9 replies to this topic

[AdvMutant]

The past two days me, my friend and two more girls from our class were chosen to miss two school days and go to some lectures about how bad alcohol is. It was so awesome! We got some ready sandwiches for lunch, and we had tons of fun. A girl decided to sing a song while we presented some posters we made, and the song was awful. I was laughing, and said "You can't fail h-" [the microphone]*BOOOM* "OK, so you c-" *BOOOM* "OK OK you CAN fail harder!". I rarely laugh that much.

Call me a weirdo, but I hated alcohol before the lecture and they actually convinced me to get a drink, by telling me not to... I discovered some peach liqueur[24%] in my kitchen, and I was like "Why not? They said it's legal, and a small amount has no effect..." I drank a small cup, like those you drink vodka with, and it was really tasty. I have to say that I understand why people drink it[not that I'm gonna].

And it's actually legal to drink alcohol at any age. It's illegal to supply alcohol to anyone who isn't 18 or more, but they're free to drink it. I didn't know that.

Now I wanna discuss a little. I personally know a girl that hangs out with her friends[not me, yet...] every week and they drink vodka. They also smoke and stuff but it's not connected. The conclusion is simple - the police doesn't want young people to drink, but they do. Some of them do just to prove that they can, and to show that they don't put a **** on the law. So, if they'd allow us to drink, they wouldn't - because it's legal. Do you think they should cancel the law, or maybe make it illegal for young people to drink? That's cause if you drink, you don't break the law. The law is not to sell it to us. Which is weird, in my opinion. I think they should either allow us to buy or disallow us to drink.

What's your opinion?
- Mike

[John]

Alcohol laws vary from country to country. Here in the United States, the legal age to purchase alcohol is 21, and the legal consumption age varies from state to state (from 0 to 21). When I consumed alcohol underage, I didn't do so because it was illegal or to prove anything, I did so because I wanted to get drunk and have a good time. Research has shown that young people are (even) less likely to make informed decisions when under the influence of alcohol, so I do not think "young" people should be allowed to consume alcohol. However, I'm not sure why they differentiate between a consumption age and a purchase age.

[WingedPanther]

In the US, alcohol laws vary from state to state. In SC it is illegal to provide alcohol to a minor, and illegal for minors to consume alcohol. In Minnesota, a guardian can provide a minor with alcohol in the home and it's perfectly legal.

[BlaineSch]

John said:

However, I'm not sure why they differentiate between a consumption age and a purchase age.

I believe that's where morals come into play. Some say a minors will do anything under pressure (or just because it's cool!) So if a cop finds a drunk minor should s/he try and arrest him or the person giving him the alcohol? Morally I think that depends on a ton on thigns we will never know unless we were there. If the minor begged for alcohol until the adult gave in, or the minor found it, it's the minors fault. However if the minor is around a group of adults and they are all drinking and they encourage the minor to drink then the minor will probably feel pressure and do so.

:confused:

If Self.morals = (Black + White) Then
    Self.morals.smearEdges()
End If

[AdvMutant]

BlaineSch said:

I believe that's where morals come into play. Some say a minors will do anything under pressure (or just because it's cool!) So if a cop finds a drunk minor should s/he try and arrest him or the person giving him the alcohol? Morally I think that depends on a ton on thigns we will never know unless we were there. If the minor begged for alcohol until the adult gave in, or the minor found it, it's the minors fault. However if the minor is around a group of adults and they are all drinking and they encourage the minor to drink then the minor will probably feel pressure and do so.

:confused:

If Self.morals = (Black + White) Then
    Self.morals.smearEdges()
End If

Not really. If the child found it it's his fault, but if he begged it it's the adult's fault.
That's my point here in this thread, why do they differ the consumption age and purchase age?

[DEViANT]

The law is set up by the people, for the people. You are under no way "enslaved" by it. If you don't like the rules, you go somewhere else. It's your God given right to freedom. Those who instantiated laws against the selling of alcohol to minors did so because they didn't want their kids to be exposed, prematurely to situations where their judgment is not yet of a substantial degree. I do not, however condole laws forbidding guardians/parents from giving their children alcohol. This is nothing more than a blatant denial of freedom rights. This is where the law starts becomming "By the rulers, for the people" rather than "By the people, for the people.".

In South Africa the Legal drinking age is 18. I've been getting hammered since I was 15. My parents didn't really know about this until I was 17 or so. By then I had learned allot about making the right choices on my own, due to all the experiences I had with alchohol and some organic illegal substances ( which btw, is also bull**** that the law can prevent someone from getting high of mother nature when he chooses to. freedom? yeah right. )

etc.

[Alexander]

You have to understand a lot of our laws predate the 1900's, in fact sexual consent law here was and is still from 1890, and is 14 (when teenage marriages were allowed)

[AdvMutant]

Well, Israel didn't exist 100 years ago.
You're saying that I can legally have sex after the age of 14? Awesome! I gotta go get a girlfriend ;)

[Alexander]

Atleast in Canada. Back then (not too long ago) you could do a lot and it was not frowned upon -- some adults gave their children a small drink to help them sleep at night, even though the child could not buy it. It was just not looked so bad upon as it is now, as everyone is abusing it, and especially using it for stupid things. It is just hard to enforce laws that did not exist while the country was being formed.

DEViANT has a good point as well, hopefully one learns how to be responsible with it before they turn into an adult, not the other way around, alcohol is not a good thing.

[AdvMutant]

I see...