Increase the legal drinking age
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I think the legal drinking age should be increased to 21 years. Recently there have been far too many violent incidents amongst 18-20 year old which have been either alcohol induced or drug induced or even both. In my home town about 4 weeks ago there was a fight in the town square amongst four 20 year old lads. Two of them ended up in hospital seriously injured as they got stabbed. A couple of weeks ago my sister was out near where she lived with a few friends and one of her male friends was beaten up. A 20 year old lad was being verbally abusive to him and when politely asked what his problem was he punched his face and when he hit the ground he proceeded to kick him. Luckily he didn't sustain any serious injuries, just a terrible black eye and feeling a bit tender. But still, it should not have happened. |
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Last night on my way home whilst listening to the local radio I heard about a murder that happened in a town 15 miles away from me. A fight had started around 3am in the morning amongst 20 year old lads and one of them got stabbed but sadly died in hospital. Another incident happened in broad daylight on a Saturday afternoon outside the flat next to my sisters. A group of 16 year old lads assaulted a 55 year old man because they had decided to block the road and he removed the blockage. The man was so badly injured that an ambulance had to take him to hospital. |
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All these incidents really do frustrate me. What is going on with the youth of today? Clearly all but the last incident was alcohol and/or drug infused. So one thing that can be done to try and reduce these crimes is to increase the legal drinking age and really crack down on it. |
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Comments from visitors
Oh yes, increasing the drinking age will totally stop underage drinking...not likely! It'll increase it cause you will have multiple years worth of folk who are used to drinking, and won't see why they need to stop since they only drink responsibly and without causing problems.
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You should know, as an obviously experienced man of the world, that not all young people act like that. In fact, a tiny, tiny minority do so, and don't forget that most violent assaults are committed by the 25-35s, hardly what I would call 'youths'. It's simply that newspapers and people generally don't mention stories about a 35 year old getting drunk and assaulting an older person, as it has no 'shock factor'. Get your facts straight and perhaps even smile at some young people now and again - two incidents (horrific though they may be) are hardly justification for demonising a whole generation. I am 19 now, and have multiple groups of large friends who I know well, from all walks of life, quite literally, and none of them have ever assaulted anyone. So, please open your mind and stop alienating my generation - after all we're going to be the ones nursing your in your old age, paying for your NHS care and possibly even being your care staff. We're good people on the whole, people need to open their minds to that.
+7
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Yes, increase the drinking age and parents teach your children that nothing good comes from alcohol. It rots your liver, it gives you bags under your eyes, you say and do things you regret, and if you conceive a child and you're both drunk, odds are the child could have "fetal alcohol syndrome" and it makes you poor by taking all your hard-earned money. Booze should be bypassed. It is NOT a health-giver and is a complete WASTE OF TIME and LIFE.
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Someone Who Knows - 27-Apr-10 16:05
Increasing the legal drinking age will not solve a thing. People will still drink if they want to drink. What can the police do about it? Nothing, nothing at all.
There are violent incidents happening in the UK every single day. Not all these are down to being alcohol related.
There are violent incidents happening in the UK every single day. Not all these are down to being alcohol related.
+3
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Some teenagers may not handle there drink well, but there are alot that do im 18 and me and my friends like going out for a drink and never get into fights besides I no people who are 26 and over and go out for a drink and get into fights it isn't only teens and raising the age to 21 wouldnt solve anything it would just make things even worse and its not fair on the teens who drink without gettings into fights. its 18 and should stay that way!
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I agree that the age should be increased - teenagers do not realise the impact alcohol has on their health and brain - when they get older & have health problems they will regret drinking from a young age. It is up to parents & society to protect the next generation.
+6
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Concerned about health of chil - 30-Jan-10 23:41
Regarding today's news about children not being given alcohol until they are at least 15; it's amazing how many results you get if you google the words "liam", "donaldson" and "idiot"!
+5
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grumpyoldwoman - 17-Dec-09 18:01
"lads" a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a
-3
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Raising the Age will make the problem worse, it is also immoral how can you say that someone is a legal adult at 18 yet cant drink Alcohol untill they are 21 it would be Stupid.
The only Country that tells Adults they cannot Drink is the Neo-Prohibitionist USA and we Brits do not want to go down that hypocritical road.
The Drinking Age in the United Kingdom is 18 and should stay 18.
The only Country that tells Adults they cannot Drink is the Neo-Prohibitionist USA and we Brits do not want to go down that hypocritical road.
The Drinking Age in the United Kingdom is 18 and should stay 18.
+4
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raising the age is going to make the problem worse, as when minors do manage to get hold of alcohol they will want to binge, make the most of it. If we allow young people to drink, then they won't feel they have to get drunk every time because they don't know when they're next going to be able to drink
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Also History has shown very plainly and clearly that "prohibition"of diverse varietys only makes
the original problem worse.
the original problem worse.
+9
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I have to strongly disagree with raising the Legal drinking age from 18 to 21.It takes away from 18,19 and 20 year olds a Basic human right to enjoy a pint or two.Alcoholism is Largely determined by genes.Not the age when alcohol was first taken.
-2
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If you raise the drinking age to 21, the currant 18 year olds won't stop drinking, just like the 13-17 year olds find a way to get large amounts of alcohol on a regular basis, all raising the age would do is add 3 more years of people drinking on the streets, which is more violent than pub drinking.
Not to mention the amount of tax the government makes on alcohol
Not to mention the amount of tax the government makes on alcohol
-7
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I find the suggesting of imposing age limits on anything (maybe 14 as a maximum) offensive, I've been drinking beer with my dinner, not smoking, and always buying movies I want to watch or games I wish to play regardless of the "age limits" since several years ago.
Now the SNP is trying to increase the age for buying from off licenses and this issue and the larger "youth rights" movement has taken a more important place in my mind.
It is, nothing but discrimination based on age to suggest that the minimum age for purchase of alcohol be increased, the fact I have to carry my ID with me when I'm going shopping reminds me of old war movies where people get asked for their "papers."
That and the general beleif that all "young" people are instantly turned into mindless rage zombies after the 1st drop of alcohol they consume sickens me.
(Large amounts of alcohol make me extremely tired, so I have to admit that i've never had the desire to get blackout drunk.)
(nothing goes with pudding better than a nice fruit beer.)
Now the SNP is trying to increase the age for buying from off licenses and this issue and the larger "youth rights" movement has taken a more important place in my mind.
It is, nothing but discrimination based on age to suggest that the minimum age for purchase of alcohol be increased, the fact I have to carry my ID with me when I'm going shopping reminds me of old war movies where people get asked for their "papers."
That and the general beleif that all "young" people are instantly turned into mindless rage zombies after the 1st drop of alcohol they consume sickens me.
(Large amounts of alcohol make me extremely tired, so I have to admit that i've never had the desire to get blackout drunk.)
(nothing goes with pudding better than a nice fruit beer.)
+7
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"wishing the world was slimer and smarter"
what planet do you live on?
the age is 18 and should be kept at 18 so people can drink at their wedding receptions
people who are abusive will be whatever the limit is raised to and children will continue to get drunk because the law isnt enforced properly
what planet do you live on?
the age is 18 and should be kept at 18 so people can drink at their wedding receptions
people who are abusive will be whatever the limit is raised to and children will continue to get drunk because the law isnt enforced properly
-4
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omg at 18 your an adult you should be trusted to drink sensibly, rasing the age with just frustate people like me who are nearly 17, we havent done anything wrong, so why should every1 suffer just because of some bad behaviour.
+5
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The problem with having a drinking age, is that when you reach it, you feel pressured to go out drinking. I'm 18 and I don't drink, but I have been brought up with, say, wine at dinner, beer in the evening, and honestly, I'd rather drink juice than alcohol.
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Too easy to stereotype us - 9-May-09 01:34
Blaming alchohol for all these attacks is almost laughably pathetic in its over-simplicity. The types of grotesque individuals who perform these violent attacks would do so with or without the booze. Raising the age limit to 21 would acheive nothing. There are 13-15 year olds purchasing cans of beer from off lisences every single night accross Britain. You want to stop them doing it? You want less "booze fuelled incidents"? Then turn your attentions to the police, who fail to enforce the existing laws. And by the way, assault is assault, and should be punished as assault, regardless of what that person has been drinking at the time.
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Hater of thugs - drunk or sobe - 14-Apr-09 16:43
Where is the legal drinking age set at 21? Are you not from the UK?
-11
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you are an idiot, the legal drinking age is 21, and you are complaining about 18-20 year-olds and alcohol?? How dumb can you be, if you were smart you would realize that the problem for this age range is actually because the drinking age is too high. if it were 18 these youth would be drinking in our bars and clubs where there are bouncers, security, etc. that can cut them off and/or prevent violence, crime, and keeping people from being sexually taken advantage of. Let's use a little logic here. Do you think binge drinking, violence, and sexual harassment is happening more in bars, clubs and restaurants; or maybe in the "underground" places that the law is forcing these youth to drink out of the eyes of authority, behind closed doors, where these age limits are making them drink. The reason for all of this binge drinking is because the youth sees it as a "forbidden fruit". If it wouldn't be such a big deal or a rush to drink, or if it was done with supervision, these numbers of violence and such would decrease dramatically. Look at other countries, alcohol is no big deal to them and therefore they don't feel the need to binge.
+5
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