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Topic: What age to buy alcohol?

Southlander
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 10465

posted 27 October 2006 02:59 AM

In New Zealand they are thinking of raising the drinking age back up to 20, they lowered it to 18 here in 1999. Many people are complaining that too many young teenagers are drunk and violent on the streets.
My personal opinion is perhaps ban 18-20 year olds from buying anything above 4% and perhaps alcohol with added sugar?
Bars for 16-18 year olds with just 4% beer?
What has been tried sussessfully in other countries?
Personally I have son's ages 14 and 18 and I let them drink beer at a friends place at 14 and 15, or they are allowed to go to parties if they are with friends. At 16 and 17 I am more concerned with who they are with and where they are going. My main emphasis is take your phone and dial 111 for anything. I think that if they arn't reasponsibe by this stage it's too late, but perhaps I have just been lucky as lots of parents don't seem to know what their young ones are up to.
One of our many problems here is places get caught selling to underagers, and first offence warning, second offence 24 hours with no sales, third offence? No one seems to have been caught (or perhaps stung??).

From: New Zealand | Registered: Sep 2005 | IP: Logged

Stargazer
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 6061

posted 27 October 2006 03:21 AM

Boy, that's a hard one (sort of). I would not allow my son to drink beer in the house until he was 19 years old. Likewise smoke marijuana. My rationale for the weed was that he could smoke it in the house (no cigarettes) as long as it did not interfere with his motivation and his work or school. As for alcohol I admit I have a double standard. No alcohol and even though he is almost 24, I still don't feel comfortable with the alcohol thing. Too many bad things have happened to his friends while impaired. I know my son and he doesn't much like alcohol. And I have no problem with the ocacssional non-chronic weed smoking. No anger issues, no drunkem fights and no hangovers. But that is me. I prefer my son, if he indulges at all, to indulge in the less harmful weed.

From: Inside every cynical person, there is a disappointed idealist. | Registered: Jun 2004 | IP: Logged

ouroboros
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 9250

posted 27 October 2006 08:28 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Southlander:
In New Zealand they are thinking of raising the drinking age back up to 20, they lowered it to 18 here in 1999. Many people are complaining that too many young teenagers are drunk and violent on the streets.

So drunk and violent old people are okay? The way I see it, if a 18 can be tried in a court as an adult, then they should be allow to drink.

I don't understand the double standard that we have with young people. You aren't given the rights of an adult because you aren't "responsible" enough. However but when you are charged with a crime you are expected to be an adult. It's the same with voting age, age for join the army, paying taxes ect..

From: Ottawa | Registered: May 2005 | IP: Logged

SUPERSNAKE
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 5856

posted 27 October 2006 11:06 AM

quote:
Originally posted by ouroboros:
So drunk and violent old people are okay? The way I see it, if a 18 can be tried in a court as an adult, then they should be allow to drink.
I don't understand the double standard that we have with young people. You aren't given the rights of an adult because you aren't "responsible" enough. However but when you are charged with a crime you are expected to be an adult. It's the same with voting age, age for join the army, paying taxes ect..

Couldn't agree more-

I will also add that the only thing raising the legal age to purchase alcohol will do is.. well, nothing-
"minors" will still sneak into bars using fake I.D.'s, they'll still get their older pals to buy their booze for 'em, they'll still raid their parent's liqour cabinets, etc, etc..

It's all part of growing up. Some do it well, some not so much.

From: none of your business | Registered: May 2004 | IP: Logged

Lard Tunderin' Jeezus
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 1275

posted 27 October 2006 03:23 PM

At 14 we were sampling illegal substances - only pot, and alcohol lifted from our parents (this was thirty-odd years ago).

By 16 we had fake IDs. Not good ones, but good enough that most places were willing to let them slip through. The legal drinking age was 18. And by 16, we knew what good and bad pot was. In my crew, we still shyed away from the harder drugs, though we sometimes hung with the hardcore crowd that did acid and more.

By college/university, we were seriously experimenting: acid, coke, mushrooms, bennies, qualudes. Never the same thing twice, but no hesitation unless exams loomed.

As my eldest hits 12 years old, I ponder how to address a subject that I know so well, but am so hesitant to speak about....

From: ... | Registered: Aug 2001 | IP: Logged

moal
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 12290

posted 27 October 2006 04:06 PM

I don't think that the age that people can buy alcohol at is the issue. The more important problem is the attitudes in Canada (and I assume New Zealand) around alcohol. It's not something that is easy to change at all, but I think the focus needs to be more on the idea of drinking responsibly, not on outlawing alcohol to young people.

When I had high school health classes (about 8 years ago) we were only ever told not to do drugs and alcohol, and we were told all about the bad things they can do to you, complete with cheesy videos that were decades out of date. There was very little discussion about anything like responsible drinking.

My parents were pretty good about talking about drugs and alcohol with me. I didn't drink that much in high school, but they always told me that if I needed a ride home or something, that I could call at any time. They also pointed out that you don't need to be drunk to enjoy alcohol. The important thing was that they weren't preachy and didn't condemn drugs or alcohol. When I started smoking pot occasionally, they asked me what I thought about it and offered stories about their own experiences. Their main point was that it's ok to smoke occasionally, but not to let it disrupt your life.

Anyway, I guess what I'm trying to say is that I think people should be allowed to buy alcohol at 16 or 18 years old, but that our attitudes have to change so that it's not all about rebellion and getting trashed for no reason. I've heard that in some places in Europe, the drinking age for non-hard alcohol is as low as 12. Is that true?

From: flat places | Registered: Mar 2006 | IP: Logged

Southlander
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 10465

posted 27 October 2006 05:32 PM

There is the point of frontal lobe development, scientists now think the front of your brain is where reason resides, and it doesn't fully develop in boys until they are over 20. Girls are much younger. Also the problem of genetic predisposition to being an alcoholic, should we be attempting to save them from themselves? Also young boys and fast cars, and alcohol don't mix.
Interesting to read points about pot. I grew up in small town NZ and didn't smell pot until I was 18 and living in melbourne, my sister, who went to lots of parties and stayed in NZ didn't recognise the smell when she was 22, and my parents had their first smoke when they got into some of mine. So it was nice to hear how other people react with thier kids when they grew up with it. Desperate to know, does the odd smoke do any more harm to the teenage brain than a couple of drinks?

From: New Zealand | Registered: Sep 2005 | IP: Logged

unionist
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 11323

posted 27 October 2006 05:36 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Southlander:
Desperate to know, does the odd smoke do any more harm to the teenage brain than a couple of drinks?

Do you have access to the internet?

Weed is harmless to the brain, teenage or otherwise.

I must say I find this thread a bit surprising. Are we setting the time back one hour tonight, or 50 years??

From: Vote QS! | Registered: Dec 2005 | IP: Logged

All times are Pacific Time

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