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Raising the legal age of drinking


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Should they?  

37 members have voted

  1. 1. Should they?

    • Yes
      16
    • No
      22


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I don't get a nicotine rush and then get the notion to punch someone 'cause I think that they look at me funny, but then neither do I get an alcohol rush and get the notion to punch someone 'cause I think that they look at me funny. :wink:

 

I agree, alcohol is a big problem in Shetland as it is throughout Europe and even the world, but I don't think increasing the age limit is going to do a great deal to help. The key must lie in education and good parenting.

 

A big part of the problem in Shetland is that parents often don't drink responsibly. "Do as I say and not as I do" just ain't gonna wash with teenagers.

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The key must lie in education and good parenting.

 

A big part of the problem in Shetland is that parents often don't drink responsibly. Do as I say and not as I do just ain't gonna wash with teenagers.

 

Good point, well made. I still stand by the ages I believe the limits should be raised to, though.

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This drink-fuelled violence is relatively new in Shetland. thirty years ago it was quite unusual, in public at least. There were a few nutters about who were violent drunk or sober. The culture of drinking and fighting has been imported from the Sooth and represents a copycat culture.

Luckily most of us grow out of weekend binge drinking - and don't show a bad example to our children...........

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but some don't . whats the harm in stopping kids getting drunk make it a crime withstrong fines for the sellers and suppliers and use id cards for proof of age. shetlands heavy drinking is only starting to show up in the hospitals now lots of drink related deaths. it would be intresting to see the actual numbers of drink related deaths. i would not recommend anybody drinking surgical spirit very unwise. the wife has heard of wards were they have to remove the alchol hand wash from the wards when they have drinkers in. dont see why an 18 year old cant drink though. if they can vote die etc they can choose. maybe if you get drunk and then get nicked for something instead of a slap on the wrist get them up before the sheriff.

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I personally think it should be raised to 21. JAStewart's first comment was that smoking and thinking are just as dangerous. Well, radical, youthful and rebellious politics aside, I agree, but many of the worst assaults and crimes happen under the influence of alcohol. I don't get a nicotine rush and then get the notion to punch someone cause I think that theylook at me funny.

 

I think marriage should be 21, along with drinking. And smoking and driving 18.

 

Well, I don't (as far as I have experienced) get violent when I'm drunken, so why should it be taken away from me? When I was 16 I'm pretty sure that I knew more about politics than the junkies down at the smoker's corner at the Anderson High, but was I given the vote? Of course not.

 

And Marriage at 21? What is your justification for that? There is nothing wrong with marriage (cue all the comments from married people now...), why does the age need to go up? With alcohol, putting the age up is an attempt to stop people drinking it because its generally bad for their physical health, but by putting the marriage age up, you're discouraging marriage - and that's a good thing?

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No not discouraging marriage, but for one, how many people actually get married under 21, by comparrison not a lot. Also, in general, not all, but generally young marriages don't succeed past 3 years tops. (Government statistics, thank to me old man for those). And so if you really, really love someone, what's the problem with waiting til your 21?

 

Also JAStewart, drinking isn't just damaging to your own physical health but to the health of others in the case of violence, however frequent or otherwise it is. Just because you have never gotten violent when drunk doesn't mean that others don't. And arguing that why should you be allowed to do it, is like arguing I'm a recreational smack-user, I've never had a bad reaction, why can't I use it legally?

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it is a potentially highly dangerous substance that is a class A drug for a reason.

 

I fail to undertsand the reasoning behind the reason.

 

Alcohol is also a potentially highly dangerous substance, but it is legal.

 

There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason.

 

The legality or illegality of substances doesn't stop their abuse.

 

sorry, meandering OT

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is raising the age going to change anything?

yup, it's gonna make more criminals out of those ppl under that age that want to drink....that's all.

 

I mean come on, how may times have we seen a "14 year old" in the paper this year alone being taken home or to the hospital by the police thru over indulgence?

 

Educate don't Dictate!

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I agree education needs to be the major focus in the battle against binge-drinking culture. But if you raise the age of drinking and hard sell the negatives of alcohol, it will benefit everyone in the end. There are no good points to alcohol consumption. Okay, so it gets you drunk? So what! Why is that so good? If you need alcohol to have guts to go on the pull, you need to wake up and just grow some balls.

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There are no good points to alcohol consumption. Okay, so it gets you drunk? So what! Why is that so good? If you need alcohol to have guts to go on the pull, you need to wake up and just grow some balls.

 

Some of us who are long past the age of going on the pull still like to use alcohol in moderation as a social lubricant. A quick Google on that subject came up wih the following article.

 

Alcohol can do good as well as damage

 

But maybe it should be in the Should Drugs be legalised discussion.

 

The most straightforward alternative to alcohol as a social lubricant are drugs such as diazepam, or Valium. These share many of the disadvantages of alcohol in terms of being potentially addictive and prone to abuse, but they have the advantages of being longer-acting and safer than alcohol, both in acute intoxicating doses, and in the long term.

 

But a more promising alternative to alcohol as a social lubricant would be the newer drugs marketed under the "antidepressant" label, drugs such as Prozac.

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Personally it's not raising the legal age of alcohol that bothers me it's the inconsistency with the age that society expects young adults to take responsibility for their own actions.

 

It's so idiotic that at 16 you can legally be responsible enough to have a baby but you can't be responsible enough to vote/drink/buy cigarettes or watch certain movies .

 

If they raise the legal age of buying alcohol to 21, these adults could have children at school before they can buy a drink .. :shock:

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