Calls to raise drinking age

[grandmoon]

Professor Mattick said children who regularly drank alcohol had different brain function to those who did not.

''There is increasing evidence that regular exposure to alcohol in young people from early to mid teen years is associated with changes in brain function, in efficiency, in attention.''

He said children who started drinking or using drugs under the age of 18 were at greater risk of becoming alcoholics or escalating their drug use.

Do you believe that changing the drinking age to 21 will make a difference

[lakeland27]

and early closing sends the drinkers to parties that go all night in suburban areas. i know because the neighborhood bogans doof doof all night and giggle and laugh and fight when people would rather be sleeping than listening to a bunch of tanked-up revellers. keep them in the entertainment precincts .

[siggie-reported-by-alarmists]

which polticians are going to do such a thing ? they are all too scared to lose those votes. besides which prohibition has always failed, its only effect is to make organised crime prosper.. if you look at illicit drug use it doesn't work, it just creates untaxed fortunes for some.

According to some....the fact that a very small minority  of society are unable to tolerate Marijuana, means that it should be illegal for everybody.

 Apply this same thinking to alcohol (a percentage binge drink, drink underage, become addicted, commit crimes, abusive, aggressive and the rest).....so.....make it illegal.

I'm sure the government could tax Marijuana very successfully....imagine how fast the country could get out of debt!!

😄

[lakeland27]

 I'm sure the government could tax Marijuana very successfully....imagine how fast the country could get out of debt!!

 
A lot of people would agree with that. including a lot of law enforcement agencies.

there is an organisation called LEAP (law enforcement against prohibition) who advocate legalisation as it would free up police, fbi, dea etc to do proper police work rather than policing personal choices. they have a website, i'm not entirely certain about them but current methods are definitely failing.  i can see some merit to it, as the sniffer dogs could be put to better use here than catching kids at railway stations and concerts which does very little.

[janeababe]

PS. the only observation I have of midnight closing times are aggro people, peeiissed off about the venue shutting, having a good old punch up on the street nearby.... with a crowd of onlookers.... who may or may not join in the fight. 

THIS IS COMPLETELY TRUE!

[*crikey*mate*]

I don't believe that raising the drinking age from 18 to 21 will stop people under 18 from consuming alcohol.

Additionally, some cultures disregard the law and find it acceptable for children to consume some sort of alcohol (I'm thinking wine) with their family meal.

[freakiness]

A bunch of drunks in a venue with alcohol behind the bar but no  access... That would end well.

[daydream**believer]

There also need to be bigger fines to the pubs that continue to serve alcohol to clearly intoxicated people.

Last time i went out to a club (last year) i saw this happening all night.

People who could hardly stand, still getting served drinks

[patchoo78]

Where I am we have a "Banned from one, banned from all" policy.. Start a fight in the pub and get banned, guess what? No more pubs for you.. 

The main pub here doesn't serve shots after midnight and doesn't serve double shots at all.. A few of the staff members are family of the owner so they're pretty strict with booting out intoxicated people...