Does anyone else think the whole underage drinking thing is taken way too seriously?

Croppy Bhoy

Hear me out on this...

The Licensing & Liqueur Act makes it illegal to sell alcohol to under 18s. This is without a doubt taken very seriously, at least in most large cities. Establishments require people, even up to the age of 25-30 in some cases, to carry with them a very expensive, important government document simply to set foot in the place. Along with this come all sorts of nonsense like not accepting passports (Aldi and Lidl have done this) or driver's licenses (Dunnes), always sporadically enforced depending on how much of a jobsworth happens to serve you. All in all, even for a mature, responsible young adult, it is quite a hassle.

Now The Act also makes it unlawful to sell alcohol to an intoxicated person. And yet every night of the week, millions of people in this country are walking into pubs and especially nightclubs, absolutely trollied and being served drink. Yes there are bouncers who will prevent those who are "too drunk" from entering, but they fully realise that 99% of people would never go to a nightclub sober (the 1% usually being non-drinkers). A bouncer wouldn't let a 17 year old in 'at their discretion', but would do so with a drunk person.

Now as far as I'm aware, this is unlawful rather than illegal. That means it's technically a crime you could be prosecuted for in the case of that person dying. The point of the law being they can hold someone responsible if someone dies of alcohol poisoning.

Now I ask you why the same approach can't be taken with 'underage' drinkers. If serving an intoxicated person a drink only becomes a problem when it is the 'one too many', why can't serving a 17 year old a pint in a pub be a problem only if they end up in a state or causing aggro?

IMO serving a drunk person more drink is a lot worse than serving someone who is 17, or might just not have the correct government documents on them to show they're older.

Discuss!

Chaotic_Forces

Long story short: kids are drinking on the streets, getting pissed, getting into fights.

That's the problem. The idiots (and they are idiots for this) in the government think that "oh, if we stop underage kids from buying alcohol, they won't drink it!".

hondasam

No to tired to read it or discuss it.

TheZohanS

Croppy Bhoy wrote: »

Now as far as I'm aware, this is unlawful rather than illegal.

Lol

Doom

I'd tazzer the lot of ye

Wolfe Tone

Dont let underage people into bars, lest we end up statutory raping people

amacca

lighten up OP....have a drinky.

Croppy Bhoy

TheZohan wrote: »

Lol

There is a difference between the terms.

Either way, there is certainly a difference between how each is enforced. If the "don't serve a drunk" was enforced with the same gusto, there would be breathalysers at every bar.

AlmightyCushion

Don't know why you're talking about having to carry around your passport. My age card has never been refused and the thing cost €6.

I remember reading somewhere before that it's illegal to give someone under 5 a drink. You have to wonder how big of a problem it was to actually make that a law.

PeakOutput

anti social behaviour is not the reason why it is a bad idea to serve under 18 yr olds alcohol (although if the age was lowered to 16 id be fine with that)

letting someone whos brain and body are still developing put drugs through their system is not a good idea

i have no problem with an adult doing any drug they want but it is far more damaging to a child/teenager

let their brains have the best possible chance to develop and then let them use those brains to decide what drugs they will or wont take

HavingCrack

It's the usual government approach to these sort of problems. It's very similar to how they approach illegal drugs. They think "if we make something illegal it will stop people using it" which is a method that simply does work. The real thing they should be doing is questioning why teenagers feel the need to start drinking. Easy answer is because the whole country (with a few exceptions obviously) has a serious problem with alcohol. Until everybody starts taking a more mature attitude to drinking the underage problem is simply going to get worse.

Red Hand

TheZohan wrote: »

Lol

Lots of Love?

WTF? (World Taekwondo Federation?)

amacca

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

I remember reading somewhere before that it's illegal to give someone under 5 a drink. You have to wonder how big of a problem it was to actually make that a law.

When I was in secondary school my dear boy there were bars where the pints were larger in stature than the clientele ordering them.

Croppy Bhoy

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

Don't know why you're talking about having to carry around your passport. My age card has never been refused and the thing cost €6.

Fair point. It costs €10 though, and takes months to receive (this is true for virtually everyone I know who applied, including myself).

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

I remember reading somewhere before that it's illegal to give someone under 5 a drink. You have to wonder how big of a problem it was to actually make that a law.

That's in reference to medicines and stuff that have alcohol in them IIRC. It raises a good point though, we can legally get paralytic at home yet it's a massive deal if I want to go out and enjoy a few drinks with friends without ID.

PeakOutput wrote: »

anti social behaviour is not the reason why it is a bad idea to serve under 18 yr olds alcohol (although if the age was lowered to 16 id be fine with that)

letting someone whos brain and body are still developing put drugs through their system is not a good idea

i have no problem with an adult doing any drug they want but it is far more damaging to a child/teenager

let their brains have the best possible chance to develop and then let them use those brains to decide what drugs they will or wont take

Also a good point, but I'd put forward that if you ever want to experiment with drugs, you should do so before you have any major responsibilities (job, house, family).

Cheap Thrills!

Kids are gonna drink.

AlmightyCushion

Croppy Bhoy wrote: »

Fair point. It costs €10 though, and takes months to receive (this is true for virtually everyone I know who applied, including myself).

My friend got his in about 3 weeks but that seems to be rare. The two I applied for though took tough a couple of months. The stupid part is that you can't apply for it until you're 18.

HavingCrack

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

My friend got his in about 3 weeks but that seems to be rare. The two I applied for though took tough a couple of months. The stupid part is that you can't apply for it until you're 18.

Also only lasts until you're 22 me thinks?

AlmightyCushion

HavingCrack wrote: »

Also only lasts until you're 22 me thinks?

Doesn't say anything about that on mine.

doolox

The restrictions on bis too buying drink after 10pm and before 10am and the need for ID ONLY ( no passport or driing licence will do...) in most supermarkets is too restrictive.

Thank God I am over 50 and obviously off the scale agewise to be asked for ID but have seen the hassle it causes 18-30 year olds in attempting to buy drink in off licences and supermarkets.

The politicians that caused this ( Michael McDowell and the 10pm restriction...) are at least gone off the scene and all the others should follow.

Croppy Bhoy

doolox wrote: »

The restrictions on bis too buying drink after 10pm and before 10am and the need for ID ONLY ( no passport or driing licence will do...) in most supermarkets is too restrictive.

Thank God I am over 50 and obviously off the scale agewise to be asked for ID but have seen the hassle it causes 18-30 year olds in attempting to buy drink in off licences and supermarkets.

The politicians that caused this ( Michael McDowell and the 10pm restriction...) are at least gone off the scene and all the others should follow.

The 10pm thing is an absolute con to get the pubs busier. But of course it masquerades as "oh sure it's for the good the people".

FG won't roll it back either. Shadow ministers are forever trying to brown-nose the public by undermining and disagreeing with everything the present government does, but as soon as they get into power themselves they forget all about it.

Irish_Elect_Eng

Croppy Bhoy wrote: »

There is a difference between the terms.

Either way, there is certainly a difference between how each is enforced. If the "don't serve a drunk" was enforced with the same gusto, there would be breathalysers at every bar.

Unlawful == Illegal

From http://www.merriam-webster.com

Definition of UNLAWFUL

1 : not lawful : illegal
2 : not morally right or conventional
— un·law·ful·ly adverb
— un·law·ful·ness noun

Examples of UNLAWFUL
The sale of alcohol to minors is unlawful.
<it is unlawful to set off fireworks within the city limits>

First Known Use of UNLAWFUL
14th century
Related to UNLAWFUL

Synonyms:
criminal, felonious, illegitimate, illicit, lawless, illegal, wrongful
Antonyms: lawful, legal, legitimate


Definition of ILLEGAL

: not according to or authorized by law : unlawful, illicit; also : not sanctioned by official rules (as of a game)
— il·le·gal·i·ty noun
— il·le·gal·ly adverb

Examples of ILLEGAL
In this state, it is illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to drink alcohol.
The team was penalized for an illegal play.
Origin of ILLEGAL

Middle French or Medieval Latin; Middle French illegal, from Medieval Latin illegalis, from Latin in- + legalis legal
First Known Use: 1538

Related to ILLEGAL
Synonyms: criminal, felonious, illegitimate, illicit, lawless, unlawful, wrongful
Antonyms: lawful, legal, legitimate


*LOL: In the dictionary, both words use example of selling drink to kids as an example

PeakOutput

Croppy Bhoy wrote: »

Also a good point, but I'd put forward that if you ever want to experiment with drugs, you should do so before you have any major responsibilities (job, house, family).

ye absolutely but, and i mean no disrespect, that reply suggests to me you are yourself a teenager and you still probably think you only have a couple years of social life left before your old and have to settle down with responsibilities.

and thats simply not the case

I think maybe the culture should adapt a bit, drinking lightly with family instead of making it a massive deal. I think that's actually legal.

Tahuti

Irish_Elect_Eng wrote: »

Unlawful == Illegal

From http://www.merriam-webster.com

Definition of UNLAWFUL

1 : not lawful : illegal
2 : not morally right or conventional
— un·law·ful·ly adverb
— un·law·ful·ness noun

Examples of UNLAWFUL
The sale of alcohol to minors is unlawful.
<it is unlawful to set off fireworks within the city limits>

First Known Use of UNLAWFUL
14th century
Related to UNLAWFUL

Synonyms:
criminal, felonious, illegitimate, illicit, lawless, illegal, wrongful
Antonyms: lawful, legal, legitimate


Definition of ILLEGAL

: not according to or authorized by law : unlawful, illicit; also : not sanctioned by official rules (as of a game)
— il·le·gal·i·ty noun
— il·le·gal·ly adverb

Examples of ILLEGAL
In this state, it is illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to drink alcohol.
The team was penalized for an illegal play.
Origin of ILLEGAL

Middle French or Medieval Latin; Middle French illegal, from Medieval Latin illegalis, from Latin in- + legalis legal
First Known Use: 1538

Related to ILLEGAL
Synonyms: criminal, felonious, illegitimate, illicit, lawless, unlawful, wrongful
Antonyms: lawful, legal, legitimate


*LOL: In the dictionary, both words use example of selling drink to kids as an example

There is a legal distinction between the two.

Illegal means "against or not authorized by law." Unlawful means "contrary to, prohibited, or unauthorized by law...while necessarily not implying the element of criminality, it is broad enough to include it." (Black's Law Dictionary)

There are examples of the distinction in your post.




.

NeedaNewName

Age should be raised to 21 or 25 IMO. Way to much drinking and drinking related problems in this country.

NeedaNewName

NeedaNewName wrote: »

Age should be raised to 21 or 25 IMO. Way to much drinking and drinking related problems in this country.

That hasn't worked in the USA though
I really think a more family oriented, meal oriented attitude to drinking would help

Azureus

The whole 10pm cut off thing is the most annoying thing in the world.
Also, the different IDs needed to buy alcohol is ridiculous; I dont understand why there can't be a single legally accepted ID, rather than at the stores discretion (ok, I know its for forgeries etc, but having to carry around a driving licence, passport AND garda ID is insane). I'm 22 and have been asked for something to 'back up' my passport/garda ID to prove its me. The picture looks like me, surely that should be enough. Its only a bottle of wine Im trying to buy, along with a steak and some spuds; does it REALLY look like Im about to go on the knack with my 16 year old buddies?!?!

Ireland is way too strict with alcohol in some ways, but then can be ridiculously lax in other ways. Makes no sense. Least our legal age limit isnt 21 I suppose.

Also, while on the topic, have to say Ive noticed way more bar staff refusing people because they're drunk in the last 12 months. I think its probably because people are getting locked at home more than before, and then ending up in shreds, but at least this is being enforced.

NeedaNewName

bluewolf wrote: »

That hasn't worked in the USA though
I really think a more family oriented, meal oriented attitude to drinking would help

True. But the yanks are not really known as a nation of drinkers like us and some eastern euro states. All countries will have its fair share of alco no matter what but we are at the high end of that curve.

immature ejaculation

Kids should be seen not heard. So stay out of our bars!

wobzilla1

Croppy Bhoy wrote: »

The 10pm thing is an absolute con to get the pubs busier. But of course it masquerades as "oh sure it's for the good the people".

The 12.30 on Sunday restriction is the worst. The restrictions were meant to tackle antisocial behaviour and the like. The only people we ever get trying to buy alcohol before 12.30 on Sunday are people who want a nice bottle of wine to go with the Sunday dinner. They're probably the most responsible drinkers possible.

MagicSean

Croppy Bhoy wrote: »

Also a good point, but I'd put forward that if you ever want to experiment with drugs, you should do so before you have any major responsibilities (job, house, family).

Thats what college is for.

peasant

HavingCrack wrote: »

The real thing they should be doing is questioning why teenagers feel the need to start drinking. Easy answer is because the whole country (with a few exceptions obviously) has a serious problem with alcohol. Until everybody starts taking a more mature attitude to drinking the underage problem is simply going to get worse.

+ 1

Cheap Thrills! wrote: »

Kids are gonna drink.

When and where I grew up, it was legal to sell beer to 16 year olds, for spirits you had to be over 18.

Yes, of course we did drink said beer. But the incidences of of pissed teenagers falling around drunk all over the place and making a nuisance of themselves were surprisingly few and far between.

The difference was that while we were tolerated to have a drink, being drunk wasn't ...here it's a badge of honour and despite all the noises (and legislation) to the contrary, nobody really gives a sh*t.

amacca

immature ejaculation wrote: »

Kids should be seen not heard. So stay out of our bars!

How will we see them when were having a drink?

2 stroke

Croppy Bhoy wrote: »

Does anyone else think the whole underage drinking thing is taken way too seriously?

Yes. Many teenagers take it far too seriously.

Squirm

I think that it is easy to look at countries that have a lower age restriction and, also, less of a "getting pissed and puking in the gutter" culture and, compare it to those countries with an higher age restriction, where drink poses a bigger social problem and conclude that prohibiting alcohol is making people less responsible drinkers and encouraging people to drink younger.

However, it is our irresponsible drinking culture that dictates the age restriction and the same goes for other, for example, European countries, where drink is not such a social problem and young people can drink in moderation, over a meal and with family etc etc.

The main issue with under age drinking is that the younger a person's body the less able it is to cope with the toxin that alcohol is and the more damage it does. Alcohol related illness is a massive drain on the health system. Alcohol related domestic problems are also a huge social problem in Ireland.

Were we to lower the drinking age, it would be MANY generations before the excitement of prohibition was forgotten and our young people able to approach drinking with a more responsibile attitude.

Young people and, in general, people with lower levels of intelligence and a lesser concept of social resposibility, are more likely to behave in a socially unacceptable manner while intoxicated. This alone is a good reason to police the sale of alcohol to minors as rigidly as possible.

Having worked with young people demonstrating risk-taking and self-harming behaviours (and with families struggling to cope with the cycles of abuse, poverty and depression that alcoholism can cause) I have seen first hand the 'worst case scenarios'.

As a parent I am not interested in a lower age restriction and I plan to educate my children to abstain from drinking for as long as possible and will worry if I find she is in a peer group with others who have permission to drink and/or who drink socially at a young age.

Squirm

Squirm wrote: »

As a parent I am not interested in a lower age restriction and I plan to educate my children to abstain from drinking for as long as possible and will worry if I find she is in a peer group with others who have permission to drink and/or who drink socially at a young age.

I'm glad my mother was more relaxed... was ok to drink at home but not as much when out
Got it out of my system early on then lost all interest in binge drinking

Squirm

bluewolf wrote: »

I'm glad my mother was more relaxed... was ok to drink at home but not as much when out
Got it out of my system early on then lost all interest in binge drinking

That's good to hear but it certainly isn't the norm. All you have to do is head into town on Paddy's Day... any college night out... Junior Cert. results night... hang around Old Wesley on disco night...

Lots of those parents have/had the same attitude and it doesn't necessarily work for all children. Were you allowed to get drunk at home? If not, then what did you get out of your system?
Ireland doesn't have a drink culture that supports responsible drinking so it is very difficult to raise a child to have that attitude.

I personally believe that encouraging young people to involve themselves in sports and in activities that don't mix with alcohol and, in helping them to abstain until they are mature enough to hopefully not find the concept of drinking until they're bladdered all that appealing.

I also feel that alcohol contributes to underage promiscuity, pregnancy, STI's and, in gereral, sexually demeaning behaviours.

Squirm

Squirm wrote: »

That's good to hear but it certainly isn't the norm. All you have to do is head into town on Paddy's Day... any college night out... Junior Cert. results night... hang around Old Wesley on disco night...

Lots of those parents have/had the same attitude and it doesn't necessarily work for all children. Were you allowed to get drunk at home? If not, then what did you get out of your system?

I was, yes
Admittedly I'm not the norm, I was younger than my peers so I wasn't going off to old wesley etc and I was drinking in college a bit younger, but yeah I got it out of my system

I personally believe that encouraging young people to involve themselves in sports and in activities that don't mix with alcohol and, in helping them to abstain until they are mature enough to hopefully not find the concept of drinking until they're bladdered all that appealing.

Yes, I agree with the first part but not the second

I also feel that alcohol contributes to underage promiscuity, pregnancy, STI's and, in gereral, sexually demeaning behaviours.

Ehm, I don't. There's a lot of lack of sex ed in this country and some of the attitudes and "info" people have while stone cold sober is shocking. And I mean at all ages, not just younger people.

Mike 1972

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

I remember reading somewhere before that it's illegal to give someone under 5 a drink. You have to wonder how big of a problem it was to actually make that a law.

Dunno about this part of the world but in parts of the US during the mid 19th century it was quite common.

Seemengly they used to put it in babies bottles to quieten down "cranky" babies :eek:

Would imagine it being pretty counter productive when the hangover kicked in though

PeakOutput

Squirm wrote: »

That's good to hear but it certainly isn't the norm. All you have to do is head into town on Paddy's Day... any college night out... Junior Cert. results night... hang around Old Wesley on disco night...

Lots of those parents have/had the same attitude and it doesn't necessarily work for all children. Were you allowed to get drunk at home? If not, then what did you get out of your system?
Ireland doesn't have a drink culture that supports responsible drinking so it is very difficult to raise a child to have that attitude.

I personally believe that encouraging young people to involve themselves in sports and in activities that don't mix with alcohol and, in helping them to abstain until they are mature enough to hopefully not find the concept of drinking until they're bladdered all that appealing.

I also feel that alcohol contributes to underage promiscuity, pregnancy, STI's and, in gereral, sexually demeaning behaviours.

I understand that I am not going to make any difference to your opinion but,imo, the more you try and keep your kids away from something the more they will want it.

the ideal would be encouraging them into sports and hobbies obviously but at the same time removing the novelty of alcohol, half a glass of wine with dinner. a pint or a bottle with mam or dad as they get older and obviously a good example of seeing peers people drinking responsibly.

I guarantee you the people you see legless at the wes are not the people who have been raised like this.

However, it is our irresponsible drinking culture that dictates the age restriction and the same goes for other, for example, European countries, where drink is not such a social problem and young people can drink in moderation, over a meal and with family etc etc.

That is simply not true. the age restriction encourages irresponsible drinking because people who feel like they are grown individuals and should be able to do what they want are forced to do it illicitly which means its secret and taboo and not only more exciting as a result but they feel they cant ask anyone about it because the automatic answer will be no its illegal you cant do that.

a lower age limit gets rid of the taboo and the excitement of it and encourages an open conversation about it. the state the 15/16/17 yr olds get themselves in simply wouldnt be tolerated in a pub or a club and they would soon realise that they cant get legless if they dont want to get kicked out

Mike 1972

Ive always maintained that the minimum age for buying alchol in Ireland/UK is way too high and theres a lot of humbug and hypocricy in most public discussion on the subject of "underage drinking". In Germany they have different ages for beer and spirits which seems to be a somewhat more sensible approach.

PeakOutput wrote: »

the state the 15/16/17 yr olds get themselves in simply wouldnt be tolerated in a pub or a club and they would soon realise that they cant get legless if they dont want to get kicked out

In my experience that would be very dependent on the type of pub/club in question

brummytom

I think - over here at least - no one really cares about underage drinking other than the media.

Everyone knows it's happens, I'm sure it always will. But yeah, it'd be nice to be able to go up to a bar without having to try and act confident.

HavingCrack

NeedaNewName wrote: »

Age should be raised to 21 or 25 IMO. Way to much drinking and drinking related problems in this country.

Whatever argument you could make about a 21 age limit (and I've heard them and they're all absolutely rubbish, you're either an adult at 18 or you aren't, there's no halfway) I honestly do not know how you could justify a 25 age limit. Can you imagine someone married with children who has been working for the last 7 years being told they're not old enough to consume alcohol? Madness.

GV_NRG

there are a good few reasons why underagers drink but i think its down to 3 main ones.

1. like PeakOutput said, its the whole taboo of the thing that make young people like me wanna go out. there is no better feeling than going past the bouncer and not getting asked and being able to enjoy the night

2. The reason why underagers drink is because it is simply the culture we grew up in.

3. the most important thing i would like to highlight is the WAY young people are introduced to alcohol. i dont mean to ause offence but i know for a fact that what Squirm, as a parent, is the completly wrong way of going about it! by stopping your child from ever going near alcohol, u are going to raise her curiosity 10 fold. also there is the kick of getting drink when you are no supposed to.

What my parents did was the best imo. as i was growing up they introduced me to drink a small bit in the home, then as i got older i was allowed to drink more at home. this removed any curiosty that i had. i have been going to the local pubs and nightclubs since i was 16 and ever since my 1st time out, i realised that what my parents hade done was working brilliantly. all the other people my age were getting legless while i was drinking away at my own pace and not at one stage did i want to get smashed!

just to point out, i , in no way, condone underage drinking!!

Irish_Elect_Eng

Squirm wrote: »

I think that it is easy to look at countries that have a lower age restriction and, also, less of a "getting pissed and puking in the gutter" culture and, compare it to those countries with an higher age restriction, where drink poses a bigger social problem and conclude that prohibiting alcohol is making people less responsible drinkers and encouraging people to drink younger.

However, it is our irresponsible drinking culture that dictates the age restriction and the same goes for other, for example, European countries, where drink is not such a social problem and young people can drink in moderation, over a meal and with family etc etc.

The main issue with under age drinking is that the younger a person's body the less able it is to cope with the toxin that alcohol is and the more damage it does. Alcohol related illness is a massive drain on the health system. Alcohol related domestic problems are also a huge social problem in Ireland.

Were we to lower the drinking age, it would be MANY generations before the excitement of prohibition was forgotten and our young people able to approach drinking with a more responsibile attitude.

Young people and, in general, people with lower levels of intelligence and a lesser concept of social resposibility, are more likely to behave in a socially unacceptable manner while intoxicated. This alone is a good reason to police the sale of alcohol to minors as rigidly as possible.

Having worked with young people demonstrating risk-taking and self-harming behaviours (and with families struggling to cope with the cycles of abuse, poverty and depression that alcoholism can cause) I have seen first hand the 'worst case scenarios'.

As a parent I am not interested in a lower age restriction and I plan to educate my children to abstain from drinking for as long as possible and will worry if I find she is in a peer group with others who have permission to drink and/or who drink socially at a young age.

I agree with this viewpoint.

In particular that the "age restriction" is not really relevant to educating children on the social benefits and risks of alcohol and our drinking culture. Without addressing the underlying issues the age be it 14 to 21 makes little difference. Most teenagers have poor control when it comes to alcohol, it is hard enough making your way through your teenage years without throwing alcohol or drugs into the mix or hormones and social adjustment that is part of being a teenager.

I find it sad that many people point to our schools and other authorities as being at fault for "poor alcohol education" or " poor sex-education" while abdicating their responsibility as primary educators for their children.

brummytom

Squirm wrote: »

As a parent I am not interested in a lower age restriction and I plan to educate my children to abstain from drinking for as long as possible and will worry if I find she is in a peer group with others who have permission to drink and/or who drink socially at a young age.

I'm not trying to take a pop at your parenting at all, but do you really think that is the best approach? Teenagers drink, it's just what they/we do. Do you not think that by making teaching her that alcohol is a terrible thing while all of her friends are drinking it will stop her from drinking it?

You could be the best parent in the world, but kids will always want to rebel in some way, however small it is. Preventing her from doing anything could just be giving her an opportunity to rebel.

man.about.town

i think there it the law should be as strict if not stricter on underage drinkers or those who buy it for them. most teenagers dont have much self control, when i was younger i was one, im still a big binge drinker to this day. we cant abolish it.

personally i would like to see no kid drinking until 18

PeakOutput

Oh and one other thing

I think over exagerating the consequences of certain actions is an absolutely terrible idea

for example, if you tell your kid that alcohol is a terrible drug that they will get addicted to, spend all their money on and lose friends over they will probably believe you. Until they see their friends drinking and realising that none of those things are happening to their friends.

so then they will try it for themselves and realise that what mom and dad told me was not true. why would they lie? what else have they lied about?

well they told me that weed was a terrible addictive drug that causes heartache as well, i wonder did they lie about that too? oh look one of my mates got stoned last night and he seems fine today, maybe ill try it.

well they told me one ecstasy tablet will kill me, but sure i saw all those lads in the year ahead of me on pills the other night and they are in school fine today, why do my parents keep lieing to me, im gonna try it.

so on and so forth

hacx

Underaged drinker here.
Due to my flowing locks an burly physique I find little trouble in getting served at off Lisences. The only time i'd ever get asked for ID is if the person behind the counter knew me.
Only time I'd ever get turned down going into a nightclub would be if the bouncers were comlete pr1cks or my fake ID started falling apart in his hands (oh god the shame).
But even then, I gave a rousing speech asking them to remember their youth and that one cunt of a bouncer who'd never lent them in anywhere and I got in.

bodhrandude

Slightly off topic but loosely related: The off licensing rule applied to music festivals in Ireland should be looked at too. Initially the 10 pm - 10.30 pm closing time for bars at Oxegen festival had been in place for a while, which made sense in a way considering the minimum age was 17 years old. But then they went and introduced the same law to the Electric Picnic which is aimed at an older demographic of audience. Look at the UK festivals, the bars are opened till 2 am or even later at Glastonbury. The law needs to be changed as regards, makeshift or temporary bars which get classed as the office license law. My memory of EP 2005 was that bars in the Body & Soul area stayed open till 2 am, whilst the arena bars shut at 10 pm, but now it applies to all areas of the festival. Its a bit ****ed up really.

Chuchoter

I think we should have a system similar to the rest of Europe where you can get beer at 16 and spirits at 18, because to be honest its not the actual availability of drink thats the issue, its that if you are 18 and you want to go have fun somewhere, there is literally nowhere to go. By 16 you've outgrown Wez and the like but you are still too young for any kind of nightclub, and thats where you have people getting hammered on estate greens. Bringing up the drinking age is just stupid and impractical.

I don't know if I'd say underage drinking is taken too seriously, I'd more say there is a massive head in the sand problem, because in my year there are a fair few girls who I'd say have a real problem with alcohol, drinking alone, stomach pumped, blackouts.