A pro’s and con’s blog: Drinking in the U.S vs. Drinking elsewhere.
About a week or two ago I took a short weekend trip via bus up to Montreal with friends to celebrate my 20th birthday. We went there for many reasons; price, convenience, French, but of course, we went there to drink. Now let me first explain that I’m am the youngest at 20, out of all of my friends. Therefore, as far as drinking goes, I’m “underage” in the U.S, but they can all drink. And as a side note; I am also the only one out of all my friends so far that have a college degree. (Irony in being an “adult”) Any ways, we went to Montreal Canada to meet some people, see something, drink, and have a good time while doing so, and we absolutely did. The response we got in Canada as far as young people drinking was such an interesting contrast to America-to say the least. I quickly noticed that in Canada, It’s a very casual, common thing for young people and even people of all ages to have a beer, or glass of wine by there side while eating, etc. It’s very welcoming in general there which, being a young man born and raise in Boston, is a new custom to embrace. But in America, drinking is considered more “amateur” in many ways. For young people, when we want to drink, they act as if we have a devilish, abnormal urge that should be frowned upon in a “shame, shame” sort of way. I found the comparison interesting and after speaking to many young Canadians. They found it humorous because like me, at the same age of 20, they have all been drinking casually at bars for two years now. At any rate, there was absolutely a different between how people felt about it here, and how Canadians felt about it, I saw this very distinctly when I found a Canadian bar full of young people, having a good time, and within the bar were many college text books for anyone to read. (I picked up a book called, “The Source Book for Creative Thinking,” began reading and found that every line it in to me sounded like gold. Went home and bought it on Amazon immediately) I found out that they had many strong feelings towards Americans and just about everyone of them started with a, “Well, why do you do…”
Did some short research and gathered some light Pro’s and Con’s about drinking and related issues on the subject within America, and other countries.
Pro’s of the “low” Canadian drinking age:
1. Drinking is casual and more moderate.
2. Communication has a wider less shameful forum between the communities and social norms.
3. Young adults are “over the thrill of drinking” by the time they have to be ready for “the real world.”
4. Putting young people in bars together brings them all in one place and provides a sort of safety environment.
Con’s:
1. More inexperienced young people with fresh driving licenses, on the road drinking.
2. Drinking in high schools. (Although, the drinking age in the U.S is 21, while I was in high school, we drank anyway. To add to the danger, I remember some one came in with a 30 rack and said that they paid a homeless person 5 bucks to buy it for them. Safe?)
3. Over consuming.
4. Hmmm… It’s getting harder and harder to think of why it’s a bad idea…
Hope you enjoyed this short little blog. I do want everyone to know that, just like any blog we write here on Pulse, it’s just to get your mental juices flowing. Research this subject on your own, read something, form an opinion.
Knowledge is power my young friends.
Jeremiahcity
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