There are more and more calls for the drinking age to be raised to 21 due to the number of 'yobs' hanging around drinking and getting into trouble. Do you think this is a good idea. What other measures could be taken to halt the rise in antisocial behaviour in our teens?

Underage drinking is rife in mansfield. We have a park at the back of us and you get gangs of them gathering there to drink. We have an off license round the corner and they have been warned numerous times about selling to underage kids, but it still goes on.

I do wonder if raising the age limit would help, I think it would perhaps make it harder for the 15-16 year olds to get away with it, but I think with a nation use to an 18 drinking age, am not sure how you could police such a law, 18 and 19 year olds would not respect this law.

I think the onus needs to be on the parents really. You can keep your child under lock and key but you can be aware of what they are getting up to away from the home. I think if I had children at that age where they were going out spending time with their mates then I would try and find a middle ground. Be as liberal as I can but with strong boundaries that are not to be broken.

With underage drinking rife I would consider buting a breatherliser, I trust them and give them their freedom to go out with their friends and be sensible, in return you do a little breatherliser test now and again, for my own peace of mind. May seem extreme but I think even the thought of it is a good enough a deterant for them to think twice.

I'm undecided about raising the drinking age as kids as young as 12 seem to be able to get drink easily enough these days.
I'm quite lucky in that my kids aren't showing any interest in alcohol at the moment and seem to have quite a mature attitude towards it as they've seen both me and their father at our worst when we've been drunk- it's one of the reasons I left their Dad. I always want to know where they're going and who with, but if I found them worse for wear they know that I wouldn't be happy, and they also know that they'd be in serious trouble if they acted like the yobs we see in every town. I hope I've raised them to have enough respect for others to behave properly, but I suppose only time will tell.

I don't think raising the drinking age will do any difference, simply because there is always a way to get hold of drink. I never got into the whole drinking in parks phase as a kid, i was tall enough to get into pubs at 16 when i wanted to without needing ID - although i think it's a lot harder these days with tougher regulations on pubs to check ID, as i now get checked almost everywhere i go! But most teenagers can and will get hold of drink from when they are 15, whether it's from an older mate getting it from the off license, or even asking their parents to get them some.

Maybe you could place a ban on those who have had drinking related sentences, rather than just a fine and a slap on the wrist. But it'd be very hard to regulate.

A topic close to home really - my brother comes in at all hours of the day and night having had a drink or 10. He's 16.

I really wish it was as simple as that cuppy, but its not :( . There is no way you can find a compromise with a kid who is intent on doing something, no matter what. My brother wants to go out between 10am and midnight (usually later) and if thats what he wants to do, trust me, he will do it - whether he leaves the house via the front door, bedroom window, with or without his shoes (we take them to try and stop him going out late at night), or even breaking a window to get his bike out from the locked garage.

Theres no way you can keep tabs on your kids 24/7. Obviuosly Tom is an extreme case and most kids wouldnt use the violence he does against their own parents, but there will always be kids who break the law, always. I cant see a 21 limit making drinking any less wide spread amongst younger kids. As you say, i think it would anger the 17,18,19,20 yr olds who have grown up with the 18 limit and are now having changed becuase of younger children. I think it would cause more unrest and there would be a backlash of children trying to put two fingers up at the state.

Dont get me wrong, of course something needs to be done, but i cant see a 21 age limit making much of a difference, not when we've had 18 for so long, thats ingrained in culture now, i dont think that will change. Its difficult to monitor because there are some people that WILL go and buy alcohol for kids, people who'll go and buy their younger mates or brothers/sisters alcohol, but unless you question every person who comes to a till point with a bottle or a can, on where and who theyre gonna drink with, you cant ever stop people handing it over. Its sad really.

Not only that, but in your own home the drinking limit is only 3...

oh I know its not that simple chuck. I think there are a lot of kids who are running wild simply because of bad parenting though. Round where I leave you can see the same attictude in the parents that you see in the kids. Thats why I said it has to start at home and I do believe parents can do a lot to curb some of the anti social behaviour.

There are extreme cases though, like with your brother, and a friend of mines son who no matter what you just cant get them to toe the line. They become out of control and it reaches a point where you cant blame the parents. In you instance your brother may be running wild but you aren't. You are an intelligent sensible young woman so what is the reason behind your brothers behaviour? Some things just cant be explained or dealt with in the normal way chuck

I think the age limit is ok as it is. Most 18-25 year olds are id'd these days, certainly in the pubs in chester.....even my DM gets id'd at times and she's 26
As Sav says you can give kids alcohol at home age 3, and the European culture of giving kids a little diluted wine with their meals i believe does help to educate kids in that direction.
We always did it with our lad and he never bothered about drinking at all, in fact didn't much like it .....not saying he's the same now he's 21, as he'll go off on one now and again
Again a lot of this vandalism and drinking/drug taking is down to sheer boredom and the fact that their parents don't give a shit (i'm not generalising btw, or trying not to!!).
As kids we had brownies, guides, sunday school youth clubs, school youth clubs, coffee shops, cinema, all kinds of activities to keep us occupied....and that's cos there really WASN'T anything else to do. Kids these days have too much, and we're all guilty of that, the latest game, the expensive trainers etc....we didn't have money so we had to put up or shut up, i think that leads to some level of disrespect. They see other kids with stuff and end up almost bullying their parents into letting them have all they want.
I'm actually beginning to think there should be classes in parenting, and "common sense" lessons at school....kids have no respect for their parents, authority or even their peers these days...its certainly not all about alcohol

Sav, sensible!

:lolanimate: for clarity!

The difference between your family and a lot of others, Sav, is that you're all trying to help him control his behviour.
My ex became friendly with a couple who thought nothing of letting their 7 and 9 year old sons drink stubbies of Stella at home on a daily basis. The father used to drink stella for breakfast before going to work as a builder- I just couldn't stand the ex taking my kids there.
In think that drinking in front of your kids and teaching them a responsible attitude towards alcohol is important, but everything in moderation.

I am against raising the drinking age to 21. Just as I am for dropping it in the US to 18. How can somebody go and die for their country fighting in a war and not be allowed to have a drink?

The reason that binge drinking is less prevalent in Europe is because of the culture. I have no problem with kids as young as 11,12 having a small drink with a family meal. My parents used to let me have an occasional beer or two at home and it certainly made me not want to get wasted every week.

The problem here is that everyone (not just kids) has to down as much as possible. The more people drink the more they feel like they deserve a medal. Most people in my office love to go out on a weekend and 'get pissed'. They don't go out to have a good time, just to get drunk. People, for some reason, feel like they can't have a good time without being drunk - pathetic IMO. This needs to change in older people before we can address the problem with kids.

Spot on mate. I'm certainly not one for drinking (although many will disagree on here!), the only time i do tend to get drunk is when i'm off to the football and plan on making it an all day session. I don't see the point in getting drunk, particularly to the extent that some people do - particularly teenagers who seem to live for the weekend, those who work all week just to earn money to spend it all on bills, and waste whatever else they've earnt on drink. It's pathetic in my opinion, as it is with students who go out every night and get wrecked, although maybe that's me being a party-pooper, i have as much fun going out and having the odd drink, as i would if i went out and necked as many drinks as possible without thinking of the consequences. I've known people who have done this, who do stupid things when drunk, end up regretting it the next morning and have a hangover to much, rather pointless if you ask me.

But it's a culture thing, binge drinking is the "cool" thing to do amongst the lower social classes particularly, but can you blame them? I've just spent a few weeks working in a warehouse, where most of the workers were people who had a criminal record, no qualifications or were immigrants who had come to look after their families. But these were all decent enough people, certainly no low-lifes or people who had nothing at all going for them. But they were working from 7am till 5.30pm for five days a week, and after tax coming out on £200 to show for it. I never knew the poverty gap was so overwhelming having never experienced it in conditions like this, but that is appalling in my opinion. That is what people who leave school without any GCSE's, or who get in trouble as a teenager have to look forward to. You need a whole overhaul of the social welfare system, of the education system and a change in society, not just a token raising of the age you can drink from.

Very difficult to come to a decision as to why people drink to excess !!
Here is a Non Drinkers point of view.
As Dee pointed out few years ago there were many things to do, Guides, Scouts, Youth Centres etc. and Kids were encouraged to go there and they used to Love it. But at the ame time the Grown Ups were the ones who used to go to Pubs or clubs. So Kids felt you had to be a grown up to do things like that. But now days there is so much Peer Pressure as regards to drinking, some kids feel that they are going to be shunned if they did not drink with their mates even if they cannot handle it. Britain seems to get the worse name for it.
To give you an example, few years ago there was a do being organised at work, it involved a Visit to two pubs with some Darts games organised and the person who was organising this in the office was a knows heavy drinker. He came to my group and after taking names of couple of my friends he came to me and said " I take it you will not be coming as you don't drink". I really wanted to have a go at him, but held back and said yes I will come for a social Drink, the DRINK does not have to be Alcohol. I was recently working in India and they organised a Party for us when we were leaving and one of the guys wanted to buy me a drink and when I said an OJ will be fine he was shocked, and his words " you come from Britain and don't drink, I don't believe you" He has never been to Britain so how did he make that assumption ???
As to the Drinking age, well raise it or lower it it will make no defference at all. Kids who wants to drink they will get a drink regardless how old they are.

Here i think that drinking is still a bit of a taboo... not a taboo but a restricted thing, which makes kids want to do it more. Drinking underage was exciting and "cool" and when i hit 18 i didnt go to the pub nearly as much as i did before.... Always want what you cant / shouldnt have.

Following from that, European culture where kids are brought up with a wine at dinner, or half a beer at the weekend teaches them that its part of everyday life - not a luxury to go "downing" whenever you've got the opportunity! I'll be the first to admit that i've got completely drunk and not remembered things i've done, but i've learnt my lesson from it, and dont go out for a huge session all that much.

One of my mates who doesnt drink often asks me when i go for a meal or just for a social chat/gathering in the pub - why do i always pick an alcoholic drink to have - why cant you go up to the bar and order just a coke? Why is it, that when you've the choice, when you're not planning on a big "session", why always pick to have a pint, rather than a lemonade? I'm not really sure on that one... he's got a point. My only defence was that at uni its equally as cheap to drink, as not to.... so why not? but that works both ways i guess. i dont really know why we do it.

This part is definately Peer Pressure and loads of people feel that Holding a Glass of Coke, OJ or Lemonade wil invite sly comments from Friends so holding on to a Pint makes one part of the group. I am sure it has nothing to do with Price of the drink. If a person has decided he or she will not have a drink on the night the friends should respect the decision rather then make sly comments as that don't help either.

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Same with drink driving, simple peer pressure "go on, you can have a couple..."

always the way within our society.

I've experienced this while pregnant- go on, it won't hurt. I will admit to having a few on our anniversary in Glasgow a couple of years back, but this time round no alcohol will pass my lips.

I actually get quite a kick out of turning alcohol down, the look on peoples faces is quite amusing.

Saying no thanks with a blaze look and not caring about it afterwards is quite funny.

Have been getting sarky comments from t'rebs this week cos stella swilling Dee is on very strong antibiotics (for a bowel complaint before you all go assuming the usual!!) and have been told evan a small amount of alcohol will make me violently sick if i mix the two ......i can take it, and i'll be drinking diet coke on Saturday but you do get comments and remarks..........haha, ask Northerwhites about him asking for a pint of lemonade in a leeds pub shortly before he was "nearly" raped by a pensioner!!!


seriously though, you should be able to stand in a pub with a soft drink, its just that personally i would only go to a pub by choice to drink alcohol......a funny lot aren't we?

says the woman who took the piss out of me and the boy Howson having a pint of coke the other week...

yeah and the one who took the piss outta Col and Morley last xmas.......err and Ajay and i believe Kirst too at one game.......it's catching!!!!

Must be the company i keep :lolanimate:

i got id'ed for alcohol at morrisons in hillsborough on wednesday.....

i think it's sensible now that most places are asking if you're 21 to buy booze which would hopefully stop the wee shites from getting alcohol from supermarkets, but the same can't be said for the wee corner shops....

i wasn't part of the 'cider in the park' gang when i was at school, but then alcohol was never taboo for me at home and i think that's a much more sensible way of introducing it to your kids. having said that i aint a parent and i don't know what it's like to try and stop them going out and getting pissed on street corners....