Can't have anybody enjoying themselves, you know! /sarcasm
I remember driving down to DC to visit the Cellar. I was 18, and could drink legally. Darn, I even drove back home! I'm amazed I kept making it, and never had a wreck!!! (NOT!)
Posted on 04/16/2009 2:05:18 PM PDT by zaphod3000
For the past 20 years, the U.S. has maintained a Minimum Legal Drinking Age of 21 (MLDA21), with little public debate about the wisdom of this policy. Recently, however, more than 100 college and university presidents signed the Amethyst Initiative, a public statement calling for "an informed and dispassionate public debate over the effects of the 21-year-old drinking age."
SNIP
Our research compares traffic fatality rates in states before and after they changed their MLDA from 18 to 21. In contrast to all earlier work, however, we examined separately the impact in states that adopted an MLDA21 on their own and those that were coerced by the FUDAA.
The results are striking. Virtually all the life-saving impact of the MLDA21 comes from the few early-adopting states, not from the larger number that resulted from federal pressure. Further, any life-saving effect in those states that first raised the drinking age was only temporary, occurring largely in the first year or two after switching to the MLDA21.
Our results thus challenge both the value of the MLDA21 and the value of coercive federalism. While we find limited evidence that the MLDA21 saves lives when states adopted it of their own volition, we find no evidence it saves lives when the federal government compels this policy.
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
so I guess we should raise it to 35?
If your old enough to get your @$$ shot off in Iraq, your old enough to have a cold beer, in my book. 18 should be the drinking age.
The local bars in the small town where I grew up would let military enlistees drink before they were 21. It wasn’t legal but it was just that kind of place.
We aren’t as strict about drunk driving as we need to be. Don’t blame the bottle, blame the nut behind the wheel.
You are absolutely right. It’s a joke that an 18-year old can sign up for lethal combat in Iraq, but has no right to order a beer — or soon, even buy a pack of cigarettes. What a joke.
I've been saying that since they raised it!!!
I have found that teenagers and booze just don’t mix. The age limit doesn’t prevent them from drinking though.
And every beer should come with a free condom so if it do something stupid when you're drunk, you can do it safely.
In my hometown they set up a monthly DUI roadblock. They catch about 3 DUIs, but incidentally stop another 290-300 people on other non-DUI offenses. The cash cow is the other people and we earn garner hundreds of thousands this way.
Now, what is happening to the other DUIs during the other 28, 29, or 30 days a month. Nothing.
It is a cover story for the tax collectors. Our police forces are essentially meter maids for the welfare state.
I wonder what good money paid for the study?
Of course the early adopter states to 21 would see a reduction, as the 18-20 year olds went into neighboring states where they could drink legally. Once every state was forced to adopt then rates evened out again.
Neah. Ban it altogether. That worked so well during Prohibition.
For that matter, the minimum legal drinking age does such a good job at preventing under-aged individuals from getting beer, wine and liquor.
Can't have anybody enjoying themselves, you know! /sarcasm
I remember driving down to DC to visit the Cellar. I was 18, and could drink legally. Darn, I even drove back home! I'm amazed I kept making it, and never had a wreck!!! (NOT!)
ping for later
My state had a 18 year drinking age when I was that age...but has since succumbed to the standard 21 years of age.
I worked in the local hospital at age 17 in the evenings after college classes. I wore the white uniform of the place....and after work I went to the local bar and being I had the uniform I was served. I do believe the statute of limitation are up on that crime though.
Wish we could find out what would. So much time of youth is spent vomiting and partying. We need more teetotalers.
I mean, when we catch them the “normal” way. I’m not a big fan of road blocks.
I grew up in New York when the drinking age was 18, and that was just fine. The important thing is to set social boundaries for what is acceptable. Being disgustingly drunk at any age - 18, 21 or 60 - is not okay.
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