Me, Pixie and Red touched on this last week in another thread and I'd love to know what other people have to say about it.

There is a strong chance that come October the legal age to purchase alcohol in shops, pubs, clubs etc will rise from 18 to 21, as other countries like America already practice.

There is a chance it won't happen, but I personally can't see past it happening. It is after all, supposed to be happening to crack down the young binge drinkers on the streets etc.

Personally I'm not bothered as I turn 21 in March...so although I would be an unhappy bunny for a few months, come March it wouldn't bother me at all.

That said, I don't drink much anyway (even though I always make it sound like I do in the infamous drunken ramble thread! ), so it shouldn't bother me much waiting.

I guess if it happens there'll be at least a few less teens on the streets with bottles of cheap cider or vodka blue, so I'll be happy there!

NO! In a way i can see them doing it but then again i dont know.

The younger lot will still be able to get there hands on it same with everything else.

Davey we should go on a protest

Indeed - we'd have to do it somewhere away from the young Vicky Pollards!

I like to drink (I'm 17) but am always very responsible and my mum and dad brought me up to respect the privilege and to use not abuse. Whenever I want an alcoholic drink, it's always available to me because my parents trust me enough not to be stupid with it.

However, it's a ridiculous idea to raise the legal drinking age. It will solve nothing and will only result in more problems. This government hasn't got a clue. Alcohol isn't the issue, there are far more important deep-rooted social issues that are the problems they appear to be totally ignoring. Alcohol abuse isn't a cause of these problems, it is the result of them as far as I'm concerned.

For one thing, it certainly will not cut down on the number of young binge drinkers around the country.
And this "under 21 - no alcohol or smokes" thing is already in place in many supermarkets and shops around England, so all hiking the age up would do is...officially put that in place, if you like.

I voted for NO.

Edit: You're right Pixie, we "younger ones" are a) all rowdy drunkards who go around brandishing cleavers threatening to murder your grandmother for some change and b) a very cunning lot.
Edit (2): I agree with Red.

Exactly! I would of thought Alcohol was the least of the governments worries right now! Meh

Just for the record, should the legal age for alcohol rise to 21, you would need to prove your age if you look under...wait for it...24!

It wouldn't be totally stupid, as that is how a typical nightclub bouncer does his/her job.

I'm not a big drinker and never really drink in pubs or anything only really with mates or at home so raising the age limit isnt going to make too much difference to me...

DEFINITELY NOT.

I turn 18 in 12 days, I'm not letting them take that away from me.

And anyway, why punish the majority over the actions of a minority.

You think that's bad enough....we went to Wal-Mart a few times in Orlando, and on the tills it said "if you look under 27 you'll need to prove your age"

27! Are they mad?

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. Although I would save a lot of money as I don't remotely look 21. But still, no, it would be *beep*. If you can smoke at 16 or whatever it is you should be able to drink too.

Who cares. The current age limit doesn't stop 14 - 17 yr olds drinking so upping it to 99 isn't going to make a blind bit of difference to them.

And kids can and do drink in France and there's no drunken yobbishness over there. And drink is dirt cheap over there too. A bottle of very drinkable wine is 1 euro 60 so taxing the b*ll*x out of drink isnt the answer either. In my opinion its a culture thing and no amount of worthless laws will make a blind bit of difference until the underlying social and cultural causes of binge drinking are tackled.

basicasic for Prime Minister

Haha...I second that lol

I don't see the point in raising the age limit and they might as well just leave it as it is. They've raised smoking to 18, so they may as well leave alcohol at the same age restriction as smoking.

Plus if people really want alcohol who are not old enough they'll just get someone else to buy it for them anyway.

Thank you. Now, if only our esteemed, ignorant government could get their clouded, middle class brains around that we might get somewhere.

I'm teetotal, so I couldn't really care less if the age limit goes up.