Not anymore Prolife. Military personnel must follow state drinking requirements precisely. There are no military base beer differences anymore.
The only exception is drinking in foreign countries who's age restriction is less than 21. For instance, Canada's drinking age is 18, so military members can visit Vancouver or Victoria from Washington state to drink. As long as they have no alcohol in their system when the come across the border, it's allowed.
I actually agree with the age restriction, even though Neo makes some great points, probably because I've worked as a Drug/Alcohol counselor and seen so many young people ruin their lives when under the influence of alcohol. Most young people can't handle drinking between the ages of 18-21. They don't know their limits, and end up doing really stupid, dangerous, life altering things while under the influence.
Although having a higher age limit isn't a panacea, it does tend to save lives and give young people more of a cause for concern regarding alcohol usage.
Alcohol is a dangerous drug, one which leads directly to the death of thousands of people a year, not too mention all the destructive family related issues involving violence in the home. So, there really is no comparitive situation in my eyes.
We live in an alcohol abusive culture, young people feed on this message and make poor decisions because of it. We also live in a unique society in which are way of life revolves around the use of a car. Teenage statistics were appalling in the past regarding deaths due to drinking and driving when the age limit was 18.
I can't describe to you how easily your view of this issue can be changed by listening to the heartbreaking stories of mothers who've had teenage son's and daughters killed because of drinking and driving.
That's the main reason the laws were changed. Too many of our young people were getting killed on the highways because of alcohol. We still have a long way to go in creating a culture of drinking responsibly, and NOT drinking before driving a vehicle.
Until we do, the 21 age limit makes sense because it does send the message that we believe alcohol is a dangerous drug which even adults find difficult to handle responsibly. |
