Alcohol Age Limit

[An Céachta Dearg]

Right heres an issue that I thought should be discussed.

The Legal limit in America is 21.

In the UK & Ireland is 18.

And in the majority of European countries like Germany, France, Portugal and Spain it is 16.

In your opinion what should the limit be or should alcohal be completely banned?

What are the social side effects of ech age limit and which princepal would be the best to adhere too? (I.e which age limit in your opinion causes problems such as alcohalism and domestic violence?)

[Gareth]

We are of a totally different culture here. Most of us in the UK and Ireland drink to excess and abuse unfortunately and causes public disorder issues in many of our towns and cities. I say keep it as it is or raise it.

[An Céachta Dearg]

That is a fair point, but would you not agree that alcohal abuse in the UK & Ireland starts at a very young age usually early teens. Countries with lower age limits have less such abuse as they dnt seem to want see drinking as a form of rebellion. I think the age limit should be lowered and the youth of Ireland be better educated on the effects of alcohal both upon their personal bodya nd on those around them.

[bay]

actually, the legal limit in the US varies from state to state. Some are at 18 some at 21. The feds hold a big stick over states that go with the limit lower by reducing some of the federal monies they get such as highway funds. So states have incentives to keep the limit higher, but some states make enough revenue off alcohol sales (like Wisconsin... the beer capital of the US) to offset what they lose in fed aid.

so the arguments may be social ones, but big surprise, in the end they always boil down to money.

My feeling is if we allow 18 YOs to vote, if we ask them to serve in the military and risk their lives for us, then at least they ought to be allowed to drink legally.

[Viv]

18 is fair enough.

But I know many people under that age who drink and socialise in bars and do so pretty responsibly. Well, as responsibly as some do at 22 or 23...

They get a hold of alcohol anyway. The law just forces them to drink in dangerous situations, unsupervised and often social problems and violence do arise.

[Don melQuiades]

I think 18 would be a generally good age. You can smoke, vote, fight, do stuff without a guardian's permission, why not drink too?

[An Céachta Dearg]

18 is fair enough.

But I know many people under that age who drink and socialise in bars and do so pretty responsibly. Well, as responsibly as some do at 22 or 23...

They get a hold of alcohol anyway. The law just forces them to drink in dangerous situations, unsupervised and often social problems and violence do arise.


Yes but social problems related to alcohal ae much less in the European countries than they are in the UK & Ireland. Underage drinking is where many of these problems begin, however a lot of youths only drink as a form of rebellion so if we lower the age limit to 16 then and educate kids better better about the effects of alcohal this could maybe improve the alcohal consumption levels within countries such as Ireland which currently have huge alcohal problems.

[miriya]

16 is the legal age here, for buying it, no age limited on drinking it, and I think that is cool

[Enver]

16.