Underage Drinking - General

[QUOTE=Funktastic Dog;35258214]Also, hey, looky that! I was right about alcohol being harmful! [url]http://scienceblogs.com/scientificactivist/2007/03/study_finds_alcohol_and_tobacc_1.php[/url][/QUOTE] Discovery of the century, alcohol is dangerous, just fucking wow. There are a million studies about the damage alcohol does to teenagers and the developing mind. You couldn't even come up with a neurological study showing why the teenage brain, still developing is harmed significantly more than an adult brain. Everyone knows it is harmful, that is why we encourage responsible drinking to minimize harm but don't try to destroy it altogether knowing that to be absolutely futile. Get your shit together man.

The drinking age is too high in the US. In most places it's lower. Germany, Italy, and Canada for example.

I've been drunk with friends a few times (all underage) my experiences go as follows: First time was pretty great, everyone got rather drunk but everyone was still manageable, I got a bit annoying to my girlfriend but otherwise everything was fine and dandy, no hangovers, everything was reasonable second time we mixed drinks, and I kinda binged. Not a good idea; I learnt that I am extremely prone to over doing it that time, and vowed to never drink that heavily again last time, very recently, different group of friends though, I had a bit of scotch for the night and that was it; They ended up playing drinking games and 3 of them ended up vomiting, one of them was conscious but stuck to the toilet for a good hour, another one was completely passed out and the other one was just kinda funny to watch how he reacted (he ran through the house at 4am screaming "MUM WE NEED TOWELS") I got high, other than the drinking, and it was just depressing. Seeing people be so reckless and self destructive... I honestly don't give two shits about under-aged drinking, but after that i'm definitely going to have a more negative stance towards it in general. It might be a bit hypocritical of me to be against it considering I do it myself, but that's because I've seen myself go overboard, as well as other people. I suppose everyone goes overboard at least once; but in our case we were lucky it was in a controlled environment (friend's parents in the last situation supplied and watched over us, they figured better to do it in a safe environment than at a random party or something like that. Some people might say that's bad parenting, but in all honesty; if you know the kid's gonna be doing it either way it's probably not a bad way to go about it) where as most underaged drinking (here anyway) happens at these uncontrolled parties that dickheads decide to throw because their parents are away (no offense to anyone that's done this, but it is kinda irresponsible if you have a party like that and let just anyone show up and get fucking hammered), I think that can be really unsafe and i've had friends get into fights and had their faces busted up at situations like that. That's the sort of scenario in which i'd be completely against it assuming i'm gonna be a parent one day for the record, we're 17, drinking age limit here is 18 so.. Not as huge of a deal as it might be in america.

[QUOTE=Inzalonus;35258956]I've been drunk with friends a few times (all underage) my experiences go as follows: First time was pretty great, everyone got rather drunk but everyone was still manageable, I got a bit annoying to my girlfriend but otherwise everything was fine and dandy, no hangovers, everything was reasonable second time we mixed drinks, and I kinda binged. Not a good idea; I learnt that I am extremely prone to over doing it that time, and vowed to never drink that heavily again last time, very recently, different group of friends though, I had a bit of scotch for the night and that was it; They ended up playing drinking games and 3 of them ended up vomiting, one of them was conscious but stuck to the toilet for a good hour, another one was completely passed out and the other one was just kinda funny to watch how he reacted (he ran through the house at 4am screaming "MUM WE NEED TOWELS") I got high, other than the drinking, and it was just depressing. Seeing people be so reckless and self destructive... I honestly don't give two shits about under-aged drinking, but after that i'm definitely going to have a more negative stance towards it in general. It might be a bit hypocritical of me to be against it considering I do it myself, but that's because I've seen myself go overboard, as well as other people. I suppose everyone goes overboard at least once; but in our case we were lucky it was in a controlled environment (friend's parents in the last situation supplied and watched over us, they figured better to do it in a safe environment than at a random party or something like that. Some people might say that's bad parenting, but in all honesty; if you know the kid's gonna be doing it either way it's probably not a bad way to go about it) where as most underaged drinking (here anyway) happens at these uncontrolled parties that dickheads decide to throw because their parents are away (no offense to anyone that's done this, but it is kinda irresponsible if you have a party like that and let just anyone show up and get fucking hammered), I think that can be really unsafe and i've had friends get into fights and had their faces busted up at situations like that. That's the sort of scenario in which i'd be completely against it assuming i'm gonna be a parent one day for the record, we're 17, drinking age limit here is 18 so.. Not as huge of a deal as it might be in america.[/QUOTE] shit dude the average friday here ends up with me going home with a flower pot on my head and that's light

I don't feel that it's necessary to echo yet again "in moderation", but it took me quite a while to learn moderation. The first several times I drank, I went way too far and couldn't remember much of the previous night, and felt deeply paranoid about that. Once you get to the point where everything is fun, but you also remember everything the next day, that's the spot to be. I'm glad my parents are pretty cool about it, despite the large number of alcoholics in my family.

Underage drinking is a good thing, learning how to control it when you still have parents around to help you out in need.

[QUOTE=Devodiere;35258316]Discovery of the century, alcohol is dangerous, just fucking wow. There are a million studies about the damage alcohol does to teenagers and the developing mind. You couldn't even come up with a neurological study showing why the teenage brain, still developing is harmed significantly more than an adult brain. Everyone knows it is harmful, that is why we encourage responsible drinking to minimize harm but don't try to destroy it altogether knowing that to be absolutely futile. Get your shit together man.[/QUOTE] That study was just something I came across on reddit, an I thought it would be useful for the purpose of this debate. Also, this is debate, not who can insult each other the most.

I'm 16, a varsity athlete, 3.4 GPA, and a 31 on the ACT. I drink maybe 1 time a month at the very most. I think it is fine to drink in small amounts, and I have never gotten to that horrible feeling or drunkness beyond controlling myself. I think it makes some situations more fun than they would normally be.(ie hitting on chicks and screwing around). It is not the type of thing I would want to do every weekend though. I think if you can control yourself it is fine, but people don't really know how to do that.

[QUOTE=farmatyr;35261104]Underage drinking is a good thing, learning how to control it when you still have parents around to help you out in need.[/QUOTE] Thing is most kids do their best to keep it from their parents and it works, alot of kids don't learn to control themselves.

[QUOTE=Funktastic Dog;35222581]But the minute they could drink freely on their own choosing, they abused that privilege.[/QUOTE] That my friend is called natural selection. Stupid people do stupid things, plain and simple. I am 18, still underage but a legal adult (in the U.S.), but I have not drank. I'm not sure what I'm waiting for, or if I ever will drink but its certainly not for it to be "legal". I believe its a personal choice that should be made, just as any drug should. If your too stupid to realize drinking more than x shots makes you vomit more than its worth then that's your own problem. Who I feel sorry for is the relatives to said person it hurts, but its still freedom of choice.

I'm 14, and I've been drunk 3 times now. In real life I'm rather reclusive when it comes to social events, so when I drink, life is funner, and I'm up dancing with everyone else, not caring how much of a retard I look.

It's a hard question because everyone is a little different when it comes to drinking, some know when they are drunk and will act in a responsible way. Others are just careless, I took my first drink when I was 18 so I can't speak from the experience of a 12-16 year old. I will say this though, if you're gonna drink underage do it around people you trust especially when you are underage. And for fucks sake don't think your invincible, I know a lot more underage drinkers that act like that than people of age. I lost a good friend who started drinking when he was 16, right after he got his drivers license. He always said it would never be a problem but he eventually started driving home from parties drunk and one night after a party he was driving home on the highway when he spun off the road and wrapped himself around a tree. No he didn't make it. This invincible mentality can exist in adults of course but from my experience I know more teens with it then adults. I see no problem with underage drinking as long as there are no vehicles involved and you are around people you trust. I say that because ideally it is for the best to have people around you who care and will tell you not to do something stupid like try and drive home or jump off the couch onto the coffee table. Have fun but be responsible.

I started drinking at 17 I believe. Have been ever since, and I'm a month away from being 21 now. I turned out fine, I only do it some nights. Anything younger than 16 is unacceptable in my opinion. I think the drinking age is rightfully 21. It really isn't that old, and kids ought to be patient.

Theres really nothing really wrong with it, i mean ya some people learn responsible drinking the hard way.(I know i did), but young people such as myself will drink or smoke whatever they want to regardless of what our bullshit society has decided about it.

In my family, we have a tradition of having to drink 0.5 liters of Vodka. Every Christmas.

Freedom to take responsibility of the consumption of alcohol is strongly dependant on the person and their families influence.

[QUOTE=Used Car Salesman;35000062]I'm indifferent. The age limit is arbitrary, and people over 21 are just as capable of doing dumbshit things while drunk as people below 21. The only reason I support the drinking age is that IMO, teenager's judgement is already shitty without the influence of booze.[/QUOTE] So then why can they vote at 18, or drive a car at an even younger age? There is no consistency in this. An age of adulthood should be defined and that age should be when you can make all your own decisions and handle things for yourself.

If it's supervised by a responsible adult, the teenager is of a decent age and it's not too much then I don't see the problem. Better to allow a teenager to drink at a younger age so they don't go crazy when they turn legal and drink themselves to the floor 'because they can', and teach responsible drinking at a younger age.

I am able to join the military and get killed in some godforsaken combat zone somewhere, or drive cars that can cause major damage. I should be able to drink if I want if I can already make big life-altering decisions in the eyes of the law.

I like a good cider every now and then. I have no problem with underage drinking as long as they're not performing destructive acts.

well overall its bad from my experience, i'm only drinking like a ~1 or 2 cm of champange, and sometimes, a weak beer and i don't get drunk, simply a larger amount of any alcohol drink is bad and it can screw you physically and mentally

I don't see a huge problem with it as long as it's done in private with a small amount. From time to time at family parties I'll have a tiny drink of vodka or wine. Not a big deal when done responsible.

It's fine. 16-21 is the age where you'll have the most fun drinking. Learn your limits and don't cross that threshold - obviously, it's dangerous for a kid to be vomiting all over himself and falling on his face.. but that's the age where it is most acceptable to be stupid. Once you're an adult, you have responsibilities and can't be stumbling around and acting like an idiot all the time. The worst cases of alcohol problems that I've ever seen have been with people over 30 years of age. I have a 35 year old roommate who just can't stay away from booze. She makes me want to drink less. It's terrifying. Get your dumb shit out of the way now (ideally without killing yourself in the process) and then be really smart about boozing when you get older.

I don't see a problem with it if the proper education is put in place. Telling us we shouldn't do it is just going to make us curious - and stupid. Getting firsthand education in a safe environment is the only way to do it in my opinion. You can't just tell someone the effects and expect them to understand. It didn't work in my case at all. I (debatably) look old enough to drink even at seventeen years old. I used to have two bars that would serve me no questions asked. One now because I was being truly retarded at one of the bars. I don't know anybody that's old enough and willing to buy me booze. So, the bars are really my only option. I also don't know anybody that could be a designated driver. So I always go alone. I know my situation is fairly uncommon since almost all bars would ID you even if you walked in. And fewer would serve you without an ID. Anyway, I remember one time I was at a bar and made a big mistake. I drove there myself, and bought eight Mike's Hard Lemonades (yeah, it's a pussy drink I don't care) and had a UV Blue and Mountain Dew mix. If it makes you feel any better, I don't drink that stuff anymore because it just looks kind of weird. All of this within a couple hours at most. Mind you I'm 240 pounds and male, but I have basically zero tolerance to alcohol. I decided to leave the bar and go home. I was definitely way over the legal 0.8 (0.2 for minors, but meh). Thank God I don't get hangovers. I was going about 65 in a 35 mph zone when I saw a cop in front of me. I slowed down and turned into an ally, waited to see if he drove by. Sure enough he did. I floored it into some pretty heavy residential going anywhere from 45-50 miles an hour. Not only was it dangerous, but I saw the cop's light behind me. I was making sharp turns left and right with some pretty blurred and distorted vision and eventually lost him. A sad but pretty awesome accomplishment if you ask me. Outrunning the cops while drunk. Anyway, I made it home safe and whatnot, but I think about it and go, "wow, I could've died." I don't drink like that anymore. I learned my lesson. The point is, it all could've potentially been avoided had I had known the effects of alcohol firsthand, instead of it just being told to me (which it was). I was pretty lucky that I didn't get severely injured or died. Not everybody is as lucky. So, what do I suggest? However immoral you may think this is, I suggest we teach our kids the effects of alcohol firsthand BEFORE they get their license. And I don't mean giving them one drink and calling it good. I'm talking about getting them piss-ass drunk. Let them walk around and see what it's like. Hell, let them get in a car and have someone drive them around. After this, they get to drink legally. Another thing, I don't think it should be up to the parents. My mom would NEVER let me drink even if it was for the greater good. It should be handled by a professional through the DMV or something. If the kids don't do this, they don't get a license. I guess you have to ask yourself what's more important: A slight issue with brain development, or the potential life of the individual?

I think a system needs to be implemented where if you get seen drinking at a decent age, still under the legal limit in the UK/US, the decision should be to the discretion to the parents or guardian. If they are in the local area, the police should ask the parents and if its a no, the alcohol be confiscated and the individual be dealt with by the parents. For me, there is no reason do give someone a potential criminal record if they are not an adult, we all do dumb shit at times. This doesn't go without saying that they should be left alone if they are drinking in public places and causing a disturbance. No matter the age, it should be confiscated then. [editline]22nd October 2013[/editline] To add to my above post, I think the guy above me has it spot on!

I can't see pre-teens drinking as all-bad, as long as the parents don't fill their kids with [I]strong[/I] alcoholic or make their wine inside-of-reach. Myself, I can drink a little of my father's wine. I can drink till I'm used to its bitter taste... But I honestly prefer regular beer.

In France it used to be legal for minors above 16 to drink, but they changed the law after a ton of highschoolers showed up at school piss drunk or at the hospital after a booze induced coma, pushing the age limit back up to 18. The number of drink related accidents decreased tremendously following that decision. I'd say that underage drinking isn't a good thing for the very simple reason that most teens are flaming idiots and just aren't able to drink sensibly.

no it damages your brain cells and fucks you up and eventually you just get like frozen and cant think at all i forgot what they call it i hate how people think this is a society where they can do whatever they feel like

I'm 17, I drink for all the wrong reasons. I don't really recommend it if you're depressed, but if it's just for fun with friends or something and you go easy, it's fine.

It's stupid to get drunk or wasted but if you're drinking responsibly I don't see a problem.