8 July 2010, 2:54 pm
Compared to Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and just about every other country as well. Why is it so high? In the UK, it is 18, in the rest of Europe it is 16. Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Singapore, Hong Kong are 18. In the UK, yes we have idiot hooligan teenagers that binge drink, but remember, they are a small minority. Most of my 18 year old mates (I am 20, almost 21) are responsible, and enjoy one pint of Carlsberg for just one night out. When I was 18, I was living in the USA but moved to the UK. I had no desire to binge drink in the UK because of the lower age, in fact I just settled with one pint of lager if I went out. I still do it today. In the south of France where I lived for a bit, 16 year olds had already been having wine since they were 10. A 16 year old in France could drink responsibly and enjoy a nice red wine with a rich meal. They would be able to discern between different brands of Merlots and Cabernets, which I feel that Americans think is impossible (until they actually witness it themselves). In Italy 16 year olds will go wine tasting with you and help you pick the best Pinot Grigio to go with your meal. I remember Americans like small government. But in 1984, the Minimum Drinking Age Act effectively blackmailed all of their states by saying that if the states wanted to lower their drinking ages to 18 or 19, that they would lose 10% of their motorway funding from the government. So, the US Federal Government used a concept of big government to indirectly control all 50 states from doing anything that they wanted to do with the drinking ages. That seems like big government regulation to me. I thought freedom was what Americans held dear. The freedom to enjoy a drink responsibly at the age of majority? Canada, a country similar to the USA, have issues where they must drive long distances in some instances to get to a bar. However, why do Canada have a lower problem of underage drinking and drink related deaths compared to the USA? Canada used to have a drinking age of 21, until the Canadian government lowered it to 18/19 in 1971. Australia used to have a drinking age of 21, until it was lowered to 18 in 1972. New Zealand had a drinking age of 20 until it was lowered to 18 in 2006. I think they made the right decision. The only countries that go further than the USA are Muslim countries or Muslim parts of India, which ban alcohol altogether. However, this is for religious purposes, not because politicians decided it was best for the population. Where I live in the UK, there are no bars. You have to go to the city centre (Newcastle) to go to a club. But none of my 18-20 year old friends drink drive, or have ever contemplated it. Just call a taxi to take you there. It is not difficult at all. When I was 18 and moved from the USA to the UK, at first it seemed like freedom. But then I realised it was just normal. I became a responsible drinker at 18. Now I'm 20 years old and very close to 21, and it seems like if I were still in a 21-drinking age country, it'd just make alcohol appear even more appealing than it is. @WEM: Actually, Ronald Reagan (Republican) forced the states to have a drinking age of 21, not a Democrat.... Read More »
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