Having a cold beer! What's the drinking age there?

dartguy · 5 August 08, 01:37

Hi all,

I'm enjoying a cold beer, on the eve of my anniversary, and I just wondered what is the legal drinking age in your country? 21 here in the US. I have heard about some places in Europe being very liberal when it comes to alcohol, but haven't really heard much in the last few years.

So I'm curious, what's it like over there and all over the world.

It's about right here, although there are so many immature young adults, I wonder is 25 would be a little safer.

It used to be 18 not too long ago, and I believe the guys and gals in the military should have the right to partake in a cold one while serving their country.

So what is it like in your country, and do you think it is about right or is it all wrong.

Cheers,

Jon

hoboholic · 5 August 08, 01:52

18 here in Oz...but that doesn't stop most of us kids

lol

alex291190 · 5 August 08, 01:53

18 here, but you can have a beer in the house at 15

pitradio · 5 August 08, 02:33

For selling it's 16.. But I think there's no law here that states <16 aren't allowed to have a beer... If that was true, I'd be in trouble since my 12 as I got the first beer then...

With friends I started around my 14th..

Imho becaue you can drink early you know what alcohol does to yer body, and you know you can't drive with alcohol.

In the USA people can already drive without knowing what alcohol does and people are driving earlier with alcohol, because they don't mknow what it does before they're 21..

I already knew from biking to home when we were football league champion in 2003 when I was 15

Oh and 16 is alright to my opinion. It's not cool to drink when you've passed 16 here.. In the USA it would be still 'cool' because you're kicking against the law, and therefor more people who get in coma for wanting to be 'too cool'.

brabham67 · 5 August 08, 03:49

I think the having the drinking age at 21 here in the states is inconsistent with other policy. At the age of 18 you are eligible to vote and serve your country in the military. I say if your considered responsible enough to pick a President( or other elected official) or get shot for your country, you ought to be entitled to have a drink, Or at least the freedom to chose.

stagman · 5 August 08, 05:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by pitradio

Imho becaue you can drink early you know what alcohol does to yer body, and you know you can't drive with alcohol.

In the USA people can already drive without knowing what alcohol does and people are driving earlier with alcohol, because they don't mknow what it does before they're 21..

I already knew from biking to home when we were football league champion in 2003 when I was 15

We have someone who is awake. I totally agree, in fact this exact argument I use myself. A place like NZ has a huge problem with teenagers drinking and driving. The driving they can legally do a few years before drinking legally. What happens is the young mind takes little or no account for risks involved with driving hence the large proportion of crashes involving under 25s. Add a bit of ethanol to the equation and you are just fueling the fire. The dirnk is more often than not also consumed excessively. I mindset of 'she'll be right' doesn't help either.
That said, logistic problems almost require younger folks in countries such as NZ to be allowed to drive at such a young age - whether it is responsible or not.

sege · 5 August 08, 05:57

18 here in NZ, down from 21 a few years ago.

redi · 5 August 08, 07:36

I think the legal drinking age should be expressed in mental age, not physical age.
Some people are just too stupid, dumb, irresponsible or careless to be allowed to ever drink alcohol.

But that's just my €0.02 (=$0.03)

hoboholic · 5 August 08, 07:54

I agree, some people in Australia just drink to get drunk and get "hammered".
I rarely drink, but when I do I limit myself to around 2-4 shots of Jack Daniels (drink responsibly) in around 5 hours.
(Jack Daniels is my favorite drink so far, tastes so good

)

Viper · 5 August 08, 10:22

18 here in Belgium, although it's not adhered to at all.
And my opinion? Alcohol is a drug. It can do very nasty things to mind and body, both short and long term. It has the power to make a peacefull person violent, or even dead. If you need alcohol to have a good time, you need help instead of a drink. 21 Should be the absolute minimum anywhere in the world. I do not like weaklings that are addicted.

pitradio · 5 August 08, 10:40

Why 21??
If you're 18, you're considered an adult, so imho you're allowed to do anything you like. (Except killing, drving under the influence etc..).

Like if I like to be stoned without being difficult to other people, it should be allowed.. As long I do it in my own house

And no Im not addicted or whatever

Viper · 5 August 08, 10:53

Like it or not, although the law may put the adult limit at 18, there are still a lot of people that are far from responsible or adult at that age. Those few years extra can make a world of difference.
And yes, in the perfect world, I'd like it if you can just do what you like. But the thing is, this is not the perfect world, and a lot of people get put in a world of hurt because of some irrisponsible bleep drank too much and does not have the sense to behave. Be it violence or DUI, drunks cause a lot of problems, both small and large. I hardly ever drink, and if I do, it's limited to one glass. I've no issue with drunks as long as they behave. Which they usually don't. Every fight I've seen was due to intoxication.

pitradio · 5 August 08, 12:24

Here in the Netherlands some children <16 are in coma after having drunk too much Breezers. However, they do only drink that much because they are kicking against the law. That's 'cool'. I did drive mopeds when I was 7, simply cuz it was cool to drive through the grasslands. (I didn't drive on the road). And cuz I drove on own land, I could do it, without the police catching me. I felt cool back then, but when I was 16 a moped didn't interest me, and I think I could drive safely cause I already had a good experience on them

Same with smoking. If you forbid it <21, people who're 18 will think it's cool, and will drive home very drunk. But because drinking is allowed from 16 years here, and driving 18, it's not cool to drink, and we have experience what alcohol does. Also in the driving lessons here, there's quite much attention to what alcohol does.

I think Belgium should have a far stricter driving lessons rule. Looking at some drivers there, just made me think they never could have gotten a licence here. Even the police.

No parents who are learning it their children, and I have the feeling the examination in Belgium is far easier than here. Police cars who cut me (Liège), normal drivers who don't use their signals on a road (Everywhere in Belgium). Not saying every Belgian driver is bad, but a lot are. Maybe also more information about alcohol should be given in the tests, and lower the alcohol limit to 0.2promille. And every person should be teached by a real driving instructor, not the father/mother, who gives his/her bad habits in traffic to their children.

Viper · 5 August 08, 18:34

Spot on.

HaydenFan · 5 August 08, 20:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Viper

Like it or not, although the law may put the adult limit at 18, there are still a lot of people that are far from responsible or adult at that age. Those few years extra can make a world of difference.
And yes, in the perfect world, I'd like it if you can just do what you like. But the thing is, this is not the perfect world, and a lot of people get put in a world of hurt because of some irrisponsible bleep drank too much and does not have the sense to behave. Be it violence or DUI, drunks cause a lot of problems, both small and large. I hardly ever drink, and if I do, it's limited to one glass. I've no issue with drunks as long as they behave. Which they usually don't. Every fight I've seen was due to intoxication.

But under than same argument, is that you should raise the age of voting to 30-40 years of age. You need 10-20 years to figure out the world anyway, so 18 is too young. Why let the future of one of the world's most powerful nations in the hands of 18-19 year old children? I am 18, I think people my age should not vote. We think with what is best for us, as that is what most of us have grown up with. We do not think much about others.

To the above post by pitradio, he/she is spot on. Here in the US, it is very easy to get the drivers license. Drivers training is simple and is not enforced.

Raikku · 5 August 08, 20:23

18 years here.

But of course most of us Finns start drinking before that.

Capi · 5 August 08, 20:38

Most bars and such it's 18 in Denmark, a few disco's and stuff have their own limits at 20-21....
Oh right, except in pretty much any supermarket, the legal age is 16...

stagman · 5 August 08, 20:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Viper

I've no issue with drunks as long as they behave. Which they usually don't. Every fight I've seen was due to intoxication.

Please do not make the mistake of thinking all who drink a lot get aggressive.
You ought to come up my way next year at the end of June. Around 5000 locals consume around 50000 litres of beer (Jupiler). Many drink a lot more than that. Sure, quite a few of us get plastered but, surprisingly, no fights.

Me personally, I am a heavy beer drinker according to the guidelines. In a 3 month period myself along with 9 others will consume around 650 litres of beer (yes I calculated it and it doesn't include the local festival weekend). None of us really get 'drunk', only 'slightly tipsy' and none of us get remotely agressive while influenced by ethanol.
Why do we drink? You have to be from here to get it I think.

HaydenFan · 5 August 08, 20:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raikku

18 years here.

But of course most of us Finns start drinking before that.

Well I thought Finns started from birth?

You got your first beer before your first drink of milk?

CodeF1 · 5 August 08, 21:15

It is 18 in South Africa too as well as 18 for a vehicle license. You are considered "mature" at age 18 and an adult at age 21.

I live in the States now and the problem I have with the laws here is that you can only drink a cold beer once you 21 but yet you can operate a dangerous piece of equipment, like a motor vehicle, when you are only 16 and still very immature. It just doesn't make any sense to me which is more dangerous - I mean drunk driving is illegal doesn't matter what your age are. At 16 you don't need to be drunk to cause a major wreck - all you need is a kid who wants to show off and are unable to handle the situation or conditions.

In a way I agree with the poster that said 25 because it seems to me these days kids seems to mature later (not all but in general) but I guess we are to blame for some of it

When I was 16 I thought I had the most stupid dad of all in the world - when I got to 21 I couldn't believe how much my dad had learned in 5 years!!!

pitradio · 5 August 08, 21:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Capi

Most bars and such it's 18 in Denmark, a few disco's and stuff have their own limits at 20-21....
Oh right, except in pretty much any supermarket, the legal age is 16...

Most dancings and partytents have a minimum age of 16. Some have a minimum of 18, 18 is the age you can get 'heavier' alcohols here. (15+% vol) (beer is around 5%)
And other have a minimum of 21, cuz they are aiming for a more mature public. For students it's oftenly cheap beer. Usually it's around €3.50 for 0.5litre, if you're a student it's €2 for 0.5 litre

pitradio · 5 August 08, 21:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by CodeF1

When I was 16 I thought I had the most stupid dad of all in the world - when I got to 21 I couldn't believe how much my dad had learned in 5 years!!!

I think my dad did it all well.
He never forbid me to drink beer, there for I think I didn't feel cool with it.
He also said: 'If you're drunk, go home, or better don't get drunk outside the house, inside the house is the best place to be drunk'.

I think he was right, and if you forbid something, the chance is there they ARE going to do it..

My father did also teach me how to light fireworks. He thought it was safer he learnt it me when I was 8 than if I had to find it out myself when I was 12..

I have never had any troubles with my dad.. And considering I'm a Dutchy and I could touch other drugs easily what I've never done, I don't think I'm doing bad

Viper · 6 August 08, 10:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by stagman

Please do not make the mistake of thinking all who drink a lot get aggressive.

I don't. My best friends also get tipsy and/or drunk now and then, without getting aggressive. But the fact remains that alcohol takes away boundaries that one implies upon himself. Altough I NEVER accept "I was drunk" as an excuse. Ever.

Quote:

Originally Posted by stagman

You ought to come up my way next year at the end of June. Around 5000 locals consume around 50000 litres of beer (Jupiler).

Seeing where you are from, and where I am from, it's a very good thing indeed that you mentioned that

Quote:

Originally Posted by stagman

Me personally, I am a heavy beer drinker according to the guidelines.

What counts as excessive differs greatly from one person to another. I know people that nearly fall over after having five bears, and I know people that can easily consume 5 liters beer in one night and still have the ability to reason quite normally.

stagman · 6 August 08, 18:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Viper

Altough I NEVER accept "I was drunk" as an excuse. Ever.

I wouldn't either. Even when it concerns an ugly bird. I mean, booze doesn't impair vision that bad!

MAD-MINI · 6 August 08, 18:36

In saskachewan (Canada) the legal age is 19, I think the rest of Canada is 18 - Please correct me if I'm wrong. I think here has the best way to deal with selling alcohol, The liqour stores are government run, and all bars have to be liscenced by the gov't.

Mr. Floppy · 6 August 08, 18:46

16 here for wine and beer, 18 for everything else (alcopops and everything considered "hard" alcohol).

Gralski Vitez · 6 August 08, 19:00

18 in Serbia.. but that can't stop bloody kids to drink

welder · 6 August 08, 19:10

I got my first beer served to me in a pub in England when I was about 12, the age should be 18. The pub owner knew how old I was and he served my friends too. I think it taught me to drink responsibly, I didn't want my folks to know I was drinking so I drunk some beer with some friends, had a game of pool and then freshened my breath before going home, sober as a judge! I still drink, not much, one bottle of beer, sometimes two almost every night. I tend to daring many kinds of beer and wine but almost always in measured quantities. I am not trying to say that I never get drunk, sometimes I do but I always regret it, I cant stand headaches.

~~gb racing~~ · 6 August 08, 19:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by brabham67

I think the having the drinking age at 21 here in the states is inconsistent with other policy. At the age of 18 you are eligible to vote and serve your country in the military. I say if your considered responsible enough to pick a President( or other elected official) or get shot for your country, you ought to be entitled to have a drink, Or at least the freedom to chose.

fully agree

also these people that binge drink should be locked up , makes an avg drinker look bad by then the goverment looking to raise the legal age cos of this problem. avg age should be 18 .

drinking is legal yet smoking pot isnt

while a binge drinker will go out and make an arse of themselves and start fights and wreck phoneboxes etc and herb smokers get the book throwing at them for smoking something illegal .....pffff

Holland FTW i say in all ways

stagman · 6 August 08, 19:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by gb racing

Holland FTW i say in all ways

The consumation/use of drugs in any form (including pot/grass/weed/marijuana/hashish) is NOT legal in NL, nor has it been in all the 16yrs I have lived here.
It is a case of the law not being enforced. Beware, this varies from locale to locale - where I live the council has a policy of 'no coffeeshops', meaning the trade in controled environment is not tolerated. Useage is another question, but generally tolerated. Just 10kms away though it is possible to buy the stuff over the counter, all while being officially a banned and thus illegal substance.

I though I would point that out as to not get everyone pumped to the idea that it is legal here.

5 August 08, 01:37	#1
dartguy Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Louisville Age: 42	Having a cold beer! What's the drinking age there? Hi all, I'm enjoying a cold beer, on the eve of my anniversary, and I just wondered what is the legal drinking age in your country? 21 here in the US. I have heard about some places in Europe being very liberal when it comes to alcohol, but haven't really heard much in the last few years. So I'm curious, what's it like over there and all over the world. It's about right here, although there are so many immature young adults, I wonder is 25 would be a little safer. It used to be 18 not too long ago, and I believe the guys and gals in the military should have the right to partake in a cold one while serving their country. So what is it like in your country, and do you think it is about right or is it all wrong. Cheers, Jon

5 August 08, 02:33	#4
pitradio Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Near TT Assen	For selling it's 16.. But I think there's no law here that states <16 aren't allowed to have a beer... If that was true, I'd be in trouble since my 12 as I got the first beer then... With friends I started around my 14th.. Imho becaue you can drink early you know what alcohol does to yer body, and you know you can't drive with alcohol. In the USA people can already drive without knowing what alcohol does and people are driving earlier with alcohol, because they don't mknow what it does before they're 21.. I already knew from biking to home when we were football league champion in 2003 when I was 15 Oh and 16 is alright to my opinion. It's not cool to drink when you've passed 16 here.. In the USA it would be still 'cool' because you're kicking against the law, and therefor more people who get in coma for wanting to be 'too cool'. Last edited by pitradio; 5 August 08 at 02:40.

5 August 08, 21:15	#20
CodeF1 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Cape Town, South Africa Age: 44	It is 18 in South Africa too as well as 18 for a vehicle license. You are considered "mature" at age 18 and an adult at age 21. I live in the States now and the problem I have with the laws here is that you can only drink a cold beer once you 21 but yet you can operate a dangerous piece of equipment, like a motor vehicle, when you are only 16 and still very immature. It just doesn't make any sense to me which is more dangerous - I mean drunk driving is illegal doesn't matter what your age are. At 16 you don't need to be drunk to cause a major wreck - all you need is a kid who wants to show off and are unable to handle the situation or conditions. In a way I agree with the poster that said 25 because it seems to me these days kids seems to mature later (not all but in general) but I guess we are to blame for some of it When I was 16 I thought I had the most stupid dad of all in the world - when I got to 21 I couldn't believe how much my dad had learned in 5 years!!! Last edited by CodeF1; 5 August 08 at 21:20. Reason: PS. I am almost 40 and I still get carded here in the states from time to time - hehe

5 August 08, 01:52	#2
hoboholic Hobo strikes again! Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Western Sydney, Australia	18 here in Oz...but that doesn't stop most of us kids lol

5 August 08, 01:53	#3
alex291190 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Scotland, Irvine (Near-ish glasgow) Age: 22	18 here, but you can have a beer in the house at 15

5 August 08, 03:49	#5
brabham67 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Kent, Washington, USA Age: 37	I think the having the drinking age at 21 here in the states is inconsistent with other policy. At the age of 18 you are eligible to vote and serve your country in the military. I say if your considered responsible enough to pick a President( or other elected official) or get shot for your country, you ought to be entitled to have a drink, Or at least the freedom to chose.

5 August 08, 05:57	#7
sege Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Wellington, New Zealand Age: 35	18 here in NZ, down from 21 a few years ago.

5 August 08, 07:36	#8
redi Superator Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: On a thin crust covering a huge ball of hot molten stone whizzing through space Age: 40	I think the legal drinking age should be expressed in mental age, not physical age. Some people are just too stupid, dumb, irresponsible or careless to be allowed to ever drink alcohol. But that's just my €0.02 (=$0.03)

5 August 08, 07:54	#9
hoboholic Hobo strikes again! Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Western Sydney, Australia	I agree, some people in Australia just drink to get drunk and get "hammered". I rarely drink, but when I do I limit myself to around 2-4 shots of Jack Daniels (drink responsibly) in around 5 hours. (Jack Daniels is my favorite drink so far, tastes so good )

5 August 08, 10:22	#10
Viper Moderator Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Torhout, Flanders, The Great Kingdom of Belgium Age: 28	18 here in Belgium, although it's not adhered to at all. And my opinion? Alcohol is a drug. It can do very nasty things to mind and body, both short and long term. It has the power to make a peacefull person violent, or even dead. If you need alcohol to have a good time, you need help instead of a drink. 21 Should be the absolute minimum anywhere in the world. I do not like weaklings that are addicted.

5 August 08, 10:40	#11
pitradio Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Near TT Assen	Why 21?? If you're 18, you're considered an adult, so imho you're allowed to do anything you like. (Except killing, drving under the influence etc..). Like if I like to be stoned without being difficult to other people, it should be allowed.. As long I do it in my own house And no Im not addicted or whatever

5 August 08, 10:53	#12
Viper Moderator Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Torhout, Flanders, The Great Kingdom of Belgium Age: 28	Like it or not, although the law may put the adult limit at 18, there are still a lot of people that are far from responsible or adult at that age. Those few years extra can make a world of difference. And yes, in the perfect world, I'd like it if you can just do what you like. But the thing is, this is not the perfect world, and a lot of people get put in a world of hurt because of some irrisponsible bleep drank too much and does not have the sense to behave. Be it violence or DUI, drunks cause a lot of problems, both small and large. I hardly ever drink, and if I do, it's limited to one glass. I've no issue with drunks as long as they behave. Which they usually don't. Every fight I've seen was due to intoxication.

5 August 08, 12:24	#13
pitradio Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Near TT Assen	Here in the Netherlands some children <16 are in coma after having drunk too much Breezers. However, they do only drink that much because they are kicking against the law. That's 'cool'. I did drive mopeds when I was 7, simply cuz it was cool to drive through the grasslands. (I didn't drive on the road). And cuz I drove on own land, I could do it, without the police catching me. I felt cool back then, but when I was 16 a moped didn't interest me, and I think I could drive safely cause I already had a good experience on them Same with smoking. If you forbid it <21, people who're 18 will think it's cool, and will drive home very drunk. But because drinking is allowed from 16 years here, and driving 18, it's not cool to drink, and we have experience what alcohol does. Also in the driving lessons here, there's quite much attention to what alcohol does. I think Belgium should have a far stricter driving lessons rule. Looking at some drivers there, just made me think they never could have gotten a licence here. Even the police. No parents who are learning it their children, and I have the feeling the examination in Belgium is far easier than here. Police cars who cut me (Liège), normal drivers who don't use their signals on a road (Everywhere in Belgium). Not saying every Belgian driver is bad, but a lot are. Maybe also more information about alcohol should be given in the tests, and lower the alcohol limit to 0.2promille. And every person should be teached by a real driving instructor, not the father/mother, who gives his/her bad habits in traffic to their children.

5 August 08, 18:34	#14
Viper Moderator Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Torhout, Flanders, The Great Kingdom of Belgium Age: 28	Spot on.

5 August 08, 20:23	#16
Raikku Donated Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Finland	18 years here. But of course most of us Finns start drinking before that.

5 August 08, 20:38	#17
Capi Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Denmark & Austria	Most bars and such it's 18 in Denmark, a few disco's and stuff have their own limits at 20-21.... Oh right, except in pretty much any supermarket, the legal age is 16...

6 August 08, 18:36	#25
MAD-MINI Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Aylsham, Sask, Canada eh Age: 24	In saskachewan (Canada) the legal age is 19, I think the rest of Canada is 18 - Please correct me if I'm wrong. I think here has the best way to deal with selling alcohol, The liqour stores are government run, and all bars have to be liscenced by the gov't.

6 August 08, 18:46	#26
Mr. Floppy Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Germany Age: 28	16 here for wine and beer, 18 for everything else (alcopops and everything considered "hard" alcohol).

6 August 08, 19:00	#27
Gralski Vitez Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Asgard Age: 28	18 in Serbia.. but that can't stop bloody kids to drink

6 August 08, 19:10	#28
welder Join Date: Aug 2006	I got my first beer served to me in a pub in England when I was about 12, the age should be 18. The pub owner knew how old I was and he served my friends too. I think it taught me to drink responsibly, I didn't want my folks to know I was drinking so I drunk some beer with some friends, had a game of pool and then freshened my breath before going home, sober as a judge! I still drink, not much, one bottle of beer, sometimes two almost every night. I tend to daring many kinds of beer and wine but almost always in measured quantities. I am not trying to say that I never get drunk, sometimes I do but I always regret it, I cant stand headaches.