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Underage Drinking
- Thread starter Druidus
- Start date
Bastet
Vile Stove-Toucher
I don't remember the exact age, but I was somewhere around 14-15 (since we're excluding sips of other people's beer, which I can recall doing as a toddler 
). I drank no more than a glass (or possibly two), of wine cooler-type drinks (so, with a fairly low alcohol content), at any given time (usually when the folks had a BBQ with friends over). I used to sneak the odd drink here and there if there was any left in the cask for the following days/weeks. They weren't really a common occurance, so the occasion was always considered 'special' if I got a glass of alcohol.
I didn't 'binge drink' (i.e. drink until intoxicated), until I was about 17. I was in the lower end of the age bracket for my year level at school, so I was way younger than the rest of my classmates and friends. In my final year of high school, when all my friends were turning 18 (legal age here), and having their birthday celebrations at the pub, I would go along too (and hope nobody asked me for ID). I drank things like Stones (a gingery tasting drink which I shudder at the thought of these days), and mozelle, and other cheap crap like that. If I had the money, I drank vodka (vodka and diet coke, vodka and orange juice, vodka and raspberry). Those nights I didn't really get totally smashed though - my first hangover came at our end of year party (when I was still 17 and underage). I was very sociable, and every single person I went and talked to (which was a lot), I'd grab their drink and take a swig, not to mention drinking a lot of my own stuff on top of it. I was very unwell the next day, and vowed never to do that again...which of course, I didn't stick to lol.
I don't think it really affected me in any way back then, because it was such a rare occurance. If I'd been going out and getting blind every week like I did in my early 20s, then I could see the problem. I don't think a glass here and there is that big a deal. I know of people who were allowed a glass of wine with their evening meal every night of the week as a teenager, and drink no more than that as an adult. I guess that, like any drug, it varies from person to person though. I see news stories of 7 year old kids drunk in the street, and my mind just boggles. I'd have never thought of doing that at 7.
). I drank no more than a glass (or possibly two), of wine cooler-type drinks (so, with a fairly low alcohol content), at any given time (usually when the folks had a BBQ with friends over). I used to sneak the odd drink here and there if there was any left in the cask for the following days/weeks. They weren't really a common occurance, so the occasion was always considered 'special' if I got a glass of alcohol.I didn't 'binge drink' (i.e. drink until intoxicated), until I was about 17. I was in the lower end of the age bracket for my year level at school, so I was way younger than the rest of my classmates and friends. In my final year of high school, when all my friends were turning 18 (legal age here), and having their birthday celebrations at the pub, I would go along too (and hope nobody asked me for ID). I drank things like Stones (a gingery tasting drink which I shudder at the thought of these days), and mozelle, and other cheap crap like that. If I had the money, I drank vodka (vodka and diet coke, vodka and orange juice, vodka and raspberry). Those nights I didn't really get totally smashed though - my first hangover came at our end of year party (when I was still 17 and underage). I was very sociable, and every single person I went and talked to (which was a lot), I'd grab their drink and take a swig, not to mention drinking a lot of my own stuff on top of it. I was very unwell the next day, and vowed never to do that again...which of course, I didn't stick to lol.
I don't think it really affected me in any way back then, because it was such a rare occurance. If I'd been going out and getting blind every week like I did in my early 20s, then I could see the problem. I don't think a glass here and there is that big a deal. I know of people who were allowed a glass of wine with their evening meal every night of the week as a teenager, and drink no more than that as an adult. I guess that, like any drug, it varies from person to person though. I see news stories of 7 year old kids drunk in the street, and my mind just boggles. I'd have never thought of doing that at 7.
CaptainXeroid
Following Christ
First, let me say I do not condone breaking the law.
That being said, I didn't care for the taste of alcoholic beverages and only tried it because it was illegal. From the sips of mom & dad's wine and beer, I really didn't like the taste, so I learned to like mixed drinks, particularly Pina Coladas. I probably drank more before I turned 21 than I have since.
How has it affected me? I learned my limits when I saw my friends get sick from getting drunk, knew I never wanted to go through that, and to this date I never have. I know when I've had too much and will not drive home. I guess I could have learned that after I turned 21, but it did not work out that way.
Personally, I think the laws should be changed so people under 21 are allowed to drink accompanied by their parents. Maybe if young people learn to drink alcohol with their meals instead of just to get drunk, we would have less alcoholism, binge drinking, and drunk driving. Just my 2 copper coins.
That being said, I didn't care for the taste of alcoholic beverages and only tried it because it was illegal. From the sips of mom & dad's wine and beer, I really didn't like the taste, so I learned to like mixed drinks, particularly Pina Coladas
. I probably drank more before I turned 21 than I have since. How has it affected me? I learned my limits when I saw my friends get sick from getting drunk, knew I never wanted to go through that, and to this date I never have. I know when I've had too much and will not drive home. I guess I could have learned that after I turned 21, but it did not work out that way.
Personally, I think the laws should be changed so people under 21 are allowed to drink accompanied by their parents. Maybe if young people learn to drink alcohol with their meals instead of just to get drunk, we would have less alcoholism, binge drinking, and drunk driving. Just my 2 copper coins.
Cr0wley
More Human Than Human
I've been drinking since last year, october (I'm 16). It was fun for a while to get totally and utterly thrashed, but it's starting to affect my relationships with some of my closer friends, and I'm going to have to stop if I want to still call them my friends. While I can see thier point, sometimes I just wish that they could take the plank out of their eye before they judge me. They also get drunk, but now they're suddenly ganging up on me. I don't understand it at all and I wish that I could be in a different boat at the moment. But yeah, sometimes I wish that the alchohol laws were more strict, so that I could please everyone by not being able to drink...
Fluffy
A fool
I only did binge drinking once which was my first proper experience with alcohol beyond the occasional sip at the age of 15. It took the form of me and my best friend playing poker with the loser taking a double vodka shot (he didnt have a single shot glass...), after a particularly successful party had wound down. That put me off alcohol ever since.
I have a lot of friends who drink but, because I dont want to drink as well, it is often a weird and not entirely pleasent experience when I am around them whilst they are drunk so I try and avoid it as much as possible.
I have a lot of friends who drink but, because I dont want to drink as well, it is often a weird and not entirely pleasent experience when I am around them whilst they are drunk so I try and avoid it as much as possible.
Green Gaia
Veteran Member
I waited until I could buy it myself, so 21.
meogi
Well-Known Member
18. Near the end of my first simester at college... 12 40's of Mickey's for $12. I had decided to try drinking a week or so before, and my drinking friends were more than happy to ablige a party for me and another friend's first time. That was a lot of fun... and since, I've drank quite a bit.
Too much in fact... mainly because I only binge drink (large amounts of alcohol at once) and I do it too often (I view 3-4 times a mo. too often). So I have sworn off all alcohol for an undisclosed amount of time... which will eventually equate to me not binge drinking ever again. Wish me luck...
Too much in fact... mainly because I only binge drink (large amounts of alcohol at once) and I do it too often (I view 3-4 times a mo. too often). So I have sworn off all alcohol for an undisclosed amount of time... which will eventually equate to me not binge drinking ever again. Wish me luck...
robtex
Veteran Member
I was about 10. My mother immigrated from Germany and we didn't have a "drinking age" in the house. I drank beers with my supper about once a week and had drinks on some ofthe weekends. I drink very little as a grown-up though cause I don't have the liesure time I did as a kid.
Yerda
Veteran Member
I was eleven years-old the first time I got drunk, a couple of alcopops and I was away. In my mid teens I started drinking on a regular basis until I was wasted; about three times a week at 15/16. It affected my life adversely, I had my problems and unwisely sought alcohol as the answer. It only made my problems worse, my relationships with my family and friends strained, and my education took a nosedive. Not a great time.
Fluffy
A fool
Okay in theory the legal drinking age is 3 years of age as long as it is done within the home and with parental consent, in the UK. This is a leeway law though designed to prevent a parent getting prosecuted for giving their child a chocolate liquer. Give them a can of extra strength beer and you are likely to be done for child abuse.
Circle_One
Well-Known Member
I started drinking regularly at 12. We start young here. Used to get people to buy cases for us and go up to a place we called "The Rocks", build a fire and drink there.
Fat Old Sun
Active Member
I started drinking when I was 14. I wasn't a regular drinker until probably 16. My parents let me have a beer with dinner once in a while, or a shot in my egg nog at christmas time. It wasn't a big deal to have one here and there as long as I was in for the night. I learned how to drink under their supervision.
I had a lot of fun at parties because I learned to drink until I had a decent buzz going, then drink just enough to maintain it. I knew that I could call home and tell my parents that I wasn't sober enough to come home yet. My friends who were forbidden to ever drink under any circumstances usually ended up face down in the back yard before the night was half over.
I find it strange that in the US we are allowed to drive 5 years before we are allowed to drink. It should be the other way around.
I had a lot of fun at parties because I learned to drink until I had a decent buzz going, then drink just enough to maintain it. I knew that I could call home and tell my parents that I wasn't sober enough to come home yet. My friends who were forbidden to ever drink under any circumstances usually ended up face down in the back yard before the night was half over.
I find it strange that in the US we are allowed to drive 5 years before we are allowed to drink. It should be the other way around.
Unedited
Active Member
I started drinking wine with my evening meals when I was real young (sevenish). I didnt drink anything other than wine though until I was 13 and I was introduced to my fathers liquor cabinet, or whatever its called. I got drunk a lot when I was 14. It was very pathetic really; my older brother, my sister and I would just sit around and drink whatever we found around the house usually whiskey or vodka. It was only for the one year before my sister went away to college. Its become a problem for my sister, but both my brother and I are responsible drinkers really. Neither of us drinks much at all now.