Should the drinking age be increased to 21?

06-01-2011 03:15PM

bnt wrote: »

Half a glass of wine or beer - with a meal - at 14-15

Eating is cheating!!

LizT · 06-01-2011 03:17PM

bnt wrote: »

I don't think it's the specific age that's the problem, it's the attitude of parents and legislators. One day you can't drink at all, so drink takes on this mystic "forbidden fruit" quality, a milestone to be reached in your life. Then the clock hits midnight on your birthday, and you can drink yourself in to oblivion?

If you ask me, parents should be starting kids younger but under controlled conditions. Half a glass of wine or beer - with a meal - at 14-15 is not an incitement to alcoholism. This is how they get away with it in Europe: drinks go with food, and there's less "going out to drink". I was fortunate in that my first exposure to drink at 16 was while I was trying to learn to play Snooker: you soon learn to drink slowly. (I don't know how "Hurricane" Higgins managed to play while drunk!)

I agree. I was always offered wine with my meal whenever my parents were having it from about 14 onwards. The taste of it really put me off and I didn't drink until I was 17.

It's the typical teenage mindset - If I can't have it I want it, but if it's there the temptation isn't as great.

yupyup7up · 06-01-2011 06:09PM

Where's Rex Banner when you need him?:D

BLACKEN · 06-01-2011 06:17PM

Zombienosh wrote: »

Should drinking in Ireland be 21+?
After a visit to the west and seeing it being 21+ there, and wonder why isn't it 21's here? We have a bigger drink problem than everyone else no?

Would it lose too much money? would it encourage something else? Would it have any effect at all?
I'd be all for it. Week after week I see too many drunk young ones wreaking havoc.

My honest first reaction upon reading this was.............................................

F**K YOU!

Sorry but thats just how i feel!

mgmt · 06-01-2011 06:18PM

seamus wrote: »

Would it have any effect?

It should be 16 here and alcohol awareness included in the national curriculum from the age of 12 instead of "Alcohol is bad mmkay", and some laughable religious "pledge" to not touch it till we're 18.

We need to make alcohol consumption a more open and normal thing rather than a sordid adult pasttime.

+1

I had some joker come into my primary school and deliver that nonsense.

Jesus H. Christ:rolleyes:

Stercus Accidit · 06-01-2011 06:24PM

mgmt wrote: »

+1

I had some joker come into my primary school and deliver that nonsense.

Jesus H. Christ:rolleyes:

Thats amazing, he normally sends one of his lackeys!

Max Power1 · 06-01-2011 06:25PM

BLACKEN wrote: »

My honest first reaction upon reading this was.............................................

F**K YOU!

Sorry but thats just how i feel!

hmmm... says "fcuk you" and then straight away retracts it and apologises...

Deputy Gogarty is that you?

Marcus.Aurelius · 06-01-2011 06:34PM

21???

So you can buy a car at 17, get married at 18, but champagne at the reception? No no no!

We allow people to do many things once they hit 17/18, it would be stupid to deny them something like alcohol on the grounds of immaturity yet let them have sex, buy a car and get married.

Fuck off

ScumLord · 06-01-2011 06:44PM

jackiebaron wrote: »

So who's going to dream up the 100's of 1000's of unique puzzles that go into the bottles.

Robots obviously, or Chinese people.

programming each bottle individually to open upon receipt of some kind of code would probably mean that bottles are twice the size they currently are and cost 10 times the amount to manufacture.

Things only cost 10 times more to manufacture in Ireland, there's nothing to say it should be electronic but even if it was it could be done for a few cent.

El Horseboxo · 06-01-2011 06:47PM

A big yes for 21 from me. Either my memory is fúcked from the drink or the youngsters are way bigger lightweights these days. I'm tired of stepping in puke outside pubs.

annieire · 06-01-2011 06:52PM

I just think they should leave it the way it is. Imagine if you were 17 and suddenly they changed the law...i'd be seriously pis*ed(no pun indended!!).

mgmt · 06-01-2011 06:53PM

El Horseboxo wrote: »

A big yes for 21 from me. Either my memory is fúcked from the drink or the youngsters are way bigger lightweights these days. I'm tired of stepping in puke outside pubs.

^^^
Nanny State Footsoldier

Mrmoe · 06-01-2011 06:59PM

ScumLord wrote: »

Robots obviously, or Chinese people.

Things only cost 10 times more to manufacture in Ireland, there's nothing to say it should be electronic but even if it was it could be done for a few cent.

It's not as far fetched as it might seem.

http://www.ledindon.com/en/casse-tete/2216.php

The obvious plus side is that the more drunk you get the drinker will be less capable of solving the puzzle and as a result drink less. Genius.:pac:

jester77 · 06-01-2011 07:01PM

Drop it to 16. That's what it is here in Germany and by the time they are 18 the novelty is worn off and they have a bit of fecking cop on and you rarely see them acting the bollox, but that could also be because the pubs don't close at 11:30 with everyone racing to get in 20 drinks in the last 5 mins and falling sh*t faced onto the street at the one time fighting over buuurrrgerrss and taxis!

Zombienosh · 06-01-2011 08:01PM

BLACKEN wrote: »

My honest first reaction upon reading this was.............................................

F**K YOU!

Sorry but thats just how i feel!

let me guess you're 18?

tallaghtmick · 06-01-2011 08:10PM

yes it should i could make a lucrative business out of going to offo's for "kids" (18-20 yr olds:D)

more copying of america tbh.
on a serious note if a 15 year old can get his/her hands on drink im damn sure a 20 year old could

iguana · 06-01-2011 08:12PM

Zombienosh wrote: »

We have a bigger drink problem than everyone else no?

No, we really don't. There is no real evidence that Ireland's problem with alcohol are much higher than other countries. The reason this myth exists is because Irish emigrants in the US and UK were noticeably heavy drinkers, most likely due to depression issues related to forced* emigration. In fact up until the mid-90s Ireland had very low rates of alcohol consumption per capita.

*Financially forced.

mikemac · 06-01-2011 08:14PM

When I had my confirmation we all took "the pledge"

I kept mine, a few others here did on a recent thread here in After Hours

I voted leave it as it is

06-01-2011 08:26PM

jester77 wrote: »

Drop it to 16. That's what it is here in Germany and by the time they are 18 the novelty is worn off and they have a bit of fecking cop on and you rarely see them acting the bollox, but that could also be because the pubs don't close at 11:30 with everyone racing to get in 20 drinks in the last 5 mins and falling sh*t faced onto the street at the one time fighting over buuurrrgerrss and taxis!

I have to say I disagree that having later opening hours would result in people getting less drunk. From my own experience of living in London for a while where you can have very late drinking/buy drink 24hrs and weekends away to various places the group of Irish are usually still there at closing getting into a bigger ball than usual as we could stay drinking.

Closing is the only thing that saves us half the time in my opinion, if places waited really late here, while I would like it I just think it would have a bad bad end.

For instance, go out to watch a match in the pub on a saturday afternoon, knowing well you will be out till closing, by the time 2:30 or 3ish comes along your ballobas, if places waited open until 6, we would still be there getting into an even worse state.

That said I would love to have late opening!!

Copper23 · 06-01-2011 08:26PM

Not all will agree with this but I disagree with it being 21's in the States.

It's very strict and a lot of people seem to hit 21 having never really touched the stuff and think they can handle it, which they can't.

Wolfe Tone · 06-01-2011 08:27PM

What would people do if they couldnt go to the pub?

figarofigaro · 06-01-2011 08:30PM

Raising the drinking age to 21 is a bad idea. How am I supposed to go after young tail?

Mike 1972 · 06-01-2011 08:38PM

Isint someone considered an adult in Irish law when they reach 18. Why would you want to deny an adult the right to have a drink ?

brummytom · 06-01-2011 08:54PM

I know I'm in a different country, but I think our attitudes to drink are more or less the same.

I think the age should be lowered. 2 years ago, I could easily get twatfaced in a mates house, drinking a crate or whatever.

Nowadays, I can get served in a good few (lenient) pubs. I'm much less inclined to drink as much if I go to the pub. Partly because it's so bloody expensive, but also because it's more about 'having the craic' with a mate and less making an arse of yourself.

Anyway, I think the point is - even though I still like to get drunk every now and then - it's not half as much as I used to, I'm sure that was because alcohol was such a magical thing. :pac:
I've always thought kids would be better drinking in a safe pub than in some park.

Dues Bellator · 06-01-2011 09:24PM

Lumen wrote: »

The west of what?

IMO, the drinking age and humping age should be the same.

thats the spirit :eek:

starbelgrade · 06-01-2011 09:27PM

MUSSOLINI wrote: »

What would people do if they couldnt go to the pub?

Drink at home.

Dr C · 06-01-2011 09:27PM

Actually yes. The section of the brain that controls learning, the hippocampus, is not fully developed until the mid twenties

starbelgrade · 06-01-2011 09:34PM

Dr C wrote: »

Actually yes. The section of the brain that controls learning, the hippocampus, is not fully developed until the mid twenties

Hippocampus?

Is he a relation of Snuffalupacus?

Bottle_of_Smoke · 06-01-2011 09:37PM

16 in the netherlands no big alcohol problem.

changing the age limit won't change a drinking culture

Should the drinking age be increased to 21?

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