You Input On Legal Drinking Age.
MADD Member wants to get your input on the following:
How do you think lowering the legal drinking age to 18 would affect your county?
This is being proposed by several university presidents.
How do you think lowering the legal drinking age to 18 would affect your county?
This is being proposed by several university presidents.
Contrary to the claims of the university presidents behind this initiative, I don't see any positive outcomes that would be a result of lowering the legal age for purchasing and consuming alcohol.
I do understand the disconnect that comes with people being legally considered adults at 18 (e.g., they can vote, be tried as an adult, join the military, etc.) but not being allowed to drink until 21. But rather than lowering the drinking age, it might make more sense to raise the age of these other things. The average 18-year-old is very limited in wisdom, and science has proven that the brains of people in that age group are not fully developed in certain areas--such as the function of the brain that causes one to examine the long-term consequences of an action.
The universities are doing this because they no longer want to take responsibility for the binge drinking that goes on on campuses. Were the legal age to be dropped to 18, this burden would likely just be shifted to high schools. And instead of having mostly 18- and 19-year-olds sneaking alcohol, we'd have 15- and 16-year-olds doing it.
Reply to this
In my fifty plus years of living some laws just will not work as intended. There are laws against drugs.... and the use of drugs are increasing. And with the law of 21 to drink, kids are drinking at home or with friends by middle school age nowadays. It don't matter if its 18 or 21 in our society today, a law about drinking or drugs is useless. Its good to have laws to limit the use of alcohol but when parents do it and its all in the movies and on tv for young folks to see in all its glory, wow, a law is just writing to make the good people feel good.....and warm. The point is.......society decides if the laws are followed so cut out the parents drinking and play down its use on tv and in the movies....changing the law will not matter until then.
Reply to this
But you could use that argument to say that there should be NO laws since there are ALWAYS people who will do what they want regardless of the law.
Enforcement is a key. Go to MySpace or Facebook; you'll find no shortage of pictures of teens drinking. They're clearling having no problems getting their hands on alcohol. We need to figure out why that is, and change it.
Reply to this
I agree with TaylorCountyCitizen that lowering the drinking age would just lower the age of kids sneaking alcohol.
It's kind of like with the speed limit... generally people go 5-10 over and it is considered alright. If the speed limit gets bumped up 5 or 10 more, it's not going to keep traffic the same, people will just go 5 to 10 over the NEW limit...
I hope that made since. It works the same way with drinking. High school is when most kids start heavily drinking, and it's because they have siblings and friends 4 or so years older that can get them alcohol. Lowering the drinking age would be detrimental to middle school students because they would now be so close in age to kids who could legally buy alcohol.
I really don't think lowering the age is worth it just to be consistent with being an adult and gaining rights when turning 18.
Reply to this
Passing a law changing the drinking age will not do one bit of good. Don't get me wrong, I think alcohol is the most dangerous drug out there because it is the ultimate gateway drug. How many addicts just out of the blue started snorting or smoking cocaine without being drunk first? Not many.
Now perhaps a program at the schools/colleges where recovering alcoholics speak to kids about how alcohol destroys lives...that would get their attention. Especially if the ugly details are told. A new law is nothing but a waste of money and time.
Reply to this
This is a tough call. Given the fact that a lot of youth in this community smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, smoke pot, procreate and other things it would appear that it would make no difference. I attended a mud-bog a week ago (on Buckeye private property) and was amazed at the number of youth drinking alcohol and smoking various substances. Since it is happening I have less concern about lowering the age and more concern about drinking and driving. The amount of DUI's in this community, the number of deaths of young drivers and other related issues should be of great concern. Part of the local problem now is that we have a judiciary that gives "passes" to young and old that get caught and charged with DUI's (depending on who you are related to and how much money you make). The same "pass" is given to individuals with much worse offenses that would turn you stomach! I think the age should be lowered and if individuals are caught under the DUI law we should follow the sentencing guidelines setby the law. Also folks in the courthouse should not be allowed to go back and exponge older DUI records for their cronys to offset the sentencing guidelines that would mandate prison time for the repeate DUI offender young and old!
Reply to this
Lowering the drinking age to 18 is not only insane but also idiotic. Hey, why don't we just consider lowering the driver license age to 13? Or the age to buy cigarettes to 15?
Laws are in place for a reason. Just because some people are breaking the law doesn't mean we should change it just for those few. Make them and those who buy or sell them the alcohol accountable for their actions regardless of who they are--parents, older brother/sister, retailer.
Parents, know where your children are, who they are hanging around, and what they are doing.
Reply to this
I agree that you should not lower the drinking age but you should think twice about what you put out on the web before you release a raging fury of idiocy on the WWW. If you must know it will not matter if you change the repurcussions that will be dealt to those involved. There are already severe enough consequences for those who provide the alcohol and there is no way to totally eradicate the problem completely. As with any rule, someone is going to break it and just like a precocious two year old, get slapped on the wrist like you are being right now and so thus do it over and over and over. Grow up.
Reply to this
If I understood the news correctly, the purpose of bumping back the drinking age to 18 was brought up by a bunch of college & university presidents to help their situations by putting the drunk driving blame, and the like, back on to the parents and others. Just as long as the blame isn't on the colleges and universities. I don't believe that's reason enough to change the drinking age to 18 but I also think that if an 18 year old is of age to fight for this great country then they should be able to have a beer as well. I have seen the underage drinking problems in Perry as well and something does need to be done about it but changing the drinking age to 18 isn't the answer. Last time I checked, underage drinking was against the law. So make the penalties and/or fines stricter (or greater) to help possibly reduce DUI related accidents, stops and deaths. For example, if it a 1st offense for DUI only, 6 months in jail, 500 hours community service and $5,000 in fines and vehicle becomes property of the State of Florida strictly for monetary purposes. Auction the vehicle and use the money for jail expenses. If the cost of incarceration for 6 months exceeds the value of the vehicle, bill the offender. Along with that, no drivers license until all are fulfilled. No exceptions. If they don't have the money for the $5,000 fines + incarceration, 1 dollar = 1/2 hour community service. Perry would be the most beautiful town in Florida. If the offender is still in (high) school, they will not get a diploma until all fines are paid. Basically, the more harsh the penalty, the less crimes will be committed. Prison and jail mean nothing nowadays. Money is the way to someones heart. If you hit them in the pocketbook, they'll listen. If you make them get out and work it off, they'll listen. At least that's the way I see it.
Reply to this
Truth is alcohol is available and always readily available to minors. I feel if a young adult is old enough to serve their country, die for their country, then they are old enough to drink...
Reply to this
it's true that alcohol is readily available to minors, but so are many other things that should still be kept illegal. I understand your point on 18-year-olds being old enough to die for their country so they should possess also the right to consume alcohol, and it's a tough call for me, but how do you know their bodies can handle the alcohol?
Also, I don't see how you can lower the drinking age just so it matches the legal ages for other things. If that were right, we could have 18-year-old presidents and members of senate.
Reply to this
No different than older people who can not handle alcohol....I see just as many if not more slobbering drunks out on the streets and about than I do minors. I just feel that if a young man and woman can die for their country they deserve a drink of alcohol if they so desire.
Reply to this
Those individuals who serve in the military who are under the age of 21 are allowed to drink in service clubs on base. They cannot drink in the community if the state's legal drinking age is 21, but they can drink on base. Do you think just because a person has been found guilty of DUI, that individual is not driving a vehicle? What about all of the people driving without insurance? I know people who have been driving for years without a license. Even after being caught driving with their license revoked or suspended permanently (because they are habitual offenders), they are still driving on our streets and highways. So taking away their license is not the answer. And everyone thinks it will happen to someone else, not them. Just read the booking desk and you will see many people arrested are there once again for driving with license suspended or revoked. Maybe their 500 hours of community service should be spent working in hospitals and funeral homes where people have been maimed, severely injured, or killed due to drunk driving. Do you think that might curb their enthusiam for drinking and driving?
Reply to this
Consider making Taylor County a dry instead of changing the legal age drink. Compare court cost law enforcement cost and related accident cost from drinking and driving at any age to that of a dry county. Is it worth it? All those good christen people, if you ask, even the clergy will not support putting this on the ballot.
Reply to this
Madison Co. is a dry county which is why many of those folks come to Taylor County. I can think of three good reasons not to make Taylor County a dry county: Robert, Kimberly and Brett Johns, who were killed by a drunk driver on CR 14 (who was coming from Taylor County).
Reply to this
you must be one of those making the money off the drunks.
Wonder why our schools are in the shape they are in? retail greed even the so called Christan school board stick the finger in the ear at that subject
look how they are funded.
Reply to this
Why don't you discuss becoming a Dry County????????
Reply to this
why not just vote Taylor County Dry,
we would all be better off, not just the under age.
Reply to this
I think that children should become legal adults at 21, not 18. That would mean at 21, you could drink, smoke, go to war, buy guns, etc. Most people are much more mature at 21 than 18. You're still in high school at 18! Lowering the drinking age to 18 would cause nothing but trouble.
Reply to this