In the USA the legal age to drink is 21 while here in Ireland and the Uk it's 18, is that why Ireland has such a big drinking culture or if the age went up to 21 would 18 year olds still drink anyway considering 16 and 17 year olds drink now?
What do you think, should the age for drimking alcohol be increased?
2007-09-29 12:06:27 · 25 answers · asked by ItBeMoi 4 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
I'm 17 and will be 18 very soon but I have drank in the past but I'm not too fond of it, it's hurt my family in the past so it wouldn't make a difference to me :)
2007-09-29 12:15:41 · update #1
There is little point in raising the age. We already have around 80% of 16 year olds who admit to regular drinking, many saying they have done it for years.
It would be a drain on police resources. A far better move would be educate the public of all ages that binge drinking has serious health implications and is anti-social and can ruin lives. The youngest liver transplant patient in the UK as a result of alcohol abuse is a 21 year old woman. Scary.
2007-09-29 12:43:30 · answer #1 · answered by Phil McCracken 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, many of us Irish started bush drinking at 14 or younger. A recent European survey showed that those underage drinkers who are allowed drink at home are less lightly to develop an alcohol problem than those who are not. If this is true the 21 age limit could worsen things. Social attitude towards drinking has to change to improve the situation. Some alcoholic drinks can be good for you in moderation, but the problem is moderation is boring!
2007-09-29 15:48:42 · answer #2 · answered by The Will 2 Defy 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It shouldn't be raised. No matter what age you are, you can be irresponsible with drink so why is it the youth get targeted again? We have a drinking culture in this Country (right or wrong) and have done for years. What needs to happen is more education on the effects and the dangers of drink, which in my view should of happened years ago, perhaps then drinking habits and mis-understandings the older generations may have wouldn't of been passed on to the youth of today. Changing the drinking age wouldn't change the drinking culture of this Country, it would just be another unnecessary attack the youth/young adults.
2007-09-30 01:15:23 · answer #3 · answered by a-z 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes it should be raised but so should other things that are legal at 16/17, ie, marraige, go into the army,smoking, bank accounts/loans etc.
You are either an adult or not. The different age for things is confusing and unnecessary. Should be 21 for everything - except work - but no benefits for under 21s if not working - unless disabled/carers/in education.
2007-10-02 06:48:15 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The drinking problem has less to do with the legal age and more to do with the Irish people. Even in the USA, folks of Irish background tend to be bigger alcohol drinkers than other folks. Many cities with a large Irish population go all out for St. Patrick's Day...which generally includes getting thoroughly inebriated. Don't get me wrong...it's a lot of fun. Well...at least to me - but then again I'm a freckled redhead.
The legal age of 21 does very little to stop teenagers from drinking in the USA.
2007-09-29 12:26:36 · answer #5 · answered by Matt 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
18
2016-05-17 05:38:36 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm in the US and I've always thought the drinking age should be 18 because at 18, here, they are recruiting people for the military...so, you're old enough to die in a war but, not old enough to drink. Makes no sense. That or they should change the age to join the military.
Anyway, at age 18 you are legally an adult so, you should be able to drink legally. Changing the drinking age 3 years isn't going to change anything.
2007-09-29 12:12:31 · answer #7 · answered by What's good? 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋
It wont make a difference.
I'm going to say no because i will be 18 next year - and i live in the UK. Not because i will go out and get 'totally wasted' because it will be legal, just because its the age your old enough to know the consequences and so on.
But it wont make a difference - the 14/15 year olds will still get hold of their drink as idiots will buy them it and shops ill sell underage people - despite the age it is legal.
2007-09-29 12:12:25 · answer #8 · answered by xestrangedx 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I've been to the UK.
I think it's arguable that for the UK, and only the UK, the drinking age should be about.... 62.
Seriously... if the pubs still close at ten pm sharp, I think any drinking age is rather moot.
Did you ever stop to ask yourself what makes an MP so special as to be able to decide when you should not have a drink? What do they know about your life that you do not? Where did they find it out, and why can't ordinary people know it, too?
2007-09-29 12:12:38 · answer #9 · answered by open4one 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Young people are considered mature enough for bringing children into this world.
Surely trying to make them wait another five years to have a drink cannot possibly make sense, since most of them will not wait two years and many are already hooked on drink.
2007-09-29 12:16:34 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋