Alcohol legal age limit to be raised to 21, do you agree?

Question

If not why?
Honest genuine answers please

In UK (am in Scotland)

Answer 1

I can't really see the point in it, it isn't going to put teenagers off from drinking - all it will do will stop 18-21 year olds going to pub - it won't address the issue of younger teenagers drinking on the streets or indeed any age group from binge drinking.

Answer 2

It won't solve the problem - people will still drink, just there will be more individuals breaking the law.

A better solution to reduce binge drinking is, quite simply, to drastically increase the price of alcohol, so that it is no longer seen as some kind of essential purchase and more a "luxury". Banning cheap drinks promos in bars would also have a marked effect, as would the enforcement of bar staff not serving the intoxicated - something already required but rarely seen.

p.s. to any of the Americans who are incredulously asking why we are talking about increasing the age limit to 21 as if we're somehow stupid for suggesting it (you know who you are), we are referring to the UK on the UK site, where 18 is the current drinking age. So please try having a bit more of a world perspective than just what goes on in Kansas.

Answer 3

The problems will not disappear because the drinking culture has already been institutionalised in the teenagers of the UK.

Teenagers who drink aren't bad kids, they're bored kids and a Friday/Saturday night in the streets traditionally needs a drink. There is simply nothing else for them to do with their evenings, so they will get the drink anyway they can, irrespective of some law which is unenforcable except for police confiscating the booze. What will the punishment be, sending them to monasteries for abstinence training?

Many parents buy alcohol for the kids believing themselves to be 'cool parents', but they're just making the problem worse. Also off licences are not policed properly and in the face of rising business rates will turn a blind eye to dodgy IDs because they need the money. The weekend is frequently the only time any of them do decent business.

It's a joke to believe that this law changing will make any difference. The politicians know this but are using it as an opportunity to create the impression of a Britain with more traditional values for their own image in the public eye.

Have you thought who will be prosecuted in the future?
Will the rich kids of Royalty (Prince Harry) and Parliamentarians (Tony Blair's eldest son) still be exempt from prosecution for being drunk and disorderly in public as they have been over the last few years?

Answer 4

when I was 18, the legal drinking age was lowered from 18 to 21 (arguement being that if you old enough to be drafted to vietnam, then you were old enough to vote and drink). Anyway, there were some problems and eventually it was raised back to 21. Like increased auto accidents etc.

I can say that the bars became much better places to hang out once the 18-20 year olds were banned. Many could handle it, but those that can't were unbelieveably disrupted. Particularly the boys. The could be so obnoxious (at least here).

Answer 5

it wont make a difference,same as raising the smoking age from 16 to 18,completely no point,if people want to smoke and drink they will do it whatever. raising the drink age to 21 will jus mean that people will have to wait a few years more to start drinkin in some pubs and nightclubs that only allow over 21s,and this is easily gotten around anyway because hundreds of people use fake ids when they are too young anyway. a total complete waste of time and the govrnment tryin to score points with the public as usaul feeding them all the lies and bullshit of the day about how things are gonna be better. What they need to do is get all the neds and wasters of the day who cause all the trouble through drink and send them all away to some isolated island in the middle of nowhere and let them kill each other.

Answer 6

I don't think it would hurt, but the fact is that no form of prohibition has ever really worked-we need to address why people feel the need to binge drink in the first place- which leads us to more endemic and worrying problems in our society that no one is really willing to address at the moment, prefering to blame a series of scapegoats and utilse simplistic, drakonian policies that make people feel like something is being done without changing anything.
Aside from smoking a bit of weed and tobacco, I steer clear of drugs despite the fact I have the contacts to get hold of whatever I like- I don't have a big problem with drugs, I just think there are better things to do- when we know why so many people don't feel this way, we will have a genuine solution to this, and many other problems facing society at the moment

Answer 7

To you Yanks, the UK limit is 18.
Yes, absolutely. Some 15 year-olds brag about how they appear over 18 and are able to get alcohol quite easily.If the limit was raised to 21, they won't be able to.
If someone could prove they were 18, however, a passport perhaps, then they should be allowed to buy it.If you appear under 21, no alcohol unless you have your passport/credit card.(Under 18s can't get a credit card).

Answer 8

angelrose,
I am not sure how it is in Scotland, but most of the states in the USA the drinking age is 21. In some cases this is a good idea but the only quirk I have about this law is if you are 18 years old you can fight fight & die for your country but cannot legally drink a beer. WHAT'S UP WITH THAT!!!

Answer 9

It's 16 in many parts of Europe (Portugal, Germany, France, Belgium etc), yet it's only Britain that has a problem. If people drink underage now with relative impunity then it'll just make more people criminals and solve nothing. The problem is not with "irresponsible youths drinking" because the irresponsible ones are exactly the ones who'd drink underage, wheras the responsible ones will only drink over age. The problem lies with the culture of violence and disrespect, with alcohol as the fuel to violence - not the underlying cause of it.

Answer 10

you think that law is bad heres one for you. In this state you can be in a public place eg. restaurant that sells alcohol and you can drink it even if your under 16 as long as someone over the legal age buys it. Thats the law so they cant argue or kick you out for giving a kid alcohol. Even if the age was 30 younger people would still seem to get it. Im 15 i know how easy it is to get. It is alot easier than all you adults think.