(DEBATE) Should the minimum drinking age be lowered to 18 in the United States?

I'm arguing 'yes' for plenty of reasons. I happen to read the drunk driving rates and here's what I've seen.

In the 21st century:
UNITED STATES (Drinking age set at 21)
- In 2000: We had a total of 57,280 people who died from Drunk Driving. The age where most drivers went home drunk was the 25-34 age group, the 16-20 was in fourth place. That does not mean we should keep the drinking age at 21 because this is not flexible, how can it not be okay for an 18 year old to come home driving but okay for a 25 year old to come home driving?

In 2009: Thanks Uber and the invention of iPhones, we saw a massive decrease in drunk driving. There were a total of 45,230 deaths with the 25-34 age group still in first place! Yet they are allowed to drink but not 18-20 year olds?

In the UK (Drinking age set to 18):
- In 2000: The UK had a total of 18,060 deaths. Can you believe that the UK has far LESS drunk drivers than the US?

- In 2009: They had a total of 12,030 deaths.

You now see why the UK has less deaths, because of it's drinking age!

In the US with a high age restriction that makes no sense whatsoever, 18-20 year olds would binge drink because they want to enjoy the moment drinking lots and lots of beers while they're at it.

In the UK, teens between 18 and 20 years of age do not binge drink, because they know they can always buy beer whenever they want. Despite a lower drinking age, they have less drunk drivers!

Open your eyes America!

No it should be raised to 118. Americans just can't handle their liquor

Let's raise the driving age to 21 and lower the drinking age to 18.

I don't always reply to q's asked anonymously, because they're often from kids with something to hide.
But to humiliate you I will answer with the perspective of being a responsible college student in the USA:
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Absolutely not because too many 18 to 21 year olds here in the USA are unable or unwilling to control
their alcoholic consumption. Even at 21 a very large number of them remain immature / irresponsible.

PS your statistics are bogus given the population difference between the USA and UK, as well as the
obvious fact that an American teenager / young adult is far more likely to drive / have a car, truck, etc.

HUGE holes in your arguments and 'statistics' - the 16-20 year olds do not have readily accessible alcohol, if they did the rates would likely be much much higher. UK has FAR less people driving (DUH) so deaths need to counted in per 100k of licensed drivers, not to mention most towns in the UK have several pubs within walking distances of a high percentage of the residences

Only if you raise the driving age to 21. It's irresponsible to say "hey, you're 18 now. He's a bottle of whiskey and a car. Have at it."
The countries in Europe that have lower drinking ages tend to have higher driving ages along with much more training and certifications for obtaining a license.

The higher drinking age is related to highway funding by the federal govt. Nothing else.
Could they buy liquor to carry out? Beer only? At bars catering to 18 to 21 yrs only?

You are looking at the wrong data. You should be looking at the change in fatality rates in States where the age was 18, and then raised to 21, and comparing the two.

It has nothing to do with the population of the United Kingdom, which is 65 million compared to our 325 million? That indicates an actual higher incidence of deaths per 100k population. Sorry, but the brains of 18 year-olds are still not developed enough to have enough judgement to not kill themselves.

Your theory doesn't hold up to scrutiny when researched.
Check out this link and read it. Really read it. It shows that early drinking, dangerous drinking and all its problems is much higher in countries with a lower drinking age.

Nee, ik vind van niet. Wat biologische redenen betreft heb ik niet zoveel bezwaren. De meeste mensen (in het westen althans) hebben tegen hun 18e levensjaar reeds van minstens een glaasje alcohol geproefd. Verder is het in normale hoeveelheden niet zo schadelijk voor een 18 jarige, tenminste niet zoveel meer zo dan bij een 21 jarige.

Waar ik wel bezwaren tegen heb is de manier waarop met alcohol wordt omgegaan in de USA, en het culturele verband waarin alcohol wordt genuttigd. Amerikaen zijn erom bekend veel minder goed tegen drank te kunnen, dat komt doordat ze in de VS veel meer verantwoordelijkheden hebben dan wij hier in Europa. In de VS bijv, moet je overal autorijden, de afstanden zijn te groot en het OV zo krakkemikkig dat je net zo goed de trein- en busstations als een hotelkamer kan gebruiken om te overnachten (en dan hebben we het wachttijden, overstaptijden, en vertragingen).

Maar Amerikanen bezitten ok vuurwapens, de samenleving is minstens 10 keer zo hard, bij een beetje dronken rijden draai je al snel 10 jaar de bak in tenzij je veel geld hebt voor een advocaat, de armoede is dringender, en er is veel minder toezicht op (de dichtstbij wonende buur bijvoorbeeld kan op 1 km zijn). Om al deze culturele redenen vind ik dat een verlaging van de minimumalcoholleeftijd in de VS niet verantwoord is.