NationStates Jolt Archive

Do you as a nation believe that there should be a drinking age? If so what do you believe would be a resposible age to let your people start drinking? I myself believe there should not be a drinking age. Studies show that nations with no drinking age dont have a large problem children in those nations are not drinking to rebel. Drinking is normal in most nations why should there be a set age? :)

Usual problem, you can have an age limit, but it is very difficult to enforce.

I would be happy with no age limit for beer and wine, but a limit of 18 to be able to buy spirits.

is 18 as low as this poll goes??

In my country the age limit is 16, but society accepts it from 14 years, and the occasional glass of wine during family meetings usually starts from about 12.

No limit = no problem. The matter is usually regulated socially, at least by shopkeepers who sell alcohol to *kids*, so there's no need to make any legal restraints.

You people should really rethink some of your positions...I am a recovering alchoholic dry now these past 12 yrs...since it is not the rule that underage drinkers will be more responsible then overage drinkers a little prudence seems to me to be in order..

Alchoholism on Indian reservations runs as high as 40% with some tribes. Many of our best young men and women plagued by this pestilence.

I understand your point of view Salishe, but I think part of the reason that alcohol abuse is so prevalent among teens and young adults has to do with the taboo nature of alcohol. It certainly had a lot to do with it when I started drinking as a teenager (14, sneaking whiskey out of my dad's cabinet). Fortunately, I've never developed more than a passing taste for the stuff, but alcoholism killed my granddad, so I've got a healthy fear of the stuff.

That said, I think if you remove the mystery, then you remove the lure. My daughter is almost 14 now, and while she lived with me, she would drink a very little wine with me and my girlfriend at dinner--usually drowned in Sprite. The net effect now is that she has experienced alcohol, knows its effects, and is thus prepared to know when her friends are talking trash about it. Will it work? I don't know yet--but I'd rather have her prepared than have her ignorant.

I was given alcohol by my grandparents when I was young (somewhere in the neighborhood of 5th grade is when it started) to keep my curiosity low. And it worked. I never abuse alcohol, but I abuse pot which was held as an evil no-no which I should never try.

And alcoholism runs in my family.

I think there should be no age.

When something is easily accessible yet taboo, the ones forbidden access to it will find a way to circumvent the restrictions.

Yes, there should be a limit drawn if the kid is VERY young. Let them be with the parent, but, really, once you're like 11-12, what's the difference?!

is 18 as low as this poll goes??

In my country the age limit is 16, but society accepts it from 14 years, and the occasional glass of wine during family meetings usually starts from about 12.
Same here.

*smells beer, chocolate and fries* ;)

I think there should be no age.

When something is easily accessible yet taboo, the ones forbidden access to it will find a way to circumvent the restrictions.

Yes, there should be a limit drawn if the kid is VERY young. Let them be with the parent, but, really, once you're like 11-12, what's the difference?!I've been thinking a bit more about this, and while I agree with you--see my post above--I think there does have to be some sort of age restriction on the purchase of alcohol as well as the consumption without a responsible adult present. I don't think my daughter ought to be able to walk out of a gas station with a 12-pack for her and her friends at her current age, although I have no problem with her drinking a beer with me and my girlfriend while we're out camping. And I don't want her able to go into a nightclub before she's 18 either, but I wouldn't mind her being able to order a glass of wine at dinner if we're in a restaurant together.

But in the long run, the age needs to be 18, in my opinion, regardless of whatever else happens. At 18, in the US, you assume the responsibilities of adulthood. Alcohol consumption ought to be included.

Do you as a nation believe that there should be a drinking age? If so what do you believe would be a resposible age to let your people start drinking? I myself believe there should not be a drinking age. Studies show that nations with no drinking age dont have a large problem children in those nations are not drinking to rebel. Drinking is normal in most nations why should there be a set age? :)
IC: Sarzonia is reknowned for its absence of drug laws. Hence, there is no drinking age as such. We encourage responsibility with any use of any drug. We also have some of the world's greatest treatment centers for the few people who are out of control.

OOC: The problem with drinking ages was outlined here earlier. Many kids who drink do so as an expression of rebellion against their parents or some other authority figure. In general, you have to remove the spectre of illicitness to allow any leniency in drug laws to have its desired effect.

Alchoholism on Indian reservations runs as high as 40% with some tribes. Many of our best young men and women plagued by this pestilence.
I thought Indians had a bigger problem with diabetes. Cause they as a group are even fatter then the other Americans.

Do you as a nation believe that there should be a drinking age? If so what do you believe would be a resposible age to let your people start drinking? I myself believe there should not be a drinking age. Studies show that nations with no drinking age dont have a large problem children in those nations are not drinking to rebel. Drinking is normal in most nations why should there be a set age? :)
IC: Sarzonia is reknowned for its absence of drug laws. Hence, there is no drinking age as such. We encourage responsibility with any use of any drug. We also have some of the world's greatest treatment centers for the few people who are out of control.

OOC: The problem with drinking ages was outlined here earlier. Many kids who drink do so as an expression of rebellion against their parents or some other authority figure. In general, you have to remove the spectre of illicitness to allow any leniency in drug laws to have its desired effect.

I'm sorry...I just can't agree...years of being sober again has taught me one thing...you can't be lenient whereas it concerns drinking..all it takes is for me to dip once..just once into that well..the only thing lowering the drinking age will cause if the official number of alchoholics will rise because every Tom,Dick, and Harry is going to hit the convienence stores. Binge drinking on college campuses has exploded...people have died at parties...

No.one can not account for every second of a young person's lives...but at the very least we owe it to them to instill in them not a fear of alchohol but a healthy concern for it's affects..and all to few children realize this, perhaps a view of a Friday Nite's Drunk Tank or an AA meeting..or a trip into a hospital where they are treating for alchoholism poisoning.

Do you as a nation believe that there should be a drinking age? If so what do you believe would be a resposible age to let your people start drinking? I myself believe there should not be a drinking age. Studies show that nations with no drinking age dont have a large problem children in those nations are not drinking to rebel. Drinking is normal in most nations why should there be a set age? :)
IC: Sarzonia is reknowned for its absence of drug laws. Hence, there is no drinking age as such. We encourage responsibility with any use of any drug. We also have some of the world's greatest treatment centers for the few people who are out of control.

OOC: The problem with drinking ages was outlined here earlier. Many kids who drink do so as an expression of rebellion against their parents or some other authority figure. In general, you have to remove the spectre of illicitness to allow any leniency in drug laws to have its desired effect.

I'm sorry...I just can't agree...years of being sober again has taught me one thing...you can't be lenient whereas it concerns drinking..all it takes is for me to dip once..just once into that well..the only thing lowering the drinking age will cause if the official number of alchoholics will rise because every Tom,Dick, and Harry is going to hit the convienence stores. Binge drinking on college campuses has exploded...people have died at parties...

No.one can not account for every second of a young person's lives...but at the very least we owe it to them to instill in them not a fear of alchohol but a healthy concern for it's affects..and all to few children realize this, perhaps a view of a Friday Nite's Drunk Tank or an AA meeting..or a trip into a hospital where they are treating for alchoholism poisoning.

In my country (UK), the legal drinking age is 18 in theory and 16 in practice. But it is not the kids that are the problem, it is people in their 20s. That whole generation is drinking stupid quantities of alcohol, often not steadily, but in weekend binges. The statisticians in the NHS and so on say that there is going to be a massive demographic problem with liver diseases and stuff in the coming years. I think the problem that a lot of countries face is not underage drinking, which is demographically speaking a pretty small problem, but social attitudes to alcohol in general. People have simply become too complacent, and the rates of serious alcohol-related health problems are going through the roof.

lol Very difficult question to answer.

The outcomes I see in lower drinking age countries is quite promising. Normally more responsible and healthy drinking habits come about by allowing it. When family and society teaches youngsters the right habits and right ways, then the chances for mistakes and problems severely decreases, as shown through the statistics.

Here in the US (where I live), there is a HUGE problem with people drinking in high school and college. Not, of course, because of the alcohol, but because the majority of the people are too stupid. Most people I've known that have underage drank are not responsible or smart enough to enjoy it without creating problems. These same people come from their homes to places like college and go hog wild, causing problems like people falling off of balconies and dying at Washington State University and alcohol poisonings in the Ivy League schools.

The main difference between the US's approach and the Europeans is the culture involved. Young people are actually taught manners and responsibility in Europe (for the most part, so I've heard from a German friend) more than that here in the US. I equate it out to be the McDonald's syndrome- raise your children fast, not necessarily good.

But hey, you know, in the United States of Weitzel, we need more tax base, and drunk people lead to a higher birth rate, which means more people to pay taxes, so... :-D

In my country (UK), the legal drinking age is 18 in theory and 16 in practice. But it is not the kids that are the problem, it is people in their 20s. That whole generation is drinking stupid quantities of alcohol, often not steadily, but in weekend binges. The statisticians in the NHS and so on say that there is going to be a massive demographic problem with liver diseases and stuff in the coming years. I think the problem that a lot of countries face is not underage drinking, which is demographically speaking a pretty small problem, but social attitudes to alcohol in general. People have simply become too complacent, and the rates of serious alcohol-related health problems are going through the roof.
I understood that excessive drinking in the UK is related to the LOOONGG opening hours of the pubs, bars and clubs.

I think that it is time to remove every restrictions concerning age because tests have shown that young people (im not calling them kids because there is no such thing anymore) are mostly wiser than the older people.

Everyone should have the rights to drink and if children start drinking at the age of 6-7 the will soon learn not to drink too much. :D

I think that it is time to remove every restrictions concerning age because tests have shown that young people (im not calling them kids because there is no such thing anymore) are mostly wiser than the older people.

Everyone should have the rights to drink and if children start drinking at the age of 6-7 the will soon learn not to drink too much. :D

I think that it is time to remove every restrictions concerning age because tests have shown that young people (im not calling them kids because there is no such thing anymore) are mostly wiser than the older people.

Everyone should have the rights to drink and if children start drinking at the age of 6-7 the will soon learn not to drink too much. :D

I understood that excessive drinking in the UK is related to the LOOONGG opening hours of the pubs, bars and clubs.
Not sure how long they are compared to elsewhere, pubs and bars serve alcohol 11am-11pm, but it is very common for bars and nightclubs to have licenses that allow them to continue to serve alcohol until 2am or whatever. In any city, you could spend two thirds of any given weekday in establishments which serve alcohol. But it really is not that different on the Continent, as far as the places I have visited are concerned. Are our hours really long? There are several campaigns in progress now which seek to extend opening hours further.

I understood that excessive drinking in the UK is related to the LOOONGG opening hours of the pubs, bars and clubs.
Not sure how long they are compared to elsewhere, pubs and bars serve alcohol 11am-11pm, but it is very common for bars and nightclubs to have licenses that allow them to continue to serve alcohol until 2am or whatever. In any city, you could spend two thirds of any given weekday in establishments which serve alcohol. But it really is not that different on the Continent, as far as the places I have visited are concerned. Are our hours really long? There are several campaigns in progress now which seek to extend opening hours further.
Eeeh, no the hours aren't that LOOONGG. I meant because they pubs, bars etc are closed so early, or stop serving alcohol that early , is related to the excessive use of alcohol.

In the UK, excessive drinking is actually linked to short opening times - most pubs close at 11, so people drink fast and irresponsibly in the time they've got.

We agree that cultural attitude is key. In the UK and US, underage drinking is frowned upon. As a result, young adults not only don't understand the effects of alcohol, but regard it as proof of adulthood - much as pre-teen girls want to wear makeup in order to seem more adult. So drink's actual effects are ignored in favour of its social significance; that is, the more one drinks the more adult one is. If, on the other hand, you've been drinking the odd glass of watered-down wine since you were eight, drink seems a lot less big and tough.

The issue of alcoholism is somewhat distinct from that of irresponsible drinking. Generally speaking, alcoholism is caused by social or personal issues as much as availability of alcohol (it's also heavily influenced by genetics, but there's little we can do about that). Every alcoholic I know drinks essentially because of depression; if it wasn't alcohol it'd be drugs or cutting or god knows what. True, at 21 one is probably more likely to be mature enough to handle this sort of thing sensibly than one is at 16 or 18, but that's no guarantee.

I'm sorry...I just can't agree...years of being sober again has taught me one thing...you can't be lenient whereas it concerns drinking..all it takes is for me to dip once..just once into that well...
OOC: I think I can see where you're coming from, but children who are EDUCATED about the effects of alcohol (and somehow have the romantic notion of drinking removed) tend not to overdo it when they DO drink. My dad offered me wine and beer when I was between 14 and 16 (I always turned it down). When I got drunk the first time (I was 18), and I told him about it, he basically just said, "just don't make it a habit."

I have come to dislike the feeling of being hung over to the point where I just stop before I get too drunk.

is 18 as low as this poll goes??

In my country the age limit is 16, but society accepts it from 14 years, and the occasional glass of wine during family meetings usually starts from about 12.
Same here.

*smells beer, chocolate and fries* ;)

We seem to be living in the same country :p

I think that the drinking age should be 16. You can do most other things at 16 (in the UK at least). Why not drink alcohol?

You people should really rethink some of your positions...I am a recovering alchoholic dry now these past 12 yrs...since it is not the rule that underage drinkers will be more responsible then overage drinkers a little prudence seems to me to be in order..

Alchoholism on Indian reservations runs as high as 40% with some tribes. Many of our best young men and women plagued by this pestilence.

Yes, that's right. Make everyone suffer because YOU can't be trusted to behave responsibly. It's a sad reflection of your tribe that you consider alcoholics to be some of your best young men and women.

Restrictions on alcohol and drugs in general cause more problems than they solve. Just because something is illegal doesn't mean it won't happen.

You people should really rethink some of your positions...I am a recovering alchoholic dry now these past 12 yrs...since it is not the rule that underage drinkers will be more responsible then overage drinkers a little prudence seems to me to be in order..

Alchoholism on Indian reservations runs as high as 40% with some tribes. Many of our best young men and women plagued by this pestilence.

Yes, that's right. Make everyone suffer because YOU can't be trusted to behave responsibly. It's a sad reflection of your tribe that you consider alcoholics to be some of your best young men and women.

Restrictions on alcohol and drugs in general cause more problems than they solve. Just because something is illegal doesn't mean it won't happen.

I've noticed that a lot of people like to use the justification that "my parents gave my alcohol and I'm fine" as a reason to abolish or lower the drinking age. This doesn't make any sense to me because even with a drinking age, many people give their children small amounts of alcohol when they feel comfortable doing so.

This has no bearing on whether or not a 12 year old should be able to buy a bottle of liquor. Lowering the drinking age is the government saying that it's okay for children of that age to consume alcohol unsupervised. The physical aspects alone make this a dangerous proposition. Somone in his late teens to early twenties can handle a night of binge drinking a lot better than a preteen. They're smaller, hence the alcohol wil have a greater effect and a lot higher chance of alcohol poisoning.

In short, keep the drinking age; parents should continue to allow their kids to consume in small amounts and under their supervision.

In the US, I always thought it is interesting that you have to be 21 to drink and yet 18 is old enough to go to war.....

We should drink whenever we want to.

A glass of wine or beer a day has been almost proven to keep you healthier. So why not start at a young age rather than waiting unti you are 21.

I don't think alcohol should be banned, I have nothing against people drinking, however there should be both consumption limits and on the age at which you are allowed to drink. However as with any law it is pointless unless enforced, say by people needing an identity card to purchase alcohol.
P.S. If you are English turn on BBC two the episode of Simpsons is ironic.

You people should really rethink some of your positions...I am a recovering alchoholic dry now these past 12 yrs...since it is not the rule that underage drinkers will be more responsible then overage drinkers a little prudence seems to me to be in order..

Alchoholism on Indian reservations runs as high as 40% with some tribes. Many of our best young men and women plagued by this pestilence.

Yes, that's right. Make everyone suffer because YOU can't be trusted to behave responsibly. It's a sad reflection of your tribe that you consider alcoholics to be some of your best young men and women.

Restrictions on alcohol and drugs in general cause more problems than they solve. Just because something is illegal doesn't mean it won't happen.Oh shut up. Alcoholism is a disease--not an issue of will power. I'm lucky--I don't have the predisposition. Perhaps you don't either. Be glad and keep your idiotic judgments to yourself.