Will the Legal Drinking Age Rise to 21?
According to an article on the BBC News Website there is talk of raising the legal drinking age from 18 to 21. Statistics show that alcohol-related illnesses have doubled in the last ten years to 262,844 cases per year and that people suffering injuries due to too much alcohol consumption has again doubled to 148,477 a year.
There has also been a 20% rise in hospital admissions from underage drinkers misusing alcohol. The UK has one of the worst problems in Europe with one in five children aged 11-15 drinking at least once a week.
April 29th, 2007 at 2:07 pm
Following recent news reports abouth the legal drinking age being raised to 21, I would like to express my regrets on the matter. Why ruin it for those of us who have only just come of age, the select few of us who don’t go out and cause havoc and fill those health statistics? Also, being an A-level sociology student, it has come to my attention that by raising the legal drinking age, crime statistics will increase dramatically. In my opinion, raising the legal drinking age will cause uproar in society, and will promote drinking on the streets, rather than drinking in a safe, supervised environment such as a bar or pub.
Furthermore, I believe that increasing the drinking age will reduce profit of public drinking houses, and will therefore reduce the money that the government receives from taxing alcoholic products, causing a reduction in the money that goes towards policing, education and healthcare services.
However, I do very much agree on the idea of putting health warnings on alcoholic products. I believe people need to be educated more on the effects of excessive alcohol consumption.
I urge others who share my views to come forward and express their opinions. Thanks for reading! Laura.
May 11th, 2007 at 3:16 pm
i dont think the legal age should be raised as what about everyone who is already 18 and 19 and have already got used to go to bars and clubs so what happens to them? is it our fault theire are younger ones drinkin underage? NO!! so why should we suffer?? and as for health reasons there are some people who do take care drinking so yet again they are suffering!!!!
maybe if pubs and clubs were more stricter on id then it wouldnt happen would it?
May 20th, 2007 at 6:08 pm
I do not think that raising the drinking age to 21 would solve any problems at all.
Part of the thrill of drinking when your underage is the very fact that you are underage.
Say a 17 year old that has drunk responsibily for the past 17 years, and has waited until they can turn 18 to be able to go out to pubs and clubs and have a good time. When they find out that they have to wait another 4 years to be able to drink, they will drink unresponsibily underage.
By the time people are 21, a lot of them have settled down and work full time.
Raising the age would just cause more people under the age of 21 to drink and act irresponsibily.
July 13th, 2007 at 7:09 pm
i agree with the above arguement
i’m 17, and for the most part drink sensibly
at the end of the day, this whole nanny state attitude has got to stop
yes i agree that some people go OTT on booze and cause crime, become abusive or violent and make a mess of things
July 17th, 2007 at 2:13 pm
I don’t see how they can really bring it up because everyone in University will still drink…
I’m 17 and if I can’t drink next year I’ll end up drinking in places a lot more dangerous than pubs..
July 20th, 2007 at 10:30 pm
Agreed. Why ruin it for the people who drink sensibly? If 11-15 year olds are already drinking alcohol while the age limit for it is 18, what’s the point of raising it to 21? What will that do? Probably, it’ll make them think “Hey, this is even more bad than we thought, awesome”. It will only cause more underage people to drink irresponsibly. What’s the point?
September 6th, 2007 at 3:35 pm
I agree, if you stop 18 and 19 years olds who are already used to drinking from going to the pub they won’t stop, they will simply get someone to buy it for them and drink on the streets, which I think you’ll agree is much more dangerous. Also, the fact that you’re not allowed to do it makes it much more fun, my friend has recently turned 18 and already the thoughts not as much fun because we know we won’t have any problem getting it. It’s very easy to get alcohol underage anyway and reasonably easy to find somewhere that’ll serve you. I mean, is it really fair to say yes you’re 18 now, you can join the army and die for your country but your not allowed to have a beer while you do it because you’re not old enough to understand the consequences? Also, if you really want to stop people drinking underage why don’t you find something for them to do instead becasue there’s nothing to do apart from wander the streets becasue everything cost money and most people can’t afford it.
October 6th, 2007 at 4:05 pm
is this law actually going to be passed?
i think if they do they are going to be making a big mistake, ditto to what everyone sad above what is it going to do apart from urge the younger people to drink even more and not in safe places. aslo the crime rate will more than likley double if they pass this law in my opinon. thye need to focus on the little children under 18 that drink on the streets and cause trouble and stop focusing on people who are legal to drink then may be we will see a differance, it is absloutly ridiculous that they are even thinking of this. at 18 you are allowed to drink , smoke , have a driving license and more than likley be in a full time job if not uni or college. by the time we are 18 we are adults why take that awa from ud?! it makes me so mad the things they focus on they need to take there heads out there arse and open there eyes and see that there are much bigger problems in this world and country and moving the drinking age to 21 WONT SOLVE THEM.
x
October 7th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
I beleive that raising the drinking age to 21 will cause alot of trouble for the goverment. Especially people who are legal to drink at th present such as 18 19 and 20 year olds if they have that takin away from them they will just choose to become underage drinkers. The problem of underage drinkers will increase if the legal age goes up to 21! It will cause an uproar in society if the goverment go through with it.
October 7th, 2007 at 10:46 pm
I have very recently turned 18 and to be honest I haven’t really changed my drinking habits at all, the only difference is it is easier to get hold of drink. I don’t drink much and can’t understand why the right to drink should be taken away from me. If the law states you are an adult at the age of 18 why should they put conditions on it. However I can’t see this happening for economic reasons the government receives huge amount of tax for alcohol and a massive percent of that will be from aged 18-21. Furthermore any government that introduces said law will be putting themselves at risk as, what new voter is going to vote for a government that has taken away their drinking privileges, certainly not me. If I’m old enough to get married at 18 I want to be able to drink champaign at my reception!!!
October 10th, 2007 at 1:03 pm
i agre with the above, a 18 year old can vote, drink, drive, get married, infact an 18 year old can do anything. preventing them from drinking alcohol would cause a huge uproar as it has allready with out the new rule even coming into place. this will cause more underage drinking and more problems for the police. people will rebel againt the law and a 20 year old man is not as easy to controll when drunk as a 13 year old boy. the goverment is making alot of problems for its self and will loose alot of votes in the next6 elections from 18-20 year olds if the law goes ahead. i know i wont be voting for the people who have taken away my rights! and most citys rely on university students for there clubs/ pubs to thrive. i live in lancaster which is one of the smallest citys to have two universitys. the night life is amazing and i fear this ban will ruin the great atmosphere we have.
October 20th, 2007 at 8:40 pm
If they raise the drinking age to 21 there is going to be huge problems.People who have just turned 18 will be furious as they have barely been given the privilege of legally buying alcohol and before an honest judgment can be made about them its taken away.People between the ages of 18 and 21 will be even more angry since they know its only a minority which creates bad press so they have stopped themselves from over indulging,but there has been no payoffs.
To be honest what I’m sure is going to happen is all the teenagers and newly legal adults who have grown with the drinking culture will just go even more extreme when they can drink,making things only worse.And if they raise the drinking age then the amount of underage drinkers will shoot right through the roof.
Doing this will only annoy people and make drinking even more of a rebellious act.The problem is in society and how we handle alcohol.In most of Europe drinking is not a problem and everywhere is 18 apart from a few places where it is 16.And only a few countries have any problem with drinking whatsoever.
Try to help society,don’t punish youth.The people who are for the raise in age limit are well old enough to drink so it doesn’t affect them except there won’t be any students around when they go for a drink.despite how youth acts there will always be fault found.but i think someone should remind them that one day we’ll be in charge.
October 26th, 2007 at 11:42 am
i think raising the age limit to drink to 21 is outrageous isnt every person excited for thire 18th birthday becase they are legal to drink and expeirence the night life i do not think this will solve any problems with underage drinking if underage people want to drink thire going to drink no matter what the age limit is if they want beer aw spirits there going to get it no matter what the law says. why spiil it for every one else 18 19 are the best years of your life and thire going to jepadise it for all us i think it is discusting plus if it does get raised there will be sooo much crime the smoking age to buy ciggerets has just gone up to 18 but i still see youths smoking at the age of 11 this just proves a point!!!
November 7th, 2007 at 5:30 pm
I think that raising the drinkin ages will bring nothing but problems. if youths are underage drinkin now when the age is 18 whats going to stop them drinkin underage when its 21…nothing! its unfair to young adults who ahve been given the right to drink and have been respecting that right and then ahving it taken away from them. My brother is 17 and has just joined the marines and around about this time next year he will be expected to fire a gun, but he cant drink, how can you justify that?!
November 7th, 2007 at 6:47 pm
I’m 17.
That’s that out of the way.
It’s all very similar to the smoking age going up really. Has that stopped me smoking? No. Has it made me angry? Yes. The same will happen with alcohol. I have never seen anyone as half as drunk at a pub or club as I have seen at some of the parties I have been to. Surely it’s better to have people drinking where they can be supervised and watched over, no?
I think it’s a Psychological thing too. If you are already doing something wrong (E.g Drinking underage) then it lessens your views of other crime, like getting in a fight, because you are already doing something illegal.
I would much rather they actually bothered to enforce this pitiful excuse for a law before they go and make another. I would happily not go to pubs for the 3 months until I am 18 if it meant that the drinking age would not go up. I can’t see them being able to enforce it either, I know 15 year olds that still get sold cigarettes without a problem.
You can’t replace enforcement by using a different number in the law. Do something about this one first and then maybe you will see that we aren’t so bad.
America, whose drinking age is 21, has a far higher violent crime rate than us, and many teenagers jsut take drugs because they can’t buy alcohol. Compare this to a country like Germany, where 16 year olds are allowed to drink in MODERATION in pubs, keeping them off the streets, which has a far lower crime rate than us.
If you bring people up with alcohol, then at least they will understand it.
Anyone want to take a guess at which age there are most drink driving accidents in America???
21.
Enough said. Your law is a farce.
November 10th, 2007 at 12:19 pm
i agree with every one above it is the stupidist thing to do there will be more people drinking on the streets because there will be no where else for them to go and nothing else for them to do wich will then make them cause trouble and instead of them cutting down on underage drinkers they will be doubling the numbers!!!!!!!!
November 12th, 2007 at 3:05 pm
iv only just turned 18 and my best mate is to turn 18 in january. if we drink together we do it in her house under the supervision of her foster parents!
so if you guys bring in that law then u do relise all t he younger people will still go and drink but will cause more havoc than the smoking law!
its just rediculous, cos there will be more vandalisim and more bindge drinking more assults and more drink related deaths because people will still want to drink but will do it illegally!
November 29th, 2007 at 1:45 pm
lol, the government really need to sort more important issues out like policing, education, healthcare, war and the economy before they impose these ageist laws on young people. It is not us who has messed up the country so why take it out on us?? I’m 18 in about 4months but i’ve been going out to pubs and clubs since I was 16, and to be honest I’m already a little bored of it, but if they raise the drinking age to 21…I’ll still drink…where there’s a will, there’s a way
So Mr Gordan Brown, and all the rest of you somewhat clueless politicians…you sort the Country out, then maybe people will repsect your ideas a little more.
December 5th, 2007 at 8:23 pm
i agree with everyone here. i’v just turned 21 and i’ve been drinking outside of home since i was 15 and yeah iv been drunk but i never was violent or abusive or caused any trouble, i just had a good time with my friends. it’s completely ridiculous and unfair to raise the age for drinking; but i can’t see it happening because student culture simply won’t exist. how’s it going to work in university towns where no under-21s are able to go in clubs or pubs? it’s crazy, injust… unbelievable… but it wont happen y’all so no fear
January 20th, 2008 at 11:37 pm
I am a 16 year old student, i am in my last year of high school!
I used to go out on the streets and drink irresponsibly form the ages of 13-15.
But then as you get to 16, most peoples parents buy their kids alcohol anyway, and also the whole underage drinking thing gets a bit tiresome!
Also raising the legal drinking age to 21 will just make the younger generations think they are even more big and clever because it will be more illegal than before.
I think in the UK you should be able to drink in a pub at the age of 16, as it is a safe environment and therefore we would not be causing a disturbance out on the streets. Being in a pub, would definately get all the ‘chavs’ (as many refer to common day teenagers as) off the streets, and would reduce crime statistics such as harrassment, criminal damages, tresspassing and breaking and entering.
The law is completely mixed up, driving is 17 yet alcohol is 18/21…Shouldn’t it be the other way round, because if i am right, there are more deaths in the UK due to vehicle accidents than drinking.
Also in the USA, in some states you have to be 15 to drive and 21 to drink, its obscene and the whole system needs to be reviewed!
Also, I started smoking at 14, this was not because i thought i was big and clever; it is because i enjoy it. I waited so long until i was 16 and old enough to buy cigarettes, and then one week after my birthday, the age limit goes up. And to be honest, it has done nothing, and if anything from what i can observe, people are smoking younger than before, simply because it is more illegal.
Smoking in public places…ok fair enough smoking in restaurants should be banned, and bus shelters etc. But No Smoking in pubs is also another thing i find ridiculous, most of the people i know go down the pub to ’socially smoke’ and ’socially drink’!
I personally do not smoke anything other than tobacco, but i also would like to say that about 35% of the people i know smoke cannabis, and it is not because it is illegal, it is because they enjoy it. It being illegal has no effect whatsoever.
We all know by now the bad effects smoking, drinking and drugs have on them, and if we really cared we wouldn’t do it!
Isn’t it up to us how we live our lives, not the government! I thought that the UK was a democracy; well i beg to differ with all these obscence laws, and the new ones being brought into place.
The Law overall should be:-
- Smoking: 16 years old.
- Drinking: 16 years old (in pubs),
: 18 years old for over the counter alcohol sales.
- Driving: 18/19 years old.
- Cannabis: Class C drug.
- All other illegal drug should stay the same Class.
Please take what i am writing into account as I am not the only one who thinks this, and I can honestly say all the people of my age, and most people of my parents age that i know feel exactly the same way as I do. I hope i have gotten across to some people.
Thank you for reading,
Liam Taylor.
January 25th, 2008 at 10:40 am
i think that the drinking age should be kept at 18.
i love going out on a saturday night and all i care about is having a good time not hurting any1. its only a select few who are creating a bad press for everyone. how can you tell some one who is legal now that their not allowed in a club/pub anymore, you cant. its unfair!!!
why is britain just trying to be like USA its stupid.
also the majority of my friends are age 16 atm and are really looking forward to be able to come out with me and my mates when they are 18 and it would be completly unfair to tell them when they are so close to being legal that they have to wait another 4 years. we have alredi waited 18!!!!!!!.
just stop trying to be like USA britain and stand on your own
KEEP THE DRINKING AGE AT 18!!!!!!
January 25th, 2008 at 10:48 am
moving the drinking age to 21 will just cause more binge drinking as people wood have missed 4 years worth of drinking in their lives.
it wont solve anything just cause more problems than it is worth
just keep it the same thats the best thing to do if not move it down to 16 then it will be less desirable for younger people. Also i went to germany were the drinking age is 16 and they were alot better than in the uk.
keep it at 18 its the best thing to do.
and i agree with the above statement to.
January 28th, 2008 at 7:59 pm
I completely agree with everyone above!
i am also a 17 year old, i think if they bring the drinking law up to 18 it will be a dissaster!
not only will you have teens that are old enought to drink outraged by bringing this law in to place. but you will also be bringing crime to the next level!
i have been drinking since i was 12 and yes i admit it was on the streets but my parents also let me and my friends drink in my house, safe and supervised (with the consent of their parents) this changed our opinion on drinking so much, we no longer thought about getting drunk out of our faces. we learned to drink only as a social thing.
to be completely honest i dont drink very much at all. i often go months without having any alcohol. but i have been looking forward to beeing 18 so i can go out and enjoy a social drink with my friends for as long as i can remember!
i respect alcohol and no the consiquences so i am always aware when i do drink to take it slowley.
why should the goverment beable to take our freedom away from us??? i was outraged when the smoking ban was put in place, how can the goverment tell me its ok for me to smoke and purchase cigarettes at 16 then a year later tell me i no longer have that right? what sort of messages are they sending out to younge people! talk about mixed messages, this confused and angered me, but has it stopped me from smoking?? your guess is right NO! i still smoke as much as i used to the only differene is i myself cannot buy them, i just get my mum and dad too now.
so to be honest i dont think that has changed anything, i also have noticed how many more younge people have started to smoke its more of a thrill thinking your not allowed to do it as its illigal, youngsters get a buzz from breaking the law.
how does any of this make sence??
- a 14 year old can go to a petrol station and buy fuel (with the dangers of fires )
- at 16 you can have sexual intercorse
- at 16 you can conceive a child and start your own family
- at 16 you can get married
- at 16 you can hold a motor bike licence and be in charge of the vehical
- at 17 you can hold a driving licence and be in charge of the vihecal and your passengers
- at 18 you can perchase and inhale cigarettes
- at 18 you can own/rent you own home and have a mortgage
- but they try to tell everyone that they cant drink until 21, where is the commen sence in that?????
ill tell you… THERE IS NONE!!
the goverment will be in for a big surprise if they procide with this law! the crime rate will go skye high! you try telling a 18/19/ or 20 year old that they can drink for however many years then put a stop to it just like that, all they will do is bring the violence and the crime out side of the pups/clubs and onto the streets, rather than in a safe and supervised place, BIG MISTEAK!!! if this is whats going to happen good luck with the goverment on the outcome! i think if this is going to be concidered then we should beable to out rule the goverment and members of parliment. not only will under 21’s loose there jobs (in pubs/clubs) and the clubs/pubs/bars loose out on money and go bankrupt but the goverment will also themselves loose out on taxible money, at 18 yeah of course you want to go out and have fun and explore the world with a pint in your hand but after that thrill is worn out you take it slow, i no so many people who have just turned 18 that have partied all night long and now thay are bored of it, the novelty soon wears off! but that should be our decision not theirs!
overall i think this is just an outrageously stupid and obsence thing to do!
good luck mr gordon brown are you going to make yourself as hated and unpopular as mr tony blair? if you think this is the answer to stop underaged drinking then you are very delousinal! hope it goes well for you and that you career does’nt crash and burn to fast!!!
But hay… this law being put in place will only make my prediction reality!
so i’d think very wisely if i was you!
if anyone does no if/when the law is coming in to place please could you let me know? so i can have a few more drinking sessions before its banned!
i think there should be a protest against this!!!!
the situation is in your hands Gordon make a wise decistion (But make sure you can live with the consiquences first!)
March 15th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
I, along with many agree that the legal drinkin age should not go up. If it does then underage people will still find a way to get alcohol, there will be more house parties, more drinking on the streets, and definately more fighting.. it will make the people who have just turned 18 angry or even those 18-21 because they have been given the right to have a drink and its going to be taken away from them. This will not help anyone… if you want to stop all the fighting then get the bouncers to get everyone a cab at closing… that will help lol
March 20th, 2008 at 10:12 am
I do agree. I am like most of you 17, nearly 18. I drink but not on a regular basis..one day a week if that. I have been looking forward to having the privelege of buying alcohol legally and I reck that if the age rises to 21 it will be a huge mistake. If I cant drink in the pub/when im out then I’ll end up walking around in the dark with a bottle of alcohol feeling like im 12years old again, I’ll probably get bored and cause some trouble to amuse myself. There you go.. thats the effect it’ll have on most people.
If they do decide to go through with it they better have extra money set aside for extra funding for the police department, cos theyll sure as hell need it!
March 27th, 2008 at 1:57 am
I am 17, and am personally, even at the thought of this law, enraged.
I do not understand why the law would be change, I have a theory that it is Gordon Browns way of trying to stay in power by making it look as if he is making some big decisions, but then again that is my theory.
This law is going to do no single person in the UK and good, it will only cause more havoc and money for our government, for a start instead of 16 year olds out on the street you will have 19-20 year olds, I myself would not like to be a police officer having to deal with a group of practically fully grown men, at the age of 20, and that is my second point, the money there would have to be about a double in police officers on patrols of a Friday Saturday night because there would be a huge increase in the number of youths on the streets.
Also at the moment there talk of elderly women being too scared to leave there homes because of young boys outside, they would have a heart attack if 15 fully grown men stood outside drinking ther carry-outs…
I am not going to say that i have never had a drink on the streets but now, i try to keep myself away from the trouble on the streets, but if the government wants to play hardball and raise the drinking age as soon as i reach the last hurdle then so will I. I would personally go out my way to cause havoc if they are willing to go out there way to make me wait another 3 years of my life to see what i have been missing out on. This may sound a little immature but personally i could’nt care, Gordon Brown, get out the chair, your nothing but a useless git!
May 16th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
I’m from the US, where it’s already 21.
One thing I notice is that the reasons given for laws are applied only when convenient. Laws should be consistent. One reason is “what about brain cells”. Well if someone at the age of 18 is mature enough to risk their brain cells by going to war and possibly suffering head trauma they’re mature enough to risk their brain cells by drinking. I mean come on. It’s obvious that going to war is a bigger decision than deciding to have a drink. I have a lot of respect for people who make that decision, but it’s still a big decision and you have to be mature enough to make it.
As for drunk driving why should responsible alcohol users be punished, because some people drink and drive? It makes absolutely NO sense that if someone doesn’t care that it’s against the law to drink and drive somehow they’ll care if it’s against the law to drink in the first place. Also you’re making one thing illegal not because you think that thing is bad in and of itself, but because you think it will cut down on the incidence of something that is (drunk driving). So really you’re punishing people for drinking, because you’re afraid they’re going to drive. Drinking doesn’t prove drinking and driving. It kind of goes against the whole principle of innocent until proven guilty.
May 28th, 2008 at 8:42 am
I am a 15 year old boy, i live in south wales and i like the occasional drink on the weekend. my view over the matter of maxamising the legal age limit for alcahol and cigaretts is, that it is not a good thing for society as if the age limit for those things go up there will be more robberies. Although it makes it tough for youths to get alcahol and cigarettes when the age goes up, they will still manage to get the beverages they require. What astonashes me is that you need to be 18 to get married, which means if i got married at 18 then i wouldn’t be able to drink alcahol at my own bachalor party. Therefor i conclude that the age limit should not be rised as young people will start taking drugs instead.
Thanks for reading Mitchel
June 10th, 2008 at 12:02 am
I think that rising legal drinking age is not a good idea at all. What I have observed is that most of people aged 18-19 drink sensibly. People start to overuse alkohol at the age of 22-24.
The whole idea of the new law was to stop CHILDREN drinking alkohol. Let’s think a second… If 11-12 year olds can get alkohol easily now, they will be able to do it even if the drinking age increases, won’t they? So, why people who drink sensibly should suffer?? The reason why children drink is parents’ unresponsibility and also kids’ race to feel adult. This is not 18 year olds’ fault, is it??
One more thing. I am scared even to imagine how many people would drink in the streets and how many more crimes would be committed if the law had been applied.
I am glad that the law will not be applied.
October 13th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
is the government going out of its mind? the go on and on about youths drinking on the strret and causing trouble, so why ban them out of a controled environment? if youths are in a nightclub then they are supervised by staff, door staff and in most cases the police? whereas if the government were to increase the age for drinking the youths will more than likely find a way of obtaining alcohol and will cause trouble in the street. im an 18 year old myself, so im speaking of expeirience, when i was underage i used to get myself into some sorry states on the streets, but now i’m allowed into pubs and clubs i find i limit my drinking because i know i have to get myself home!!!
October 15th, 2008 at 11:14 am
Hi, I am sixteen year old girl living in Hull, UK. We have one of the highest drinking rates in the whole of the UK… as for me I occasinally enjoy a drink if I’m at a party but I certainly dont get tanked up and go and beat someone up. I’ve heard that if your already 18 when the law goes up then you can still legally drink- but if your under 18 then you have to wait till you 18. Even the thought of it enrages me. Gordon Brown thinks stopping young adults doing everything will stop the yobs, stop the violence, and stop the crime. Actually no it wont. Were I live the majority of people who cause all the havoc are 21-25 anyway and the few young ones will just use them to buy the alcohol for them- or threaten innocent people going into booze shops to get it for them or else…
Its just a case of penalizing the innocent to show what a great Prime Minister he is because he knows we cannot fight back. I think (and would certainly hope) there would be public outcry if this law ever came into force. This country has sat back and taken too much for too long. I’m sick of it!