level and was perfectly fine (but I’ve been called a tank for my size- 5’1 girl).</p>
<p>Yet others get to that point much quicker. Different people are affected differently by varying bac alcohol levels. ~ Johnson181</p>
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<p>Personally, I believe the answer to your question lays within police discretion and their interpretation of intent.</p>
<p>I think the police need to be granted greater discretion in deciding who gets DUI and who just has to call a family member to come pick them up.</p>
<p>Intent is also a major factor in my opinion. Did this person just drink a 1/5 of Jack Daniels, take 5 bong rips and pop a handful of pills? Or did this person go out to dinner with his wife and have half a glass to much of wine?</p>
<p>Obviously, there is a difference in the act - but the charge is identical, which i don’t like.</p>
<p>Well, frontal lobe development, which is stunted by alcohol, is not complete until between the ages of 19-21. And while there might be good reasons to lower the drinking age, “people will do it anyway” is not a good one. Nor is “I don’t want to feel guilty about it”. Either can be applied to any crime, so by that logic, anything should be legal.</p>
<p>The real travesty? Can’t rent a car until you’re 25.</p>