Debate: Should the min. UK drinking age be 21?

[Wobbles]

https://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42798000/jpg/_42798623_youthdrinksplcred.jpg

By the age of 12, drinkers start to outnumber non-drinkers

Britain should consider making the legal drinking age 21 as it has "lost the plot" when it comes to regulating alcohol, policy pundits claim.
The UK has one of the worst problems in Europe with a fifth of children aged 11 to 15 drinking at least once a week.
Public Policy Research (PPR), the journal of the IPPR think-tank, says it is time to practise "tough love", such as reviewing the minimum drinking age.

With anti social behavior seemingly on the increase and violence from young people on adults hitting the headlines do you think this raising the min age is a good idea?

 

[Lil_Baby_Boo]

Yep, I think it should be 21! (Although if asked that when I was 17 I would have said NO!!)
I'm not saying its every teenager but a lot of them have & get access to alcohol far too easy and many teenagers of today look, dress and act (when they want to) so much older than they actually are so its so hard to tell who's old enough and who's not!
For many people they start going clubbing and to bars before they turn 18 and basically just binge drink.....I know, I've done it myself! By the time they get in their 20's there's no fun left in it! Many people don't go out these days to have a good time, many people just go out to see how many drinks they can throw down their necks before throwing up! I hate going to clubs in the UK as they just seem to be full of kids pushing & shoving, infact Xmas last year I went to a club with a few friends and this 'Little Boy' started saying I'd pushed in the Q with my (and I Quote) 'Big Fat Beyonce Arse!'....he was then thrown out!! I'd much rather go to a restaurant with friends have some food & a few drinks and chat! Or if I do go to bars in town we only normally go to the "more expensive" ones just so we know there's not going to be groups of teens or kids!!

When I was in the US I loved going to bars, I never saw groups of "teens" binge drinking or making shows of themselves or causing trouble, to me it was mature people wanting to enjoy themselves!

I'm sure I remember reading somewhere that places are now asking for I.D if a person looks under 25....or did I just make that up?

Do we really have anything to lose by increasing the age limit?

 

[Iwantone!!!]

make it 21 they shouldlearn to ve respect 4 it

 

[Tezzy]

i think it should be 21 ....... even though it would mean id have to drink illegally for the next 10months PMSL!

 

[Helen]

I wouldn't increase the legal drinking age, but I would like to see consistency. For instance:

• age you can fight for your country
• age you can smoke
• age you can drink
• age you can vote
• age you can have sex
• age you can drive
• age you can leave home
• age you can get married

There are far too many differences for me. I think it should all be pegged at 18. I really don't think 21 makes that much difference, it's only a couple of years.

I also believe it depends on how you are brought up in relation to alcohol. We had more of a continental upbringing with wine at the dinner table (ok watered down with lemonade until we were mid-teens) so we knew what it was about. That didn't stop a few years of excess when I was a teenager/early 20s. That's life. It's all part of testing boundaries as you grow up.

Changing it to 21 just delays the inevitable. Eventually the novelty wears off and you realise that a hangover and puking up is not cool and you become a social drinker by your mid/late 20s.

 

[Wobbles]

Well you see I don't think it would do any good - How does it prevent the under 18's from drinking they can't control that now? It wouldn't do anything... they find ways!

Firmer punishment for those who are found drinking under age - those that may be caught buying for someone under age & those serving under age & asking for no ID!

Under agers spoil it for everyone going past 18 - I don't think so wheres the right in that?

 

[Suz]

In america, you have to be 18 to smoke, vote, buy lotery tickets, go to war, stay out past 10 pm (I think), move out of your parents house. But 21 to drink and Gamble at the casinos.

 

[Wobbles]

Stay out past 10pm? Are you kidding?

 

[Tilly]

In america, you have to be 18 to smoke, vote, buy lotery tickets, go to war, stay out past 10 pm (I think), move out of your parents house. But 21 to drink and Gamble at the casinos.

Stay out past 10?

I think 18 is a fine age to drink at, anyone under the age of 18 caught drinking excessively should be punished. I don't see what a few years is going to change to be honest, if someone wants to drink that badly they will do at any age, whether that be 12 or 21..

 

[beanie]

Lets face it, it being at 18 doesn't stop people getting hold of it, so it being 21 will just mean the number of underage drinkers will increase. What is needed is better education about alcohol, more responsibility taken by parents and a more grown up atitude full stop. I drank underage, and my dad used to buy me half a pint on a sunday lunchtime at the age of 16. I was allowed to drink at home, never to excess but a glass of wine etc and when I turned 18 having a drink wasn't a big deal. Yes there have been times I have gone out and got absolutely wasted but I have never been one for excessive alcohol consumption and nowadays I hardly drink (well obviously not much now). I think we need to look at our societal norms - such as this lad culture where it is almost expected that you go out and drink as much as you can. Other European countries don't seem to have the problems we do, I used to live in Germnay (famous for its beer and bierfests etc) and they don't seem to have the issues we do.

 

[Tilly]

Lets face it, it being at 18 doesn't stop people getting hold of it, so it being 21 will just mean the number of underage drinkers will increase. What is needed is better education about alcohol, more responsibility taken by parents and a more grown up atitude full stop. I drank underage, and my dad used to buy me half a pint on a sunday lunchtime at the age of 16. I was allowed to drink at home, never to excess but a glass of wine etc and when I turned 18 having a drink wasn't a big deal. Yes there have been times I have gone out and got absolutely wasted but I have never been one for excessive alcohol consumption and nowadays I hardly drink (well obviously not much now). I think we need to look at our societal norms - such as this lad culture where it is almost expected that you go out and drink as much as you can. Other European countries don't seem to have the problems we do, I used to live in Germnay (famous for its beer and bierfests etc) and they don't seem to have the issues we do.

I agree, im part French (my nan, great aunt - mums side) so it has never been a big deal to have a glass of red wine with dinner.. when we were younger we'd have it mixed with water. When we were younger at christmas/new years eve, our mum would let us have a bit of champagne or any other drink we wanted - we were at home celebrating and mum made sure we were fine obviously and wouldn't let us drink too much. We have been given freedom to do whatever we want (within reason of course) and have never had a reason to rebel. If you stop these kids/teens from drinking until they reach 21 they will do it even more.

 

[beanie]

However the after 10pm rule... not sure how that would be policed and such but something like that might be an idea for a certain age group - such as 16??? Like I said no idea how to get it policed properly, and so forth but if teens were not allowed out in the streets after a certian time, then that would stop some of the oppertunites for under age drinking. I am realistic enough though to know it wouldn't solve the problem 100% but something needs to be done.

 

[Arcanegirl]

I'm sure I remember reading somewhere that places are now asking for I.D if a person looks under 25....or did I just make that up?

Its Asda that are doing this. I think everywhere should do the same. As already mentioned it is so hard to tell a persons age now because are dressing and acting older!

 

[bexxie]

I've never been asked for I.D that would great lol

 

[Steph]

I say bring back National Service...i know David Cameron was talking about that this week. Increasing the legal age isn't going to stop them but a tougher penalty will. What actually is the punishment for being drunk underage?Driven home in a police car?Sometimes the parents are just as bed so the kids never learn...never mind ASBO's i'd march them off to National Service and see how tough they are then.