College Students: Beer Ads = Binge Drinking?

[Thunderfire]

When its AT LEAST 1 bottle of spirits plus minimum 12 full-strength beers per person it becomes a binge drinking session. Welcome to Australia. All your livers are belong to us.

12 pints of beer? Thats a common daily ration for construction workers here in
germany.

[Tsyroc]

I will never forget an American lecturer I once had who, when first teaching at Otago uni in NZ, was surprised to find a small party that had a mini tanker o beer parked up outside.

That's just not politically correct in the U.S. It also probably be illegal or at least against campass policies.

[Edi]

What one American friend of mine told me that it was changed to 21 because it used to vary from state to state and consequently there wasa lot of traffic across state borders, and resulting car accidents from DUI and then parents suing states for the deaths of their children (as if it was the states' fault in the first place), so the limits went up across the board in order to prevent this.

There were probably lobby groups involved too, especially given the religious angle to it. The way he told it made the explanation very plausible, I just don't remember it verbatim.

Just to state my own opinion on it, 21 is too high a limit, and it's fucking stupid.

Edi

[Stuart Mackey]

5-6 is a binge? WTF? Where do they get that idea? 12 binge, maybe depending on your tolerance. of yeah..put down a bottle of good spirits..not cheap stuff..gahh, bad memorys of cheap vodka *shudder*

Remember the U.S. did BAN alcohol for awhile. snip.

True..NZ has this thing about drinking..goes back to the 6 oclock swill..when bars closed at six.
We are lucky from one point however. We are far more a secular nation than the US, religeon does not enter into anti drinking campains, only the actual efffects on you, your family and society.

[Stuart Mackey]

I will never forget an American lecturer I once had who, when first teaching at Otago uni in NZ, was surprised to find a small party that had a mini tanker o beer parked up outside.

That's just not politically correct in the U.S. It also probably be illegal or at least against campass policies.

Hell, its standard operating procedure here. It all depends on how deep your wallet is. Mind you though drunk driving is not tolerated anymore, still happens of course but its not accepted as it once was.

[Tsyroc]

What one American friend of mine told me that it was changed to 21 because it used to vary from state to state and consequently there wasa lot of traffic across state borders, and resulting car accidents from DUI and then parents suing states for the deaths of their children (as if it was the states' fault in the first place), so the limits went up across the board in order to prevent this.

There were probably lobby groups involved too, especially given the religious angle to it. The way he told it made the explanation very plausible, I just don't remember it verbatim.

Just to state my own opinion on it, 21 is too high a limit, and it's fucking stupid.

Edi

What's even worse is that the military changed it's policy allowing underage members to drink on base. Now, nearly all American bases/commands enforce the drinking age of whatever state/country they are in. The only exception may be the Navy base in San Diego because they are so close to Tijuana, Mexico that it was determined it was better for them to drink on base than be coming back across the border drunk. Kind of like the example you gave about the states.

By the way, the thing about the states also got me thinking. There are still many counties/parishes in some states that are dry (don't allow the sale of alcohol) and that you can definately chalk up to fundies.

[InnerBrat]

I think the main reasons our drinking age is 21 is drunk driving and that in most cases 21 year olds aren't in high school or hanging around with high school age kids. When I was in high school the drinking age was changed to 21 but there were a few people who were grandfathered into the previous drinking age of 19 years of age. I think by making it 21 the government was trying to cut down on the number of high school booze parties.

But high school kids tend to stick to their own age group. When an 18 yr old joins college, he's suddenyl in contact with a range of students of all ages, and yet is still unable to socialise with them, without serious repercussions involved with novice underage drinkers.

Ask Coyote about the problems involved with underage binge drinking at college...

[Tsyroc]

But high school kids tend to stick to their own age group. When an 18 yr old joins college, he's suddenyl in contact with a range of students of all ages, and yet is still unable to socialise with them, without serious repercussions involved with novice underage drinkers.

Ask Coyote about the problems involved with underage binge drinking at college...

I read about his situation.

I was just saying that by making the age 21 the government was trying to cut down on high school binge drinking. While 18-20 year olds might be binge drinking illegally at college it's still better than 13-19 year olds doing it in high school. If the drinking age were 18-19 that would happen more than it already does.

I get what your saying, although it took awhile to sink in , about where the age groups don't mix as much in high school as they do in college. That's a valid point. I still think a age limit within the high school range would potentially open up the same problems, although to a lesser degree.

I was one of the younger people in my high school class and I turned 18 a month before we graduated. There were a lot of people who were 18 or older the whole year and plenty who turned 18 early on. Still, I don't see why the drinking age couldn't be 20 and still basically do what the 21 age limit does.

In about 30 years the drinking age in the state I grew up in went from 21--18--19 and back to 21. During a lot of the time the state owned and operated all liquor stores. I think supermarkets were allowed to sell beer and maybe some wine but everything else was at the state liquor stores.

[InnerBrat]

Thing is, though, is we DON'T have the same problems (well, not to the same extent), in the UK.
I think it might have something to do with learning to drive eing nearer the drinking age, and not cracking down so harshly on underage drinkers (Like Euan Blair )

Basically, a new driver knows the risk and is careful, and will usually be aware when he's going to be drinking etc.
Someone who's been driving for a few years when they start to drink might be more cocky about their driving, and end up drinking when they don't plan to.

Take the HS prom, for exampel (from a conversation with an Aemrican friend) -they're expected (by the adults involved) to drive home, but not expected to drink (being underage) BUT they do anyway - hence drink driving

[Kelly Antilles]

By the way, the thing about the states also got me thinking. There are still many counties/parishes in some states that are dry (don't allow the sale of alcohol) and that you can definately chalk up to fundies.

I live in a wet county, yet 2 cities are still dry, including the county seat.

[Ignorant twit]

Why does the US have a drinking age of 21?

West Virginia wants to keep alcohol out of elementry school.

[Durandal]

What one American friend of mine told me that it was changed to 21 because it used to vary from state to state and consequently there wasa lot of traffic across state borders, and resulting car accidents from DUI and then parents suing states for the deaths of their children (as if it was the states' fault in the first place), so the limits went up across the board in order to prevent this.

There were probably lobby groups involved too, especially given the religious angle to it. The way he told it made the explanation very plausible, I just don't remember it verbatim.

Just to state my own opinion on it, 21 is too high a limit, and it's fucking stupid.

The drinking age was originally 18 and varying from state to state, though states with a drinking age higher than 18 were rare. Then yes, it led to the scenario you described with across-the-border drinking. Then a few states upped their drinking ages to 21, but the cops looked the other way if you were able to drink before but had gotten screwed by the law, effectively grandfathering the new age in. Then they made it 18 again and noticed a sharp increase in the number of drunk driving accidents.

So, the federal government finally flexed its muscle and told the states that they would lose their federal highway funding if they didn't have a 21 drinking age. Thus, all the states adhered.

That's my understanding of the stupid fucking law, anyway.