Drinking culture in America?

[Michael Collins]

Hey guys,

I'm from Ireland and (without wanting to perpetuate a stereotype!) have been drinking socially since I was about 15 or 16. The legal drinking age is eighteen, but many pubs are pretty lenient when it comes to checking for ID, even more so in the more rural areas. In any case, I've been drinking 'properly' for a few years now (I'm twenty in April) and it's a pretty big part of my social life, especially as I'm currently at college in England, which is the prime boozing period of any young male's life.

In August I'll be moving to the US for a year (university exchange program), but unfortunately I'll be 20 for the majority of my time there and so won't be legally allowed to drink, which will be strange, and a bit of a culture shock. How does this work? I assume kids drink before they are legally allowed to, as they do back home, but how? In Ireland it was a case of getting your big brothers to buy it for you, getting a fake ID or just risking it in a pub hoping you wouldn't be asked to prove you were 18. I can't really imagine the same sort of immature situations happening to 20 year-old history students, for example, in America.

As an aside, what do you all think about the legal drinking age? Is 21 too old?

Lastly, a disclaimer! I know that college isn't just about drinking. I can't wait to travel around the SW, to study new things, meet American people, try new sports etc. It's just something I've been thinking about recently.

MC.

[DudeEMETIB]

Originally Posted by Michael Collins

In Ireland it was a case of getting your big brothers to buy it for you, getting a fake ID or just risking it in a pub hoping you wouldn't be asked to prove you were 18. I can't really imagine the same sort of immature situations happening to 20 year-old history students, for example, in America.

Well it's literally the same here as well. You have an older sibling or an older friend who can buy you drinks, you go to parties where it's just there and you drink it, you buy a fake ID, you find a liquor store that's a bit more lenient, really the only difference between our two countries is that we have to do that bullshit for 3 years longer than you do. However, since you said you started drinking since 15/16, while I'd say by 16 most people have at least had a drink, or been around drinking...I think we don't really go crazy with it until around 18. (Those of us who do that is)....and of course early college years is tons of drinking time.

Originally Posted by Michael Collins

As an aside, what do you all think about the legal drinking age? Is 21 too old?

It's too high, I think the legal drinking age should be 18, at least personally the drinking age has never affected me, I've never not drank because I'm not old enough to, and I never will drink once I'm 21, just because "now I can." When I want a drink I'll get it. But I'm also one of those people who think marijuana and other relatively harmless drugs should be legalized. I think most kids who want something will find a way to get it. And beyond that 21 is just such an arbitrary number...if everything else that makes you an "adult" revolves around the age of 18, why should drinking be 21?

[bankyanks]

I'm not American so clearly I can't help but I have an example of the situation the other way around.

When I was in London I met a couple of Americans who were my age (19) we spent the longest time talking about how it was weird they were getting so drunk the whole time they were studying in London but neither of them could legally do that at home.

I've also wondered, in Australia (where the legal drinking age is 18) 18th's a really big deal. Everyone has massive parties and goes to a bar and goes to the city or wherever - well in Brisbane anyway. But in America is turning 18 no different to turing 17 or 19?

[katty123]

we are horrible with the drinking age. mostly everybody that i know from the age of 16 to 20 drink regardless. we usually find somebody to buy us alcohol. fake id's aren't that common at least in my town. either people smoke weed or they find a way to buy booze. i have a friend thats 20 and he never gets carded, so he usually goes to the liquor store to get my stuff. but that happens rarely.

just make some older friends quickly and you will be fine.

[katty123]

Originally Posted by bankyanks

But in America is turning 18 no different to turing 17 or 19?

18 is still a big deal. It's a lot better than 17 or 19. 18 means you can buy tobacco, go to hookah bars, attend some clubs, have no curfew with your parents, buy porn, and get piercings and tattoos without your parent's permission.

i think thats about it. so 18 isn't the greatest but i do enjoy the extra freedoms

[DudeEMETIB]

Originally Posted by bankyanks

But in America is turning 18 no different to turing 17 or 19?

It's not usually any different in the sense that, I don't think normally anyone would do anything too different, no big parties or anything, but it does have a lot of "importance" in the sense that you are now legally an adult, you will be tried as one in a court of law and thus do "adult time," you can vote (that's always a plus), in some states around this age is when you can drive completely on your own at any time of the day, you can buy/smoke cigs (gross), and sometimes you might get a car, like if your parents got the though.

I think what's more common is "Sweet 16" in America, and that's pretty much just for girls. 16 is usually around the time you get your drivers license, so this too is a common birthday to get your first car, if your parents can afford it. Um...but 16 doesn't mean shit in most legal/rights ways, so meh it's just some number I don't know why it's pointed out more than other ages.

Hispanics do "Quinceañera" which is basically like Sweet 16, but it's at 15 and they throw like basically mini-balls (as in the dance thing, lolz) for their daughters. Hispanics do this in America almost as commonly as in actual Hispanic countries...

But yeah what am I talking about?
I'll just leave now.

[shancock]

i think the drinking age is too high. 18 seems much more realistic.
from what i've seen and experienced, a lot of people actually drink less (especially binge-drinking) once they hit 21, usually because it's not such a big deal anymore. when you're in college pre-21, a lot of the focus is on just getting hammered as fast as possible. it gets crammed into a few hours and lots of hard liquor.

i think once you turn 21 and realize that drinking isn't this crazy psuedo-taboo partyfest (well, that it doesn't have to be every time you drink a beer), not only can you learn to appreciate good booze more, but it loses some of it's naughty teen-angsty luster.

now, i'm sure that there are plenty of people for whom turning 21 didn't change their drinking habits at all, one way or the other, but that's just what i've seen a lot of.


in other news:: good luck with your drinking endeavors here in the US and thanks for a good talking point!

[FletchLives]

i know this is sooo cliche, but i've had the thinking that if you are old enough to kill for your country, you should be old enough to get drunk.

[alannanana]

Friends, friends, friends. Been countin' on older friends since I was 16. Make lots of 'em. Shouldn't be too hard for you considering you have a super cute accent.

Is 21 too old? Yes. In the US, however, alcohol is not nearly engrained in our culture as it is in other countries. Thanks, President Reagan. I was raised with a JUST SAY NO mentality because all drugs will kill you. Alcohol, heroin, it's all the same. Bullshit. You can suppress kids all you want but the moment they're let free... hell, they go all out and the results are dangerous.

I'd rather legalize weed than lower the drinking age though. That's just me.

[bankyanks]

Oh! I was also told that if you put your accent on extra(?) at a pub or a club you mostly don't get carded.
I was told to say a big G'Day when I get to a bar in America and I'd be let straight in. But who knows?