[QUOTE="limpbizkit818"]
[QUOTE="mrbojangles25"]
it is just alcohol, by itself there is no harm in it. Alcohol is consumed by millions (maybe billions?) of people each day responsibly.
Underage drinking is a plague, not because theyre young, but because of society. People want what they can't have, and if a young adult can't have alcohol, theyre going to go out and get it. Worse, theyre going to buy it en masse, and consume it as such, because, hey, they won't know when theyre going to g et another chance. Enter binge drinking, an irresponsible way to consume alcohol, that society essentially tells "kids" to do.
I feel the age needs to be dropped to around 16 or so. In addition, this notion that alcohol is bad, evil, corrupt, etc needs to go away. Parents need to relax, start letting their kids have a glass of champagne on New Years or Christmas.
I remember turning 21, and it was great. I went out frequently and got drunk for a week or so because I felt unleashed, like it was so cool to finally be able to legally buy and drink alcohol. But then the "honeymoon phase" went away and I found myself drinking less (both in volume and in frequency). Alcohol became like a treat, something to celebrate the end of the week with. I think if the age was lowered, there'd be less binge drinking and more responsible drinking.
Also, having such a high drinking age is just pointless and wasteful; people are going to get alcohol one way or another
mrbojangles25
The idea that alcohol is bad, evil, corrupt needs to go away? No! The idea needs to be enforced and properly taught. Alcohol is the most dangerous drug in modern society.
"Cancer experts say that for every additional 10g per day of alcohol drunk, the risk of breast cancer increases by approximately 7-12%."
"However, drinking more than three drinks a day has been found to have a direct and damaging effect on the heart. "
"For bowel cancer, previous studies show that increasing alcohol intake by 100g per week increases the cancer risk by 19%."
"Alcohol is a well-established cancer causing agent, he says."
"Long term, it increases the risk of developing a long list of health conditions including breast cancer, oral cancers, heart disease, strokes and cirrhosis of the liver."
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-15114325)
That's not even looking at what effects alcohol consumption has on society. Some would argue it's worse than herion (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11660210).
But you know what, everyone does it! So it must be fine! Lets lower the drinking age! You know what else used to be popular? Smoking cigarettes. Then people starting waking up.
yeah yeah yeah we get it, alcohol is dangerous. God forbid we look at the reality of the situation and see that alcohol consumers have lived long and healthy lives for thousands of years.
As for the studies, whatever, there are billion studies showing how alcohol is good for you in addition to the billion showing how it is bad for you.
-Did you know beer promotes strong bones?
-Wine can lower the risk of stroke and heart attack (the real number one killer is prevented by something you fear :P )
-Beer, provided you are properly hydrated, will not dehydrate you and is full of protein, vitamins, and minerals. Indeed, after long runs, it is prudent to have a pint or two as it quenches thirst, replaces vitamins, and promotes good circulation.
-Stout is good for nursing mothers
And since when is this about popularity? Alcohol is popular because it is forbidden, at least among the under-21 crowd. For the rest of us, we like alcohol because, well, we just like it. It tastes great, feels great, and is simply just a tasty beverage in many forms, with rich histories from hundreds of nations.
Wake up? It is time for the American public to wake up, as the rest of the world has, and lower the drinking age.
Now, if you excuse me, I need to smoke a cigarette, have some coffee, and go make some beer.
.......There is no where near billions of studies showing health benefits of alcohol...because there are NONE..except perhaps a slight reduction in cardiovascular risk from very little intake each week and even that is debatable. The fact of the matter is if we removed alcohol from our society out average lifespan would VERY significantly increase! It both directly and indirectly kills serious numbers of people! Go to a hospital and you yourself can see the "reality" of the situation! The reality is many alcohol consumers simply drink far too much and suffer for it. Alcohol is popular because its fun...where i live the drinking limit is 18 however it was very easy to get around.....what made me or any of my friends underage drink was not lol because it was forbidden it is because of the effects...its FUN! If the drinking limit was removed most people would start MUCH younger....it is there for a very good reason. Though i do agree 21 is too high, but i dont recommend lowering it beyond 18!
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