UKs legal drinking age moving up to 21 [Archive]

Gullick

10-21-2007, 08:06 PM

Hey hey all

Not sure how true this is but I've heard that 'they've been talking about' moving the legal drinking age in Britain to 21 instead of the usual 18 (they were also 'just talking about' the smoking age going up and thats now the law). So, i was just wondering what your thoughts would be on this idea. Personally, i think its terrible. It won't actually stop teenagers from getting drink and drinking sessions for 16 - 21 year olds will be all about the alcohol instead of more of a social event that it is now. Clubs and pubs will lose immense amount of trade from the 18-21 year olds and the people who are lucky enough to look over 18 and drinking on the streets and in parks will also increase meaning more crime and fear.

But anyhoo, thats just my thoughts, whats yours?

-Gull-

Old Manus

10-21-2007, 08:12 PM

If they do (which I doubt) it will be epic fail.

Cue americans supporting this law.

Momiji

10-21-2007, 08:14 PM

It would only be fair! I'm not allowed to until I'm 21. You UK residents should have to share my misery. D:

Rye

10-21-2007, 08:14 PM

I think the drinking age here should be moved down to 18.

theundeadhero

10-21-2007, 08:14 PM

I hope they do. I so hope they do.

Sergeant Hartman

10-21-2007, 08:15 PM

Nah.

cloud21zidane16

10-21-2007, 08:27 PM

It wont make any difference:rolleyes2 but actually ive heard that its only going to be moved up to 21 in shops and supermarkets, so itll still be 18 at pubs and clubs:) but it hasnt been decided yet anyway,probably take ages to happen;)

Rengori

10-21-2007, 08:28 PM

I hope they do just so they shut up about it.

Shlup

10-21-2007, 08:38 PM

Can I just say that it's about damn time they did something about this? Because I sure know that before I turned 21 there was no way I was going to drink alcohol, and I know that, because of that, I can stand proud as the successful young woman I am today.

So these European-types have my full support!

Zeldy

10-21-2007, 08:41 PM

No way :(

Americans, you can drive before us, we don't complain about that. Im unfortunate to be born in '92 meaning I can only drive at 18. OH MY GOD SHARE MY MISERY.

Iceglow

10-21-2007, 08:43 PM

LOL! If they do it won't matter to me because I'm 22 already. Yes I'm getting old :P Though there is one thing I will say, I agree with Shlup. I drank a lot during college and I'd have done a ton better if I hadn't.

Jessweeee♪

10-21-2007, 08:49 PM

I'm only sixteen, I have no intentions of drinking ever, and I live in the US so this doesn't bother me much >.>

The drinking age in Mexico is just 18 so around where I live people between 18 and 21 go there to have fun :p

Shiny

10-21-2007, 09:22 PM

The drinking age should be 4.

Quindiana Jones

10-21-2007, 09:32 PM

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

EDIT: Holy crap. That box of no was done in one go.

Albel

10-21-2007, 09:35 PM

i didnt really care about the smoking law going up cause I dont smoke but if they change the drinking law, they are going to piss off alot of people. But either way, me and my mates will find a way to get the booze we need.

Essência

10-21-2007, 09:44 PM

bhe, Nobody will follow that law anyway...

T-MaN

10-21-2007, 09:44 PM

As if it will matter at all. People will drink even when they are not at the proper age. I personally think these laws are just a waste. I don't know how it's like everywhere else, but where I am (Canada), a lot start drinking from the age of 12, and no one cares (until they get in a car and run over someone or crash).

Ramza Beoulve

10-21-2007, 09:52 PM

Baloki

10-21-2007, 10:20 PM

me and my mates will find a way to get the booze we need.

Need...

Heath

10-21-2007, 10:21 PM

Some places like Spar (the classy way to buy alcohol, kids) seem to be confused over the alcohol laws as it is. At least two shops I've been to have said you have to be 21 to buy alcohol there, while most seem to be fine with the 18 rule. I think the shops have gotten that whole "challenge 21" thing mixed up, as that states shop attendants should ask for proof of age if you look under 21.

In terms of health, it's a good idea in principle, but I seriously doubt it would have any positive applications. Sadly, people will manage to get hold of cigarettes/alcohol no matter what the age limit put on them and I'm sure they'll find a way around it. I don't drink a lot, but I'm sure it would certainly aggravate a lot of my friends and universities bars around the country! I say 'nay.' I doubt they'd get it passed though.

Shauna

10-21-2007, 10:21 PM

We'll be old enough to marry, make babies, smoke, drive... and everything ELSE. But not to drink? Stoopid imo. :D

But, as everyone has said... people will acquire the things they want some way.

Raebus

10-21-2007, 10:23 PM

I want to drink and drive legally. Boo @ This.

ReloadPsi

10-21-2007, 10:29 PM

In theory (but probably not in practice) this would kill the vast majority of student drinking... but hey, I don't care much now because a) I'm 22 and b) I rarely ever drink.

GrimmReaper

10-21-2007, 10:38 PM

i think raising the drinking age only supports underage drinking.

Heath

10-21-2007, 10:40 PM

In theory (but probably not in practice) this would kill the vast majority of student drinking... but hey, I don't care much now because a) I'm 22 and b) I rarely ever drink.

You could make a tidy profit and/or avoid getting beaten up by teenagers on a Friday night by buying alcohol for them.

Baloki

10-21-2007, 10:52 PM

21 is the C-c-c-combo BREAKER!

Denmark

10-21-2007, 10:55 PM

If they do (which I doubt) it will be epic fail.

Cue americans supporting this law.

The only Americans that support this law are those that are at least 21 years of age.

Rengori

10-21-2007, 10:55 PM

If they do (which I doubt) it will be epic fail.

Cue americans supporting this law.

The only Americans that support this law are those that are at least 21 years of age.

You say that like people under 21 have a voice.

Zeldy

10-21-2007, 10:58 PM

Some places like Spar (the classy way to buy alcohol, kids)

More like B'n'M!
You can get alcopops for like less than £1. It's boss.

Heath

10-21-2007, 10:59 PM

Some places like Spar (the classy way to buy alcohol, kids)

More like B'n'M!
You can get alcopops for like less than £1. It's boss.

B'n'M?

The place with the best name is Booze Brothers anyway.

Zeldy

10-21-2007, 11:00 PM

Some places like Spar (the classy way to buy alcohol, kids)

More like B'n'M!
You can get alcopops for like less than £1. It's boss.

B'n'M?

The place with the best name is Booze Brothers anyway.

yeah, B'n'M.
I think
You've got me confused now :mad2:

Baloki

10-21-2007, 11:22 PM

Spar operates a 'think 30' policy where if you don't look really old they ID you.

Captain Maxx Power

10-21-2007, 11:23 PM

bhe, Nobody will follow that law anyway...

They don't follow the current law. Raising the age limit isn't going to do jack.

Raebus

10-21-2007, 11:24 PM

Alcopops aren't real alcohol. >=o

Shauna

10-21-2007, 11:29 PM

It's still alcohol though!

Tallulah

10-21-2007, 11:36 PM

Alcopops aren't real alcohol. >=o

True. It does nothing for me at all. The vodka in there? It's just really, really weak beer. Allegedly.

Moving the drinking age up will make absolutely no difference at all. Kids will get it anyway, so what's the point?

The drinking age on the continent (France, at least) is 17. (I remember being 17 on a school trip to France and buying some kids some apple schnapps at a cash-and-carry near the ferry port - umm... the teachers wanted to stop off there! ;) ) Children there are taught from an early age to respect alcohol, and not to overdo it, and that seems to help curb binge drinking in youngsters on the scale we see in the UK. The problem is, as children, we see adults drinking alcohol, and we get to age where we want to do it, but it is 'forbidden'. So, as adolescents wanting to assert our independence and grown-up-ness (If that's a word but you know what I mean...), we turn to drink anyway. It's a cool and dangerous thing to do, I guess, and peer pressure is involved.

Here I am, saying 'we' and I'm 24, and this stupid law won't affect me any way. :p Still, it sucks being able to vote, drive (though never at the same time as drinking!) or join the military and lay down your life for your country, but not being able to drink. :mad2:

~*~Celes~*~

10-21-2007, 11:48 PM

Well, by the time I move to the UK (if everything goes as planned), I'll be almost 21 anyway :p

Denmark

10-21-2007, 11:52 PM

Zeldy

10-21-2007, 11:59 PM

Alcopops aren't real alcohol. >=o
I have like 2 and have stomach aches. It's terrible :( THEY'RE TOO FIZZY

Raebus

10-22-2007, 12:00 AM

So that's what they call being a light drinker these days. ;)

Psychotic

10-22-2007, 12:12 AM

Won't change a damn thing. Most people start drinking at 14-16 here anyway. I'm 21 in 6 months so I don't care!

Iceglow

10-22-2007, 01:37 AM

Actually you'll find due to trading and advertising laws Alcopops do include Vodka. The problem is not the % of alcohol but the quantity of Vodka. The average smirnoff ice or reef drink contains approximately HALF a shot of vodka thats something like 20ml or 4 tea spoons of alcohol. As psy said the law won't change a damn thing the only issue is that it will mean a lot less money. I seriously doubt it'd get passed much more likely a public drinking ban to be legally enforced throughout the country instead of in bylaws which would prevent all and any drinking of alcoholic substances outside the premises of a pub or bar. The reasoning for this? Off liscences are exactly that OFF liscences they have a liscence for the sale of alcohol for OFF the premises. Pubs have a liscence for the drinking ON the premises but rarely is it for a pub to hold an Off liscence too. Alcohol and nicotine is the 2 most taxed things in the countries behind cars (road tax, insurance tax, petrol tax, congestion charges, parking fees) the government won't drop a major % of it's money since the people can barely afford council tax and the tax taken from their earnings as it is.

Madame Adequate

10-22-2007, 01:46 AM

Yes, because witholding things that kids want is the proven, surefire way to ensure they don't pursue it with redoubled vigor. :rolleyes2

XxSephirothxX

10-22-2007, 03:30 AM

Doesn't strike me as the kind of legislation that would be passed, but I don't live in the UK so I don't really know much about the political atmosphere.

I also don't especially care about alcohol, but I'm of the opinion that it's retarded to give someone responsibilities such as voting, driving, smoking, enlisting in the army, etc. but have the age at which they can legally ingest alcohol several years higher.

Lawr

10-22-2007, 03:40 AM

You're allowed to kill before you can chill...at the bar.
Oh yeah, Ten Points.

Jojee

10-22-2007, 04:04 AM

They want to follow <i>Americans?</i> Silly, stupid people. xD

Madame Adequate

10-22-2007, 02:29 PM

Doesn't strike me as the kind of legislation that would be passed, but I don't live in the UK so I don't really know much about the political atmosphere.

This country will fairly happily accept pretty much anything that is 'for our own good'. Nanny state huzzah!

Bunny

10-22-2007, 02:32 PM

Hahaha. No more laughing at the sillly Americans.

Loony BoB

10-22-2007, 04:55 PM

Until the start a licence requirement to buy alcohol, much like there is a licence required to buy a car and other such things, nothing will change.

EDIT: Of course, I also agree with the idea of "If you're old enough to die for your country, you're old enough to drink." However, I think that it should be illegal to send anyone under the age of 21 off to die for their country, too, so there you go. Let alone get people under that age into any kind of binding agreement where they may be forced to do such a thing.

Resha

10-22-2007, 04:58 PM

Does it matter? :confused: Haha I mean -- everyone drinks underage anyways. Not just in the UK; everywhere, anywhere.

Jess

10-23-2007, 12:48 PM

I'm sure they've been talking about this for years. It won't happen and even if it does it won't make the blind bit of difference.

Breine

10-23-2007, 12:57 PM

You can legally buy alcohol in stores in Denmark when you're 16, but you have to wait to get into clubs and such until you're 18. So, to me 21 seems way too high.. I'm just glad I don't live in the US - and the UK if this rule is followed through.

eternalshiva

10-23-2007, 01:18 PM

Drinking age in Canada is 19, Quebec's is 18 ;o they should make it the same!

Blue Flame

10-23-2007, 01:24 PM

starseeker

10-24-2007, 10:34 AM

The only thing raising the drinking age will do is increase the amount of underage drinking. People will still harass adults outside shops to buy alcohol for them.

Rocket Edge

10-24-2007, 10:54 AM

That will never happen in Ireland, so i'm happy. If it moves up to 21, it doesn't really matter at all because people will still drink.

As for it moving up to that age, I think it would awful. When you legally become an adult at 18 you should be entitled to enjoy yourself.

Heath

10-24-2007, 11:53 AM

I'm sure they've been talking about this for years. It won't happen and even if it does it won't make the blind bit of difference.

My god if it does happen i'm going to find the person responcible, rip thier head off and shove it up thier own asses. I mean now smoking is 18, which has gone up, now they are going to put drinking up, what next? They gonna put the age of watching the tellitubbies up? Jesus that pissed me off. ARGH

There's a legitimate health reason behind it. Let's face it, people these days are unhealthy as hell, the aim is to limit people overdrinking, smoking and what have you. There's a good but naive reasoning behind it in my view.

Loony BoB

10-24-2007, 12:21 PM

Just beat the crap out of all the binge drinkers every time they do it, problem solved.

EDIT: And none of this NHS benefit afterwards, either. They can heal the old fashioned way, dammit.

No.78

10-24-2007, 02:10 PM

UKs legal drinking age moving up to 21

WHAT?! I'm 18 next year and they do this?! THIS IS JUST EVIL!!!

*sulks*

Rengori

10-24-2007, 03:15 PM

UKs legal drinking age moving up to 21

WHAT?! I'm 18 next year and they do this?! THIS IS JUST EVIL!!!

*sulks*

They usually make sure it that it doesn't apply to people who are turning 18 in the next 3 years when they make law changes like this, just to be fair.

10-24-2007, 03:21 PM

Generally agree with the notion that even if this does go through, it won't make a blind bit of difference. Besides, the problem is hardly the drinking age being 18, it's with idiot shopkeepers selling drink to 12 year olds. If they really want to fix the problem, they should impose much more severe penalties on shopkeepers that do this. You can't get alcohol underaged in Supermarkets anymore (at least not down here, I've been ID'd recently in Asda, I was 3 years over the age limit at the time, 6'4" and had a stupidly large beard on my face, but they still wouldn't sell it). So yeah.

But, kids will get their hands on it somehow anyway. So the whole idea is stupid imho :monster:

Rengori

10-24-2007, 03:22 PM

But, kids will get there hands on it somehow anyway.
Shoplifting lol

10-24-2007, 03:23 PM

That's one way, indeed. Course, never did that myself when I was younger, oh no. :shifty:

Rengori

10-24-2007, 03:25 PM

My friends are quite partial to it.

10-24-2007, 03:26 PM

I actually never did that. The stupid shopkeepers that sell alcohol to 12 year olds owned a shop called "Drinks R us" and one of the aforementioned 12 year olds was me. :monster:

Imperfectionist

10-24-2007, 08:40 PM

I'm already annoyed enough that the smoking age went up THE DAY AFTER I TURNED 16.
Not impressed at all.
Anyway, I think maybe the only benefit of raising the age would be that 12-14 year olds that look 18 now, definately wouldn't look 21, so even if there are still underage drinkers getting hold of alcohol, they won't be as young as they are now.
But i'm still against it.

BardTard

10-25-2007, 02:33 AM

Alia S.

10-25-2007, 04:48 AM

While I don't drink and probably never will in my life... I do think they should lower the drinking age here in the US to 18. 18 is a legal adult, we can buy cigarretes and porn and go to war, so we should be able to buy alcohol as well I feel. Even if most people (that I know of) under the age of 21 make dumb decisions and shouldn't be allowed to have alcohol...

Wait...why? Lowering the drinking age would bring about more alcoholism. Most kids who start drinking at young ages turn into alcoholics, and if they can purchase it at 18, wouldn't that be bad?

I understand cigarettes are bad and everything, trust me, I used to smoke.

I live in the US too, and I feel that we should lower the drinking age, but it's put in place for a reason. Most kids that are 18 are still living with their parents and are still children in their heads. They still act stupid. 21 is slightly more mature, but it's better than alcohol being illegal at all, right?

NaroK

10-25-2007, 07:08 AM

Here in Aus the legal age is 18, i personally have been drinking since i was 16 :greenie: . I couldn't imagine waiting till im 21 to drink (im 19) There is a underage drinkin epidemic sorta thing happening here too. The kids get it from the parents older siblings it seems.

Like a while ago i was in a bottleo and i saw a mum and her kid (16 year old girl my guess) The girl walked up to the shelf pointed and said 'That one' a big ass bottle of absolut vodka. The mother garbbed it and bought it there and then. I was next in line and i got asked for id.

I'm losing faith :rolleyes2

aquatius

10-25-2007, 07:52 AM

this just won't happen.

louby_4eva

10-25-2007, 10:26 AM

I'm a shop assisstant and I ID everyone. It makes me laugh how 12 year olds think they can buy alcohol (and cigerettes). They don't tend to appreciate my laughter, as I splutter out, 'do you have any ID?'. Anyway, I don't care what the age limit is, if it goes up to 21, I'll just wait another few years. I think peple should have the choice to buy it or not though, so I'm not for it.

p.s. This is posted in response to the pissy 'you have not posted in several weeks' note at the top of my screen. I HAVE NO INTERNET!!!(using uni computer)
Should be getting BE Broadband in a couple of weeks though :D :D :D

Smile and Be happy :love:

MKusanagi

10-25-2007, 06:44 PM

UK has no excuse. The only country that the 21 drinking age can't work without is the US of A and that is because we are extremely... abusive.

boris no no

10-25-2007, 08:39 PM

I don't care too much seen as I'm 22 anyway ;)

Bring it on I say! Might get rid of some of the scallywags in my local ¬_¬

Madame Adequate

10-25-2007, 08:45 PM

UK has no excuse. The only country that the 21 drinking age can't work without is the US of A and that is because we are extremely... abusive.

You clearly know absolutely nothing about British drinking habits if you think we don't have massive and widespread problems in this country because of it.

Quindiana Jones

10-25-2007, 09:19 PM