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I had my first real official drink on my 21st birthday. I wasn't much of a party-hardy guy in college and wasn't into the social drinking scene. I didn't think drinking was that big of a deal and had no real desire to drink. Now post-21st birthday, I've had my fair share of drinks, and have had my fair share of fun evenings. But I've never drunk to excess where I've felt sick and I needed to vomit or something. Typically I hit a point where enough alcohol gives me a fairly bad headache so that naturally tells me to stop.
As for lowering the drinking age, I think the entire American cultural attitude towards alcohol needs to shift before that can happen. I mean, it's not like Europe has a bad drunk driving problem (or do they? correct my ignorance if need be) and most countries' legal drinking age is 18 or lower, no? Most families supervise their kids drinking alcohol, as it's more like a natural part of dinner instead of something to get piss drunk with, right? So there's really no "forbidden fruit" mentality and attitude that lead kids down this binge drinking road in college. Once American families teach kids how to responsibly handle alcohol, then perhaps the drinking age could be lowered. I doubt this would happen because there's simply too much of a Puritanical and conservative attitude that lingers in this country.
At least that's my perspective on this issue...
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