Minimum drinking age of 21 saves lives, study finds

[scumdog]

Only because they'd tell your Mum & Dad. Now Mum & Dad get arrested or "cautioned" if they look at their kids wrong.

Or say "fuck-off pig, he's doing nothing wrong.."

[Her_C4]

That's because NZ has become a crappy over-PC-and-everybody-has-got-rights namby-pamby country where they give you police but not the teeth or the autonomy...

Yep - Lets take all the responsibility and personal choice away from the nation as a whole. Lets address the problems of the wider social economic groups that make up New Zealand by smashing them with a sledgehammer instead of isolating the actual problem and addressing that ......

Here is an idea, while we are at it why don't we take away the whole of parental and social responsibility and the idea that we can teach our kids to be contributing members of society by givng that role to the Police as well .

Of course we can't possibly give them (the Police) the tools or the support to do this job properly - we will just pass the sledgehammer over and wait for a miracle to occur.

Oh you mean we already do? WHAT a surprise - NOT. Pfffft

[James Deuce]

Or say "fuck-off pig, he's doing nothing wrong.."

Sorry, yes, I forgot about that.

[Ixion]

One notes that the study cited by the OP is a USian one. It's relevance to New Zealand is undetermined .

Why not abolish the drinking age, no amount of twiddling with it seems to make much difference , and bring back some of the old prohibitions and sanctions. Like, being drunk in a public place. Parents responsible for underage children being under the influence (let alone drunk). maybe curfews on younger teens.

[BIHB@0610]

How many 'youths' die in alcohol related crashes anyway?
And how many would an 11% drop be? Double figures? I doubt it.

And.. existing laws are adequate, if policed correctly.

OMG just saving one life would be enough motivation to seriously think about the issue - I'm not saying I agree with raising the age, I don't know enough about it. But it should be considered seriously. Just imagine if one of the 'youths' that died was your own child? No-one, not one person, should ever have to bury their child, statistics be damned.

[Flatcap]

OMG just saving one life would be enough motivation to seriously think about the issue - I'm not saying I agree with raising the age, I don't know enough about it. But it should be considered seriously. Just imagine if one of the 'youths' that died was your own child? No-one, not one person, should ever have to bury their child, statistics be damned.

If it's all about saving one life then all activity should be banned.

Life is inherently risky - people die

[James Deuce]

OMG just saving one life would be enough motivation to seriously think about the issue - I'm not saying I agree with raising the age, I don't know enough about it. But it should be considered seriously. Just imagine if one of the 'youths' that died was your own child? No-one, not one person, should ever have to bury their child, statistics be damned.

Distressingly post-modern attitude.

200 years ago, most men who reproduced buried more than one child and wife.

People die. People don't care. Get over it.

[rwh]

Bring in Drinking Licences.

You can apply for it at 18, and if you drink responsibly you'll be fine. Do anything stupid and you get it suspended. It's a serious offence to fake a licence or supply alcohol to someone without one.

That should sort out a few of the drunk drivers - most of us would know driving drunk is stupid when we're sober, but I suspect many change their minds once they've had a few.

Richard

[sidecar bob]

That's because NZ has become a crappy over-PC-and-everybody-has-got-rights namby-pamby country where they give you police but not the teeth or the autonomy...

That wasnt intended as a sideswipe at the Police Scummy, More at the Govt that is driving them.
Start by giving back the Police the right to clip some young smartarse around the ear again, & go from there.

[Flatcap]

Bring in Drinking Licences.

You can apply for it at 18, and if you drink responsibly you'll be fine. Do anything stupid and you get it suspended. It's a serious offence to fake a licence or supply alcohol to someone without one.

That should sort out a few of the drunk drivers - most of us would know driving drunk is stupid when we're sober, but I suspect many change their minds once they've had a few.

Richard

I once knew a fellow who drove without a drivers license.....

[sidecar bob]

Distressingly post-modern attitude.

200 years ago, most men who reproduced buried more than one child and wife.

People die. People don't care. Get over it.

Youre a legend pal. Get back to us with your thoughts after you have buried a wife or child & let us know your how you feel then.
Your comment smacks of immaturity & a total lack of life expierence.
Incidentally, the person who's post you quoted on that has buried a child so maybe she is one up on you there.
It may surprise you to realize that people do care, I care.

[James Deuce]

Youre a fuckin legend pal. Get back to us with your thoughts after you have buried a wife or child & let us know your how you feel then.
Your comment smacks of immaturity & a total lack of life expierence.
Incidentally, the person who's post you quoted on that has buried a child so maybe she is one up on you there ya tosser.

Yes, that would be it. Immaturity and a lack of "life experience".

Yes.

Definitely.

[scumdog]

Yep - Lets take all the responsibility and personal choice away from the nation as a whole. . Pfffft

Yup, 'personal reponsibilty' is working so well it's a wonder we need any form of control at all, after all peopl always know/do the right thing and if they (unlikely) DO screw up they take it on board and don't do it again eh??

[sidecar bob]

Yes, that would be it. Immaturity and a lack of "life experience".

Yes.

Definitely.

Well i dont know you, But thats sure as hell what it looks like.
Maybe im wrong & youre just an incredible hard arse that cant be got to & has absolutely no empathy & feeling for others.
If so, then i pity you.

[Mom]

We all know that you can obtain booze regardless if you are legally able to buy it or not. I have managed to get two kids through their teens despite the drinking age being lowered.

Both of them have a totally staunch and non-negotiable attitude to drinking and driving - IT NEVER HAPPENS!!! They would not even remotely consider getting behind the wheel of a car, or on a bike after having had anything to drink. No grey areas for them at all, no drinking if driving. This attitude extends to getting in a car with someone that has had a drink.


We live in a rural area, we dont have pubic transport and our taxi service is woeful. People live long distances apart. Making a poor decision to get in a car to get home would have been very easy and tempting I am sure. My daughter would have a party at home, all the kids would come in and hand me their car keys as they arrived. There was a confirmed culture of sober driving. All parents were contacted and they knew alcohol would be there, nothing hidden, all up front. I would end up with a houseful of teenagers in the morning, who would get on with the clean up and then go home.


I had a contract with my kids that I would come get them if they were faced with a non-sober driver as their only means of getting home. I never, ever got a call! What it did mean though was I had to let them stay the night at a much younger age than I probably would have liked, restricted drivers licenses and the night time curfew played a part in this as well to be fair.

They both now live in cities that have good taxi services (they cant afford them) and good public transport. They do go out drinking and always have a designated sober driver.

This attitude comes about from good communication with your kids, compromise between you and educating them about the dangers and risks.

I am very proud of them! Youngest daughter is now coming up 17, so far so good with her too.