Under age drinking in other countries

Just something I'm curious about so I figured this would be a good place to ask people who live in other countries.

I was watching some video today on CNN. It was talking about under age drinking in the United States (we do have a high drinking age compared to other countries that are like 18 or 19).

They brought on a mother and son which was just retarded. They the broadcast up saying how bad underage drinking is and how some parents let there kids drink and have parties. Well this mother was raised overseas which their accustomed having alcohol with their meals. So when her son was 14 she started to let him have wine at diner on certain occasions (At that point I was just like wtf... They make this huge deal and this is like a whole another thing)

So basically it just got me wondering.

Here in the US underage drinking is pretty crazy. All over facebook you see all those crazy party pictures and its all people will talk about.

But I was wondering because I know some people in this forum live in different countries is it different when the age is decreased to say 17 or 18, so it is legal to do? Are there still so many crazy and ridiculous parties or is drinking just more a social thing where you go to a bar have a few drinks and be social?

Edit: Sorry if this sounds kind of stupid, it is a legit question. It's just due to family issues with alcohol I tend to stay away from drinking and parties.

 

no everyone outside of the US does not party and does not drink ever, we sit at home quietly with our hands in our laps watching the discovery channel until our bed time (9:00 PM on weekends)

 

would explain why the US is like 25 in education, God dam you people need to get lives


lol i know it sounds stupid just one of those things that made me wonder.

I can't fully explain what I'm trying to say. Just like does the age to drink being lesser actually better?

 

People all over the world party... it isn't just limited to the US.

 

No, it doesn't matter. Adolescents always need something to rebel against.. in America it's drinking laws. If kids are taught to drink responsibly from a younger age there wont be as many problems.

 

^

Yeah, there will be crazy partys everywhere regardless of the drinking age/country.

 

My parents used to buy me alchohol when I was 15, and I had my own fake at 17 and I'm not going to lie I used to go out every week and get wasted either at a house or with all the boys down a park at night.

Now that I'm 21, I'm almost sick of drinking and pretty much only do it form special occasions. What I'm trying to say in short is Americans can legally drink at 21 .. By then most people are over it.

 

Yes, this is what I am trying to get at.

I see people I graduated with and in a year they have put on 15-25 lbs just from all the partying and drinking they do between high school which then becomes like 10x as worse in college.

But over seas where it is legal is it such a big hype to go out and drink a whole 24 pack+ yourself.

There was a kid in my highschool who doctors said he would die by the age of 25 if he didn't stop. And I would just hear stories of him going to parties and drinking entire liters of straight vodka + a bunch of other stuff.

 

Damn, pretty much the same.

Except I can't say we ever got drunk at a park full of boys, went to girls houses etc;

I still do the same and I'm 18? But I'm legal age now.

 

And with that point do people in other countries get sick of drinking by the time it is legal and they are 17 or 18?

 

I still remember the 100+ rich girls on a cruise from Panama that were celebrating their Qinceneta (100% spelled wrong) and they were always drinking and always wanted to party.

 

Well by then your allowed in the clubs so no, I done the clubbing thing for over 2 years, I still love it just all my mates are sick of wasteing their weekly wage in the clubs.

When I said "the boys" I ment like my group of mates, there are chicks in the group just lazy as im busting Sythe on my iPhone @ work haha

 

Thanks for all the responses I appreciate them.

Was just something I was pondering today.

Requested for thread to be closed.

 

Before it's closed.
I live in Georgia (country), under age drinking is irrelevant in any and all situations. There is absolutely no age limit, nobody will stop you from buying beer, vodka, or matrinis. Most all of the poeple here are very religious and tranditional; drinking (not in a way of getting trashed and shit) is considered manly and respecful when sitting at a dinner or feast. I really like this, the mentalities of Georgians are very much different than from Americans. Not saying they are better in any way, it's just that when you grow up with parents encouraging drinking as a form or manliness and repect, you treat the idea completely differently than when you grow up being restricted to it by age limits and societies beliefs of it.

 

When i was younger all of my friends used to underage drink (UK), it was great at the time. Ofcourse as you get older the purpose of drinking changes.

 

Im from Scotland(UK) legal age is 18, It's extremely easy to get alcohol here, I was getting sold drink from shops/pubs/clubs at 16, I started drinking every weekend at 13, We used to get a junkie to buy us drink and we'd give him a beer for doing it. Europe is the number one party destination, London, Ibiza, Magalouf and so on. We party over here but unlike you we party in Nightclubs whereas you guys are stuck in a house watching out the window waiting for freddies mum and dad to get home.

Point of the story - Europe is much better for partying.

 

Drinking in excess isn't a good thing, but the laws obviously aren't preventing underage drinking.

That's awesome. I wish we had that mindset in our country.

 

Willy, as am i

You sure did bring back memories when you mentioned the junkie part.

 

100% true here in England there is so much violence and anti social behaviour linked to people drinking too much, if you look at places like France where they learn to respect alcohol at a young age and are given it by there parents at a youngish age there is hardly any violence or anti social behaviour I personally think we should take a leaf out of there book, not just England but America too.

 

that is an interesting view your country has. different and unique in a good way.