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Binge Drinking
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Obviously this has lately and will be a predominant thread in this forum, and any forum debating UK issues but I've just seen this report:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7038845.stm
Do you lot think that the consistent appliance of force to these retailers that continue to sell alcohol to underagers is the way forward - or do you think that the government's efforts would be best focused targetting the people who are of age who might be acquiring alcohol for underagers? Does this seem positive to you at all?
What really made me laugh about that report was "the 'HM Revenue and Customs data, checked against sales information from BBPA members, suggests drinkers got through an average of 8.9 litres of alcohol per person in 2006.". Are they talking 8.9 litres of drinks, or the actual substance of alcohol, because if they're talking about lager or such I probably burnt through more than that last night
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7038845.stm
Do you lot think that the consistent appliance of force to these retailers that continue to sell alcohol to underagers is the way forward - or do you think that the government's efforts would be best focused targetting the people who are of age who might be acquiring alcohol for underagers? Does this seem positive to you at all?
What really made me laugh about that report was "the 'HM Revenue and Customs data, checked against sales information from BBPA members, suggests drinkers got through an average of 8.9 litres of alcohol per person in 2006.". Are they talking 8.9 litres of drinks, or the actual substance of alcohol, because if they're talking about lager or such I probably burnt through more than that last night
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I'd allow 15 year olds to drink alcohol with an ABV of less than 8%, and only leave the 18-year-old limit for spirits and alcopops. It gets them in the pub where they are safe and don't cause so muich mischief, it removes the "forbidden" element of underage drinking, and it will make people drink less IMHO.
If you can drink in the pub with a jukebox and a pool table, why would you swig vodka in a bus shelter?
And it means access to alcohol being easier, and easier to younger generations.
I tend to swig buckie in a bus shelter then go to the pub with the pool table and juke box. Best of both worlds.
Whilst alcohol is seen as adult and taboo kids will continue to act all hard and swig too much of it. I don't see why the alcohol age shouldn't be lowered, it's certainly safer than sex.
WHEN I WAS A KID KERMY ...IT WAS QUIte normal for dads to start taking their 14 year old sons to the pub on a sunday afternoon while mum cooked dinner at home.
illegal but no one bothered.
it gave you an understanding of alcohol and acceptable behaviour.
Most of the kids I stop/search normally have some sort of mix of lager or lambrini and are normally pissed out their faces by 7pm. Come 10pm we're getting calls all over the place about marauding youths who are smashing everything up and fighting. This is what we deal with when it's hard to get hold of, making it easier would just sap our resources to the limit.
As for clamping down on traders e.t.c. they should know by now they have a responsibility to the community they serve by not allowing kids or drunkards access to more alcohol. We've introduced the challenge 21 rule to give them a bit of a hand when it comes to knowing who to I.D. the rest is up to them.
It's not as if the underage are the only people to binge drink, just go to a student union any night of the week or a town centre on a weekend... Thing is, officially, 4 or 5 pints is 'binge drinking' - but we all know there's a big difference between that, and necking a load of vodka. I'm guilty myself but I think the problem is with spirits really - and wine to a lesser extent... When people want to get drunk (myself at least and a lot of people I know) we go for cheap vodka or cheap white wine... hence I think it's probably a good idea to do as Kermit says and make beer and some things 16 leaving the rest at 18. (I'm pretty sure that's the case in Germany - although there like in most of Europe nobody seems to really care about young people buying alcohol).
I think alcohol related deaths and such is higher than sex related deaths, so not sure if it's 'safer' in that way.
I was brought up where having a glass of wine / wine with water / orange juice / lemonade with a meal was fine, and so when I got older and people just drank exclusively to get pissed I didn't get it and didn't enjoy it. Lager doesn't taste nice, it makes you bloated and you have to get through quite a lot. Even a pint is massive compared to a glass of wine.
But, perhaps due to peer pressure, I now love trying to get a bit drunk because otherwise I'm too timid to talk to people and dance and things. Maybe I should be tackling those demons rather than using alcohol
I really don't see how this is going to make a difference.
I'm the same. I will drink, but it's rare and even then, I'll only have a few drinks or so.
If they make it totally illegal to drink on the street, it might. Oherwise all we'll have is a bigger bunch of 16 year olds getting pissed on parks than we do now and no power to stop them.
Politicians don't think about the long term though, they think about the next election. If it doesn't get results in 4 years (also see sex education and legalising drugs) then they're not interested.
If we dont do anything to stop adults seriously over drinking I doubt we will make the slightest impact on kids.
:yes:
I'm the same - however I have to argue that not being 'used' to drinking makes it difficult at parties etc - I can only have 2 alcopops before I'm on the verge of being hammered, and can only usually have 1 glass of wine at a time, any more and I can't even walk!!!