18 or 21: The drinking age debate on cruise ships

Rarely does a week pass where someone on CruiseCritic does not complain about the drinking age on "American"-branded ships (Royal Caribbean, Carnival, etc ... and yes, I know they are not American companies). I suppose the confusion over the drinking age makes sense ... as companies have greatly expanded into Europe and Asia, they have added passengers from markets that traditionally have a lower drinking age than the United States. Inevitably, however, any thread about drinking immediately devolves into a dog pile of the same argument:

"If an 18-year old (in the US) can be drafted and sent to war, then they should be able to have a beer."

While the earnestness behind this argument may be genuine, I'm so sick of this argument. First of all, the US has had an all-volunteer army for almost 40 years. While men are required to register for selective service, it is unlikely unless something really, really bad happens (at which case I doubt the drinking age will be a huge concern).

The biggest thing that gets me is the numbers. Nine percent of US citizens have served in the military, but those numbers are slightly inflated from Vietnam and to a small extent, WWII vets. In terms of active service, the number is .5%. The "good" news here (and yes I'm being sarcastic) is that military members sent to other countries can drink at the age of 18 (or whatever local custom allows). Those serving in the states (ie, probably not in a war zone) must abide by the 21 year age requirement.

In other words, the passionate statement about being old enough to die but not old enough to drink is completely illogical (as many passionate statements are) as it includes such a small spectrum of reality versus possibility. Keep in mind that uniformed military members used to be able to drink at 18 (especially at on-base clubs), but this was ended because of pressure exerted from groups like MADD after some alcohol related auto fatalities.

I guess my point is ... if you want to argue that the US should have a lower drinking age, great. However, don't use the .5% of active military members to prove your point. Either let them talk for themselves, or find an argument that statistically makes sense.

As for cruise ships ... it is not hard at all to see why the drinking age remains 21 on cruises out of the US. While the revenue may be tempting, there have already been enough alcohol abuse lawsuits and issues concerning those "of age", let alone those who might over-indulge when temporarily granted a new privilege. Just take a look at the teenagers stumbling back from the Bahamas and Mexico ....