Drinking vs Driving at Age 16

Something interesting came up as I was talking with an acquaintance recently. Our conversation had begun with the question, "Do you ever think you'll live abroad again?" which unbeknownst to her is, of course, something I never stop thinking about! So I launched into my usual answer that we love Zurich and miss it every day, but that living away from family can be hard and feel selfish, but that it's an amazing opportunity for our kids and would expand their opportunities in life immensely; and of course Switzerland is a beautiful country and safety is one of the main reasons I would want to move back, especially when I think of having teenagers. That piqued her interest and she asked why with teenagers in particular? I explained that the crime rate is very low and the laws are set up for greater safety. "Kids can buy wine and beer when they're 16...but! They can't drive until they're 18," I said with a satisfied smile, assuming that she would share my view of the positives of this arrangement. But she did not. Her face fell and her retort was that alcohol is highly damaging to the adolescent brain and that the drinking age should be kept high and parents should do their best to keep their kids from drinking until they are 21.

Whoa, what?! Isn't that like preaching abstinence? While everything she said is completely true from a biological and developmental standpoint, I couldn't help but find her view incredibly unrealistic. Teenagers in the US drink; and they have cars and they drive. In my humble opinion, it is the actual worst possible combination. I would much rather have my teenage children drinking wine openly and legally with their friends in the park and then taking the tram home, I explained, than drinking illicitly at a party with zero adult supervision and getting into the car with a friend who had been drinking. My acquaintance, however, remained resolute in her view that if we encourage teens not to drink and warn them of the risks, they will not. No way, rosé! was my thought, and in the end we had to agree to disagree.

But it got me thinking, is hers a common view in America? Do American cultural feelings toward alcohol tie back to our puritan roots and the days of prohibition? I had always assumed that with American cities being built for cars and the constraints that inherently created, that the driving age was kept young and the drinking age high out of sheer necessity and against all common sense - not as the best option. How do you see it? Would you rather have your child drive or drink at age 16? Please chime in with your reasons why in the comments below!

(Photo via Pinterest/Etsy)