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Growing up in Australia drinking seems to be rather prevelent among youth. I started drinking heavily with my friends when I was 14 (when somebodys parents went away or something, there was very often no parantal consent).
When we were 16, pretty much all the parents had accepted it and often bought for us from the shop and let us drink at home in small groups before we went out to parties and all the smaller groups would merge and create a much larger group where we could continue to drink.
I remmeber thinking about how far 18 was (age you can drink in Aus, legally) and wishing I was 18 so we wouldnt have to sneak around with feak id’s and we would be able to go legally to the pub or bottle shop and not have to wait for someone to have a party or gathering so we could go out drinking.
I recently read an article about underage drinking in USA colleges and i though, “21, damn. Thats another three years than we had”. Then I started to think, maybe people in other countires do things differntly. Maybe kids in the US don’t drink as much. When I was growing up I asumed eveyone did what we did all over the world.
So this comes to the topic of the thread, underage drinking in other countries. What time does it/ did it start for you? Was it a bing thing when you grew up? Where things like dope turned to more or was drinking just not a happening thing?
Im just curious here, so anything is cool. Any memories from growing up or whatever. Haha. Very open discussion i guess. Talk away my kiddies.:)
Well, when I was in high school (meaning before age 18), most of my friends that I hung out with on a regular basis didn’t drink. I know a lot of kids were drinking, but not my circle of friends. I was a pretty strict anti-drinker all through high school; that’s just how I was raised.
Then I got to college. I managed to make it an entire semester before I tried alcohol. Of course, as you know, the legal drinking age here is 21. I can assure you, college kids in the US *do* drink every bit as much as anyone else, probably more. On my campus, the partying begins Wednesday night, spikes on Thursday-Friday nights, then continues at a slightly lower amount on Saturday. Of course there’s *always* someone drinking somewhere at all times of the week. Those are just the big party nights.
I don’t really have any big stories for you… my first alcohol was at my friend’s 20th birthday, when they kept handing me jello shots (mixed really strongly). I was 18 at the time. That was freshman year. I’m now 21 and a senior. Personally, I don’t see the big attraction of alcohol. I won’t lie and say I never drink, but it’s just not a big thing for me; it’s expensive (and we have some of the cheapest alcohol in the world where I live) and it messes with your body and mind.
it all depends on the circle of friends as tiger mentioned. I was not a drinker until I went to university. MOst of my first year and one half was alcohol free (though I did get drunk once of twice.) then when I got to my second semester of my sophomore year…whooooo nelly! Though I was more of an exception…..LOTS AND LOTS of people smoked, drank and did various other things when I was in high school and younger…I was just not attracted to those things. I guess I did eventually at university because I wanted to see what all of the excitment was about…eventaully I realized it was a whole lot of nothing….but I guess that´s part of growing up and realizing what is important and what is not.
21 was not always the drinking age…when my older sister was growing up…it was 18 for her. Many states and cities (except New Orleans) changed the age to 21 to continue to recieve highway money from the national government. (As many studies showed that car accidents would be reduced by upping the drinking age…when you comsider that most of us are allowed to drive at age 16. There is a big mental and appearance difference between a 21 year old and a 16 year old—and not so much between an 18 year old and a 16 year old—hence [supposedly] making it harder for underage people to get alcohol)Oreo wrote:Though I was more of an exception…..LOTS AND LOTS of people smoked, drank and did various other things when I was in high school and younger…I was just not attracted to those things. I guess I did eventually at university because I wanted to see what all of the excitment was about…eventaully I realized it was a whole lot of nothing….but I guess that´s part of growing up and realizing what is important and what is not. very true. a lot of people in my high school were into things more illicit than alcohol, i just never got involved in it. i chalk it up to a mix of ignorance (at the time) and disinterest. in college, it’s all around you, especially in a dorm environment. when the guy down the hall is having a party where people are getting trashed and high, it’s hard to stay ignorant that it’s happening. you realize how big alcohol is on a college campus, and you figure there must be something to it, so you give it a try. some people like it (and boy do they like their liquor), some people dont mind it (i consider myself a social drinker, meaning i drink very rarely and only at big social events), and some people decide it’s not for them (and never touch the stuff again). Personally I side with the people who are either social drinkers or straight-edgers. Heavy drinkers tend to disgust me, frankly.but that’s part of the college experience. deciding for yourself.
i know that probably half of this community thinks im a raging alcoholic. really, i’m not. like tiger and oreo said, i’m in a college atmosphere and it is all around me. i get my share of drinking NOW so that i can be successful in the future.
my town is very small, so i started “drinking” when i was probably 14. and i use quotes b/c i mean tasting and sipping. in fact, i live about 20 minutes away from the yuengling brewery (mmmmm lager). in a small town, there is nothing to do except drink in the woods and do drugs (which i never did) and other things kids that age do.
i probably go out about 3 times a week for a couple drinks with friends. and i’m not gonna lie, i have a few beers every night if i dont go out.
so yes, underage drinking is big everywhere, especially on college campuses. my parents never bought me alcohol for me and my friends. i was allowed to have wine or eggnog and rum on holidays in our home with my parents around. but i always knew someone who could get alcohol if i wanted it.
Qwerty wrote:Where things like dope turned to more or was drinking just not a happening thing?Well, currently, I’m a freshmen in High School, 14 yrs. old, and I know quite a few people who use/deal dope. I have seen them exchange those special “weed lighters” under the tables in the library, make deals in the bathroom, talk about when they are going to “light up”, and when they can get their deals.
I know a sophmore who talks about getting drunk with his buddies, but do not hear about it too often. However, while my sister was in her Junior/Senior year, kids were bringing in vodka and other clear-liquid alchohol liquids in water bottles, which are now monitored…
The most rampid thing in my school is the “Smoker Sidewalk”. Across from the street to my school, there is a large side-walk/parking lot area. … This is the largest smoking “gathering place” in the whole part of town. Dozens and Dozens of kids smoke Cigerettes here. Freshmen, Sophmores, Juniors, Seniors. They are all there. The lower class-men get upper class-men to buy cigerettes for them at the near-by gas station, it’s uncontrollable. The “smoker Sidewalk” has been history of our High School, it started when students were told to smoke off school grounds, which, technically, is across the street. How convienent for them…
Me? Drink? I never drink for “entertainment”. Just on special occasions, like holidays, but no more than that. I am a non-smoker also… If I do go to college/turn 21, I don’t think I will drink just to “party” and get drunk because it just isn’t like me to get in that type of situation. None of my friends drink or smoke either, we’re just not like that.
MrOats wrote:The most rampid thing in my school is the “Smoker Sidewalk”. Across from the street to my school, there is a large side-walk/parking lot area. … This is the largest smoking “gathering place” in the whole part of town. Dozens and Dozens of kids smoke Cigerettes here.HAHA yeah my high school had a smokers corner too that was off property! right across teh street kids would get a cigarette in before classes and right after classes. i think lots of high schools, if not all, have them.
Actually, a lot of schools have laws that it is illegal to smoke within (x) feet of the school or on adjoining property…I forgot what it´s called now, but that´s to cut down on ¨smokers´ sidewalks¨and the like. I personally think smoking is one of the dirtiest things a person can do because it just sticks to everything. There´s nothing worse than a bunch of smokers to ruin a drinking binge! (Ok…that last bit was not serious…but I really do not think it is fair to people like waitresses and bar tenders that people smoke like chimneys….but that´s for another post)
As far as drinking on campuses (high school and the like) it´s really sad that CHILDREN (And that´s what they are….NOT ADULTS) feel the need to bring alcohol to school with them- There is having fun, and there is being a big idiot…in having fun one should not have to become an idiot…or there is a problem!Bit unsure of what school age is in america but here most leave at either 16 or 18 if going on to do higher exams etc. Then on to university.
But drinking in school here would mean one thing – you would get expelled. Simple as that to be honest! Smoking used to be the gang that sat around the bike sheds, would imagine now they go out of the school premises.
My parents used to let me have a glass of wine or something on special occasions etc but then they don’t drink that much.
Suppose I had my first drink ie feeling whoozy, when I was about 17, and I hated it. Infact, my friends used to nickname me ‘grapefruit’, lol because that’s all I liked. Cheap date or what!:)
I love a glass of wine now, so have a glass of that if I go out or relaxing, but yep I was a bore as a teen as I did not like the stuff. I still don’t like sprits.
Oh except on my trip to New York I had a Long Island Tea now that was yummy! But one was enough boy amercan sprit measures are scary!!:eek:
sarahtowny wrote:But one was enough boy amercan sprit measures are scary!!:eek:heh, you should come to my state. probably the cheapest alcohol in the country for some reason, so we’re also apparently professional drinkers (myself not included). what you can get for USD$10 in New York, you can get *at least* double the amount here for the same price.*rubs her neck* Yeah…at my high school they had the bus stop right on the school property for the city. And the city’s buss stop…cage…thing was ‘city’ property and no longer the school’s, so kids could smoke there. *Ick!*
Really people weren’t harshly reprimanded for smoking at my school, as long as you were 18, which is the smoking age around here. Though I nearly put 16 down there because most people let 16 year olds slide.
Drinking on the other hand. Yeah I haven’t known anyone dumb enough to come to school blitzed, though plenty of people came to school high. The teachers knew, but ignored it since it’s not illegal to actually -be high-, it’s just illegal to -have pot- on your person or to smoke it. So if you don’t have a piece or any weed on you, and you’re already high… you’re pretty much free and clean.
Meh, I know a lot of people that drank and did much worse things than that. Meth labs are a big thing around here. Though Rochester wouldn’t want you to know that, heheh. Lots of pot though, that’s the most popular drug. Once you hit the cities you get into a lot of ghb, meth, coke, things like that. Though my father did sell coke and heroine here as well. I guess that’s the ‘older persons scene’, as opposed to the kids.
But usually kids start up drinking around here at about 14 or so. 14-16 at parties and such. Really, I think it’s the outcome of having nothing else to do here, unless you like throwing rocks at ducks at the lake or have money, which many of us don’t. Even when you get older, there’s nothing to do but drink around town. Kinda breeding a city full of alcoholics *shrug*
I didn’t take my first drink until I was 18. My graduation party. My father and I stayed up and made jello shots for everyone. Yeah, I’m not a big drinker at all. I guess it’s pretty rare, but really I like to remain in control and conscious of myself so I can just watch everyone else be stupid *giggles* Not a big fan of mind altering substances. And even when I do drink, it has to taste good or I’m going to just set it down and leave it somewhere for someone else to pick up. Icky.
*shrug* Yeah, those are the trends in the lovely SE Minnesota at least. Though it’s harder to get the good stuff since they don’t sell liquor in gas stations, grocery stores or anywhere else. Only in liquor stores. I never knew that was odd until Josh told me (He’s from California) and even then the liquor stores are a quarter the size of the ones there. They sell 3-2 beers at the walmart, but that’s about it.
I much rather prefer my mom’s white zin breezer that she makes *purr* Doesn’t give a buzz at all, but tastes lovely.
I do know people who have drank and smoked (15 years old here) but like Tigerblade, those aren’t my friends. Personally, I rarely drink pop, much less even thinking about alcohol. Yeah, of course I’ve tried it, sips and whatnot, I didn’t like it. So no beer or wine for me. Like I said though, I rarely drink pop, basicly because I don’t like carbonation. Heh, I do like to play around, get out a wine glass and put some Minute Maid Fruit Punch in it, hehe, looks like wine, but nope.
RabidKitten wrote:But usually kids start up drinking around here at about 14 or so. 14-16 at parties and such. Really, I think it’s the outcome of having nothing else to do here, unless you like throwing rocks at ducks at the lake or have money, which many of us don’t. Even when you get older, there’s nothing to do but drink around town. Kinda breeding a city full of alcoholics *shrug*…they don’t sell liquor in gas stations, grocery stores or anywhere else. Only in liquor stores… They sell 3-2 beers at the walmart, but that’s about it.
That’s how it is in my town! It’s so small and tourist-y, that the only thing for us kids to do was to drink, do drugs, and have sex at an early age. I can’t tell you how many girls were having babies in my school! When I was in 9th grade, a girl was pregnant, and I thought that was the youngest I’ve ever seen, but by the time I was a senior in high school, there was a girl who dropped out of 8th grade because she was pregnant! Where are these children’s parents??
And the alcohol thing in PA…liquor can only be sold in a liquor store, which is state owned, and beer can only be bought at a beer distributor. And usually state stores close around 9 pm. The beer distributor down the block from me at school is open until midnight, which is good. Good old Campus Beer (the distr.), I’m gonna miss it when I graduate. Where else can you call up and order your beer and they will deliver it to you??
After the distributors close, the only way you can get beer is if you go to the bar and get a 6-pack. No running to Wal-Mart or the gas station. Thats where other states have it lucky!
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