Your country's drinking age

[SpAc3man]

Here in New Zealand you have to be 18 to buy alcohol, you can be any age to consume it as long as it's supplied by your parents and not consumed in a public area without your parents' supervision.

Lately theres been a lot of publicity about young people binge drinking, so now theres a big debate over raising it to 20 (as it was many years ago) although it's looking like they will end up having a split age so you need to be 20 to buy it from an off-licence (eg liquor stores, supermarket) and 18 for an on-licence (bars, restaurants). The theory is the younger drinkers will only be able to buy alcohol where they will be properly supervised, will be limited to how much their parents are willing to buy and will stop them from getting large amounts for cheap.

Personally I think this is a good idea, although according to quite a few sources 90% of people hospitalised for alcohol related problems in New Zealand are over 20 so there's not much to happen there. I would most likely be more ticked off if I wasn't turning 20 in 9 months which is most likely more than enough time before the new laws come into effect knowing the system we have here.

What do you guys think of your country's laws on alcohol? Are they good? Need changing?

 

[Elburzito]

You've got to be 16 to buy alcohol here in Malta . But I think the Government plan on changing it to 18 or 19 by the end of next year.

 

[ethan22122]

I'm in Australia and our drinking age is 18.

 

[Glamorgan]

Australia, and 18.

 

[Bobic]

Personally I think the legal drinking age is irrelevant. 97% of people drink years before they hit the legal point so I honestly think having no age limit whatsoever would have no difference.

 

[DeepComet5581]

In Britain, it's legal to drink in a private residence as young as 5.

To drink in public you have to be 16, and this has to be a maximum of half a pint with a meal.

At 18 you can purchase and drink whenever and wherever.

 

[kDanthe]

15 to buy in shops, 18 to be served in bars.

 

[AndyFromMonday]

You've got to be 18 here. Of course it doesn't really matter what age you are as long as you have the money.

 

[Prince Regent]

In the Netherlands it's 16 for beer and comparable stuff. For more alcoholic drinks you have to be 18.

 

[rokkolpo]

16 for low alcohol drinks up to 10% or something like that.
18 for high alcohol and spirits.

Holland.

 

[LongAndShort]

18, and bloody glad it's still there. Government had been talking about lifting it to 21, but backed down for some reason, not that I minded.

I really like drinking. It's not that I can't have fun when I'm not drinking, It's just that I find things more fun when I drink.

 

[Betancore]

I'm Australian and you have to be 18 to drink and to buy. Not sure about the specifics or the variations between states though.

 

[Arachon]

In Sweden, we have a state monopoly on any alcohol that's > 3.5%, which can be bought at special stores called Systembolaget. So legal drinking age (at pubs and clubs etc) is 18, whereas you have to be 20 to buy alcohol from Systembolaget.

 

[Marik Bentusi]

Germany: 16 (18 for stronger stuff)
Real drinking age: 13 or 14. And because everybody wants to make money fake IDs are widely accepted as well. That or an older sibling buying everything for you. It works.

Personally, I stay away from the whole thing, but that's what I got from others.

 

[Jonluw]

18 to buy beer and other low alcohol content beverages, 21 - I think - for buying booze.

 

[PAGEToap44]

Britain, 18. Which is in 5 months for me, woo hoo!!!! BOOOOOOOZE!!!!

"But Michael, you hate alcohol."

Oh yeah.

 

[ShrooM_DoughKiD]

Australia, Unsure of the age to consume. To buy is 18. Same goes for cigarettes.

 

[Snowpact]

At sixteen, you're allowed to drink (in public) the light alcoholic drinks (beer, mixed drinks)

At eighteen, you're allowed to drink everything (once again, in public)

However, every 12-year old is getting binged in this country, or as we call it: 'coma drinking' (literally translated).
That one needs no explanation .

Oh, "this country" is the Netherlands, btw.

 

[Iznat]

Ireland, and it's 18.
People get drink here as young as 15.
When I lived in Belgium, it was 16, and people got drink at 16.

...yep.