I don't think I could really care less either. This country has had it.

I've just read Betty's comments - and I agree as well. There just isn't any point.

If underage kids want alcohol, they will find a way of getting it, so we may as well keep it as it is.

I think whatever they do will turn out to be wrong. Lowering it will end up in more young people drinking, but raising it will probably end up with young people getting hold of the alcohol anyway (probably even more than now as they'd see it as a challenge to overcome the "system" and get hold of it illegally).

So they may as well leave it as it is and concentrate on other issues which need addressing more urgently.

Speaking of which, there is recently some talk here across the pond to start the drive to reduce the drinking age from 21 to 18, just at it was prior to 1984. (It's still 18 in USA territories like Puerto Rico)

Mind you, the people who initiated that are university presidents.

Also, lots of countries have a drinking age of 18 (less for certain kinds of alcohol).

Not bothered personally because I'm never going to drink alcohol.

If you're still saying that in a few years then I'm Suezan...

I hear that!

How can you NOT drink alcohol when you get to our age, Joel?

To be fair, I don't drink alcohol really. Although I openly admit I'm weird.

Not that I'm encouraging alcohol abuse or anything...I just think there must be very very few people in their late teens who don't. But I guess the few who don't should be commended really, it doesn't do you any good (well one glass of wine a week or something does apparently) and it's especially hard not to when everyone else is.

I've had about 3 pints since January... I think I'm a fairly light drinker...

I'm not "tee-total" - I'd drink alcohol if the situation arose... like in France on a uni trip I had a few glasses of wine (heavy stuff, I know) at a dinner. The lecturers got plastered and joined in with hurling abuse at some drunk Frenchman later on.

Ooh, can I come with next time?

Oh no!!! Hopefully there won't be a next time! Being dragged around Paris stopping every 5 minutes to have glasses of Coca-Cola for 5 or 6 Euros each (the equivalent of having a can of Cola for about £2 - £3) and then sleeping in a "3 star" hotel with a leaking bathroom tap, a telephone hanging off the wall and beds pushed together because the rooms were designed for 2 people and not 4... no no, never again.

I enjoyed myself greatly as you can see. I don't think I ever paid for the rest of that trip actually... I suppose I'd better hand in the cheque when I go back next month. Although they have never asked for it...

Lets just say I've made the most of being 18 over the last week...

Easily Divvy, by avoiding, as I have, and remaining teetotal.

Hahaha, that reminds me of the state of the room in my Belgium trip. Leaky ceiling, no bathroom lock, loads of
wires hanging onto my bed from an above broken light, keycards that won't work. And then there was the French Trip that was 160 times worse, with a toilet that kept leaking sewage over the floor, the heater that fell off the wall, old hospital metal beds, mouldy food, pedos trying to piclock doors, coach driver who ate about 3 times more than everyone else did, itchy sheets, the constant noise of next door's toilet that was flushing all day and all night, the stupid rusty keys... The teachers had to take it in turns to guard the corridors to make sure the pedos didn't come back!

I'm teetotal.

I'm not sure if you can tax people out of excessive drinking, but I'm not sure how easily you can 'educate', if that's the word (sounds Orwellian in this context, but it's the best I can think of), people out of excessive drinking.

Increasing the drinking age may or may not be the right course of action. But even if it is, it sure as heck isn't being done for the right reasons, and could easily be seen as demonising teenagers. Way to just increase knife crime, guys!

If raising the age upto 21 makes any reduction at all in crime numbers, or anything related, I will personally knock on Mr Brown's door and snog him. That's how sure I am that it is pointless.

Aww, how sweet...