Why is it that the legal age to drink is 21 but you can serve your country at age 18?

Ikr

It is a bit messed up. Here in New Zealand our drinking age is 18, our serving age is 16, and the age you can legally move out and raise your own child is 16! I think that’s more crazy. Like, you can’t even have a glass of wine with dinner but you can live and work by yourself (or with a partner), have left school, and be raising your baby. Crazy.

The voting age was lowered because of political pressure from the youth during the Vietnam war possibly due to drafting, I’m not entirely sure.

Even though it doesn’t make sense, there’s one thing you have to consider and that’s who’s doing the voting and it’s the old people. The youth nowadays doesn’t really vote much at all and that’s why these laws look so out of place.

Agreed, it’s messed up. Everything’s 18 here and I think that’s pretty reasonable.

Nobody is drafted anymore so it’s not like all these 18 year olds are being forced into the army. It’s their choice, if they want to fight for our country, awesome, I have a lot of respect for them. What I don’t have resect for is reckless teenage drinking which in most cases is what happens sadly when young adults have alcohol.

Over here (Germany) we can buy beer and wine at age 16, we can buy liquor at age 18 and we can join the army at 18.

Thus, the USA do not have drunk soldiers. That is how you win wars and we lose them.

I cannot serve because of my medical conditions :( I wanted to serve “Sigh”

And you do have a point.

You’re right but that isn’t the problem. The problem is that not enough young people are voting to have these laws changed.

Here’s what bites: At age 21 a person can legally drink,however that doesn’t mean that they are responsible drinker even at 21..I have met some 18 yr olds that are way more responsible than a 21 yr old..There are also others even as old as I am who still are not able to drink nor live their life in a responsible manner..So all in all:Yes,we do have some weird laws in the United States and anyone who steps up to the plate at 18 to serve our country is alright in my book and in my mind..I don’t think it should be the other way around,Besides we have plenty of idiots on the streets now who drink and get behind a wheel..At least our soldiers are out there doing great jobs for our country..Why try and change things?The people in “The White House” have our country in such a mess by trying to change things..*I’m back on my soapbox”.. :)

Where i am from (Ontario, Canada) we have to get our Smart Serve, which you can get at any age and is good to have, you must have it to serve. Then you have to be 18 to actually be able to serve, as long as you have your Smart Serve, and then at 19 you can drink

I will say this much..Yes the “old people” as you call our senior citizens may be doing alot of the voting,but maybe if younger generations would get off their laptops,iphones,video games and whatever else you “young people” mess with and go out to try and change some laws somehow this country may take notice..This is a good example as to why I usually do not get involved in any politics or religion issues.. I will speak my mind..

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I think you misunderstood her question … “serve your country” = at war … not serve them alcohol.

During the Vietnam era the age limit in Wisconsin was dropped to 18, however, Illinois did not drop the age. The result was IL kids driving to Wi and so many fatalities they named a stretch of road between the two states, Blood Alley. Wisconsin then finally turned back the age to 21 and the accidents and the string of bars that were set up on the border, began disappearing.

I grew up in Michigan where the drinking age went up to 21 when I was 17. We had a rule that anyone who was 18 before it was raised would be grandfathered in and not loose the right so I missed it by one year. Luckily I went to college in Texas where it was still 18 and wasn’t raised until I was old enough. I think we would be far better off teaching our kids how to drink responsibly than trying to keep them away from alcohol until they are 21 then letting them have all the alcohol they want. The way we do things now alcohol is the forbidden fruit making kids want it all the more.

I agree. Alcohol wasn’t some evil mystery growing up in my house. I was allowed to taste beer as a young teen. I was allowed a small amount of wine with dinner for the holidays. Alcohol wasn’t a mystery to me and I never really went through the perma-drunk stage a lot of 21 yr olds do.

Way to support your country;p lol, jk.