Legal age to consume alcohol is 21!!

Hartyk87

Ok im not sure if this is the right place to start this thread.

Im just wondering what other peoples views would be if the goverment decided to raise the intoxicating liquir act to 21 years of age.

Would it not solve alot of our problems such as RTA's, Street crime(rapes, murders, public order offences), unplanned pregnancies and of course alot of familly and health problems


Im just wondering what other people think.

I dont buy the whole irish been a drinking nation either by the way

Jesus Wept

Why stop there? We may as well bring back prohibition and wipe out crime and immoral behavior completely.

Snowie

i fdont think its badd for you I know that its not going to make the slightist bit of difference....aand it be pretty stupid if your 18 your and adult which measn your in charge of your own life!!!!

seanybiker

wouldnt bother me either way cos Im old enough to drink anyways. As long as they dont bring it upto 27 then Im happy.

liah

I think it's a stupid idea, personally, all it would do is increase the taboo factor resulting in even more idiots going on binges.

It's proven in cultures which employ a low or non-existent age limit that binge drinking and other various negative alcohol-related things are reduced significantly solely because people are exposed to it being used in a responsible, everyday manner (glass of wine at supper, beer after work, etc) and there's none of the taboo or rebellion factor tied to it.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

Reduce the age limit

hussey

When I was 14 I couldn't get drunk as too hard to buy alcohol, so instead I bought drugs, as the drug dealers never asked for ID.

raising the age limits is not the solution, people will still get their kicks elsewhere.
Changing peoples attitude is the solution.

If I had a 16 year old, I would have no problem with them having a glass of wine or beer (in my own home), i would however have a problem with him/her getting drunk/binge drinking.

randylonghorn

Hartyk87 wrote: »

Im just wondering what other peoples views would be if the goverment decided to raise the intoxicating liquir act to 21 years of age.

Would it not solve alot of our problems such as RTA's, Street crime(rapes, murders, public order offences), unplanned pregnancies and of course alot of familly and health problems

No.

Now, if we as a society actually chose to educate our young people as to how to drink responsibly, and showed them some good example, THAT might have some effect (and not just between 18 and 21).

At the moment, the 3 preferred options in Ireland when it comes to parents dealing with their children and drink appear to be:

1) Total Abstinence ... the confirmation pledge syndrome.

2) Real Man-itis ... "get it down ya, 'twill put hair on yer <insert as appropriate>"

3) Ignorance is bliss ... "sure my kids wouldn't drink / variant: know when to stop!"

All 3 are about as valid as an FF economic policy.

I have many friends from Spain and elsewhere on the continent who were exposed to alcohol in a sensible way ... a drop of diluted wine on special occasions even as children, and gradually taught as teens to have a drink in the family home ... and when to stop!!

They look at people falling out of nightclubs at 3 in the morning and puking in the gutter much as we would look at Martians doing the congo down O'Connell St.

For that matter, I know (an unfortunately small number) of Irish people who were brought up the same way. It works here too ... even without the sun!!

TriceMarie

liah wrote: »

I think it's a stupid idea, personally, all it would do is increase the taboo factor resulting in even more idiots going on binges.

It's proven in cultures which employ a low or non-existent age limit that binge drinking and other various negative alcohol-related things are reduced significantly solely because people are exposed to it being used in a responsible, everyday manner (glass of wine at supper, beer after work, etc) and there's none of the taboo or rebellion factor tied to it.

I couldn't agree more

DonkeyStyle \o/

Hartyk87 wrote: »

Would it not solve alot of our problems such as ...

I don't see how, unless the majority of that crime is committed by drunk 18-21 year olds.

mikemac

From what I've seen, young people in Italy & France drink just as much as Irish people.

But that's a glass of wine with dinner most nights whereas here, it's all that alcohol in the space of a few hours.

Same amounts but completely different.

randylonghorn

randylonghorn wrote: »

No.

I have many friends from Spain and elsewhere on the continent who were exposed to alcohol in a sensible way ... a drop of diluted wine on special occasions even as children, and gradually taught as teens to have a drink in the family home ... and when to stop!!

They look at people falling out of nightclubs at 3 in the morning and puking in the gutter much as we would look at Martians doing the congo down O'Connell St.

For that matter, I know (an unfortunately small number) of Irish people who were brought up the same way. It works here too ... even without the sun!!

That's the sensible answer, It's the way I intend to introduce my children to alcohol.

It's important to de-mistify this strange drink that makes grown-ups act silly after dringing a few glasses!

More importantly, take away the "rebellion aspect" of drinking, teenagers often doing the exact opposite of what their parants want them to do.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

What difference does it make what anti-drink laws they bring in when they aren't enforced?

drunkmonkey

Hartyk87 wrote: »

Im just wondering what other people think.

A pint of Heineken never raped anyone....and while were at it a spliff never murdered anyone...

we need less demon laws and more honest education...

phasers

I drank when I was 15, it wouldn't make a difference to me.

TheZohanS

drunkmonkey wrote: »

A pint of Heineken never raped anyone....and while were at it a spliff never murdered anyone...

RIP, gone but not forgotten spliffy.jpg

Caoimhín

Hartyk87 wrote: »

Would it not solve alot of our problems such as RTA's, Street crime(rapes, murders, public order offences), unplanned pregnancies and of course alot of familly and health problems

That is just wishful thinking. If kids under 21/18 want to get drink they will. I did, most people did. But even when i did, i didnt rape and murder people.

Kids getting drunk is a symptom of a deeper problem with our society, not the cause.

Insect Overlord

TheZohan wrote: »

RIP, gone but not forgotten.

Am I missing something there?
That link just opens up a blank page for me.

Mr Benevolent

[pedant]

The legal age to consume alcohol is 6. The legal age to buy the stuff is a different matter.

[/pedant]

TheZohanS

An File wrote: »

Am I missing something there?
That link just opens up a blank page for me.

Fixed

Spud83

Hartyk87 wrote: »

Would it not solve alot of our problems such as RTA's, Street crime(rapes, murders, public order offences), unplanned pregnancies and of course alot of familly and health problems

Now I haven't done the appropriate research but I'm fairly sure all these things occur in America.

drunkmonkey

Confab wrote: »

The legal age to consume alcohol is 6.

I had to wait until I was 8, are you sure it's 6?

Mr Benevolent

drunkmonkey wrote: »

I had to wait until I was 8, are you sure it's 6?

I started at 6 and never looked back. Seriously though, it's 6. This also explains all the angsty AH threads in the last while.

drunkmonkey

Caoimhín wrote: »

Kids getting drunk is a symptom of a deeper problem with our society

Kids get drunk cause it's a good laugh, you loose your inhibitions and it's easy to score girls.....nothing wrong with society, it's just the way it is...

http://3steg.com/img-gallery/drunk_kids.gif

Tellox

The only thing increasing the age limit would acheive would be a boost in off license sales, while pubs go under. Personally, I'd much prefer drunks in the pub than sitting around on park benches.

In any case, most people start drinking at 16/17 - increasing the legal age limit behind it wouldn't change that.

Cianos

Originally posted by Irish Politicians

18 21

Fixed your law. Now where's my paycheck?

.

Saruman

Is it not the case in England (not UK) that a 16 year old can drink as long as a parent buys it for them and they are eating food?
That sounds good to me. Countries with low alcohol ages and long or non stop trading hours tend to have the least problems. France and Italy for instance. I am just back from the Czech republic and they have 24 hour bars and I never once heard someone shout let alone any violence.

Disease Ridden

Haha, you nearly gave me a heart attack with that thread title, and me only out of bed!

Bottle_of_Smoke

Nah, 18-21 year olds dont appear to cause a greater amount of trouble on nights out.

Far more importantly, 18-21 year old females are in their prime for imitating unattainable celebrity bodies which I have been brainwashed into wanting to dick. You can't take that away from me.

Duckjob

The wonderfully Irish method of legislation:

Bring in a law but don't bother your arse enforcing it. At all.

Then, when that law predictably fails, keep bringing in ever more draconian laws to try to compensate, instead of actually focussing on enforcing the original legislation.

Maybe, just maybe, it would be more constructive to ramp up penalties for pubs and offies to are selling to under 18s so that, like in the US, it's just too risky to a business to not verify age of potential minors.

Nah, too much trouble - over 50s, that'll do it!

/rant

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Duckjob wrote: »

The wonderfully Irish method of legislation:

Make NO effort whatsover to understand the problem, just **** it under the carpet and hope it goes away all on its own

FYP