What age did you start drinking?

Cat Melodeon · 17-05-2011 02:30PM

Starting drinking and going to pubs & clubs when I was 16 but was fairly sensible about drink until I was 21ish. Went a bit nuts for a few years then, eased off in later 20s and don't drink too often now (car, kids, living in the sticks etc). When I do, it's only up to the fun level, never to the messy level. Life is nice with money and no hangover.

Chris P. Bacon · 17-05-2011 02:32PM

I started when i was around 12/13 and haven't stopped since.

SarahBeep! · 17-05-2011 02:34PM

15 at the start of 5th year

Boobs+Glasses= teenage girl getting served!

Joonaspp · 17-05-2011 02:35PM

16-17 I think.

Dolph Starbeam · 17-05-2011 02:36PM

First drink at about 14, first time drunk at 16. I started playing senior soccer at 16 so was able to drink in the pubs and get into clubs with the team at 16 and nobody cared :cool:

J. Marston · 17-05-2011 02:41PM

15 bushing, 16 pubs & clubs.

Flojo · 17-05-2011 02:42PM

I broke my confirmation pledge the week after but properly drinking... hmm 14 I think?
Sounds worse than it was.. but it was only a cheeky few cans every odd weekend.

Hookah · 17-05-2011 02:43PM

When we made our Confirmation and you get to the bit where you stand up to make the pledge, I gave the spiel, but instead of saying I wouldn't drink till I was 18, I said I wouldn't drink till I was 13, which was 2 months away.

And I never broke that pledge.

Now there's forward thinking for you.

Had a few drinks as a teenager, but didn't really get into it until my mid-twenties.

WhiteRussian · 17-05-2011 02:44PM

16 going on 17 on the weekends knacker drinking. I don't miss the hassle of getting the drink now, but I do miss the fun of knacker drinking!

Vinta81 · 17-05-2011 02:47PM

Went to my first house party at 17 and had a drink there

Didn't really drink till my first year of college 18/19 though and it's been downhill since :pac:

NothingMan · 17-05-2011 03:03PM

SarahBeep! wrote: »

Boobs+Glasses= teenage girl getting served!

Splooge...

GrizzlyMan · 17-05-2011 03:10PM

Started properly at about 16!

dearg lady · 17-05-2011 03:12PM

Liam Byrne wrote: »

18, as per the legal age.

My dad had said that he didn't care when I started drinking as long as he'd be the one that bought me the first.

I guess that makes me seem different to most Irish people who view drinking as some macho crap and that drinking before your voice breaks is somehow cool.

really don't see it that way, but also feel the need to adhere to crappy laws just because 'it's the law'

prinz · 17-05-2011 03:15PM

dearg lady wrote: »

really don't see it that way, but also feel the need to adhere to crappy laws just because 'it's the law'

Are you trying to say that 18 for buying, being bought, and being served in public, alcohol is "crappy"?

TaraFoxglove · 17-05-2011 03:16PM

parker kent wrote: »

Fun fact, there is 0% chance of becoming an alcoholic if you don't drink before you turn 18.

0%? Sounds like a crock of shít to me. There's probably less chance indeed the later you start, but 0%?

AFAIK, my rager of an uncle starting drinking in his 20s.

EDIT: thanks Prinz:

prinz wrote: »

There's less of a chance. It's not zero.

http://alcoholism.about.com/od/tipsforparents/a/early_age.htm

dearg lady · 17-05-2011 03:29PM

prinz wrote: »

Are you trying to say that 18 for buying, being bought, and being served in public, alcohol is "crappy"?

yup, I'd prefer a staggered approach, so for example, you can drink beer and/or wine at a younger age, but spirits are off limits. I'd also like to see better education for younger people on the potential dangers of drink, with honest open education, instead of just, don't do it!

..Brian.. · 17-05-2011 03:35PM

Started drinking regularly when i was about 15 I guess knacker drinking. Pubs regularly from about 16 or 17 i guess

prinz · 17-05-2011 03:41PM

dearg lady wrote: »

yup, I'd prefer a staggered approach, so for example, you can drink beer and/or wine at a younger age, but spirits are off limits. I'd also like to see better education for younger people on the potential dangers of drink, with honest open education, instead of just, don't do it!

The thing is we have a staggered approach. There's nothing in law to say parents can't share a drink or two with someone under 18 under supervision in their own homes. Which to me is a sensible approach rather than letting 14, 15 or 16 year olds unsupervised into a pub.

We have a big enough social problem with binge drinking as it is and it's not getting any better, even our neighbours with traditionally more relaxed attitudes to young people and alcohol are reviewing their approaches in the light of the spread of bing drinking to France and Germany for example, where up until recently binge drinking and boozing as opposed to say wine or beer with a meal was relatively unheard of. Only recently France increased the legal buying age. Germany has a staggered approach but that too could be changing soon as adherence to and implementation of the laws in some places is too low. The attitudes of older adults needs to change tbh before we expect teens etc to adopt a sensible approach.

The usual cry in this situations is to look to our European neighbours, and in doing so we are well in the middle ground at 18

There is lot's out there on the dangers of drink and there is nothing stopping anyone from looking at that, either as a young person, or as parents with their children.

newbee22 · 17-05-2011 04:02PM

Started bushing when I was 15, Saturday nights before the underage disco, good times!:)

Galway K9 · 17-05-2011 04:06PM

OutlawPete wrote: »

Breastmilk, around 11 hours.
Red Lemonade around 2.
Lilt around 4.
Iron Bru around 7.
Cavan Cola around 10.
Club Shandy around 12.
Bottles of Guinness around 13
Tennents around 15.
Furstenberg around 16.
Grolsch around 17.
Jack Daniels around 18.
Methylated Spirits not long after ..

That's right kids, you wanna lead a healthy life of sobriety, lay of the titty milk.

Remember Club Shandy had alcohol ha

nessy382 · 17-05-2011 04:10PM

think i started drinking when i was 13 or 14..

dearg lady · 17-05-2011 04:23PM

prinz wrote: »

The thing is we have a staggered approach. There's nothing in law to say parents can't share a drink or two with someone under 18 under supervision in their own homes.

Realistically, thats not what happens in most cases

prinz wrote: »

We have a big enough social problem with binge drinking as it is and it's not getting any better, even our neighbours with traditionally more relaxed attitudes to young people and alcohol are reviewing their approaches in the light of the spread of bing drinking to France and Germany for example, where up until recently binge drinking and boozing as opposed to say wine or beer with a meal was relatively unheard of. Only recently France increased the legal buying age. Germany has a staggered approach but that too could be changing soon as adherence to and implementation of the laws in some places is too low. The attitudes of older adults needs to change tbh before we expect teens etc to adopt a sensible approach.

The usual cry in this situations is to look to our European neighbours, and in doing so we are well in the middle ground at 18

I woudln't say middle ground. There are very few countries with an older legal limit, and in those cases, it's 20 for alcohol above a certain %, 18 for alcohol below that.
And I'm not convinced by one country changing their laws.

prinz wrote: »

There is lot's out there on the dangers of drink and there is nothing stopping anyone from looking at that, either as a young person, or as parents with their children.

There's plenty out there on the dangers, very little proper discussions with teenagers. Treat them as equals and they might be more liekly to listen

lalee17 · 17-05-2011 04:23PM

Thread needs poll

TeddyTedson · 17-05-2011 04:26PM

lalee17 wrote: »

Thread needs poll

Yea, from 12 all the way to over 18.

entropi · 17-05-2011 04:28PM

careca11 wrote: »

started on my 13th Birthday
stonehouse cider ,
lcl pils
linden village
Old english
Kings Acher (absoulte rocket fuel)
ice cold pints of Bulmer's
naggins of grants vodka (like paintstripper)

and to this day I regret starting way back then , have stuff hellish stomach problems , 3 major operation's in the space of 5 months in 2008

current side effects..............cannot drink anything carbonated ever, and cannot burp , all air goes out the dinner dumper
nowasday I drink feck all , when I do its wine or Vodka and OJ

Jaysus you went all out for your 13th birthday didnt ya! :pac:

Didnt start drinking alcohol until I was 28, first one I had was a Corona

prinz · 17-05-2011 04:29PM

dearg lady wrote: »

Realistically, thats not what happens in most cases...

But that's what should happen. Not letting teens buy drink and go off wherever where they are probably unsupervised. Encouraging more parents to take the common sense approach above makes more sense tbh.

dearg lady wrote: »

I woudln't say middle ground. There are very few countries with an older legal limit, and in those cases, it's 20 for alcohol above a certain %, 18 for alcohol below that....

So although saying the current law at 18 is crappy you'd be ok with raising the age for spirits?

dearg lady wrote: »

And I'm not convinced by one country changing their laws.....

Of course not, sure why would you be. It's not like any other country has to deal with young people and alcohol either.

dearg lady wrote: »

There's plenty out there on the dangers, very little proper discussions with teenagers. Treat them as equals and they might be more liekly to listen

Yes. Which would incidentally bring me back to the first point that parents and guardians should change their own relationship with alcohol and introduce their teens in a more supervised, controlled, healthy environment., as can be done right now under our current laws, rather than simply changing the laws and sending the off down to the pub.
Or who is it you think should be having these proper discussions with teenagers? The barmen?

Diabhal Beag · 17-05-2011 04:42PM

Probably around 16ish I started drinking with my mates but I was always given a few sips of Dad's Heineken when I was younger just so I knew the effects of alcohol and it smartened me up unlike most people when they have their first proper drink.

dearg lady · 17-05-2011 05:56PM

good god this is utter nonsense, trying readin whats written and not throwing in assumptions.

prinz wrote: »

So although saying the current law at 18 is crappy you'd be ok with raising the age for spirits?

nope, not what I said

prinz wrote: »

Of course not, sure why would you be. It's not like any other country has to deal with young people and alcohol either.

i said I wouldn't take the example of ONE country alone as necessarily the way forward.

prinz wrote: »

Yes. Which would incidentally bring me back to the first point that parents and guardians should change their own relationship with alcohol and introduce their teens in a more supervised, controlled, healthy environment., as can be done right now under our current laws, rather than simply changing the laws and sending the off down to the pub.
Or who is it you think should be having these proper discussions with teenagers? The barmen?

assumptions, I never said 'change the law and send them off down the pub', I'm in favour of it being soemthing out in the open, discussed with parents, in schools etc.

DanTheMan91 · 17-05-2011 06:00PM

I did not start regularly drinking until I was 18 years of age, I was such a lightweight at the start

papajohn12 · 17-05-2011 08:12PM

Started drinking at age 16. Wait do mocktails count? I guess it's when I was 18 then. Yeah, I'm boring like that.:p

What age did you start drinking?

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