Is there a reason most British people think that underage drinking is just a Britain thing?
Posted by LumpyScreen5536@reddit | AskABrit | View on Reddit | 58 comments
Sorry if this is rude I really don’t mean for it to be, but I’ve just noticed that a lot of British (And Europeans in general although this is usually English, welsh, and Scottish people) people will talk about like underage drinking in Britain as if it’s something that Africans, Asians, Australians, Americans or middle easterners don’t do. I think it’s very interesting and wanted to know if any of you knew. Im not looking for answers like “well we do it more” or something validating the claim, it is not the point of the post, but instead like an explanation of why its thought like is there movies that you can point to that was watched by a lot of movie or like ideas about other continents that would make someone think they wouldn’t have a lot of underage drinking?
Significant-Leg5769@reddit
I wouldn't expect underage drinking to be common in the USA as Americans generally don't drink much and it's socially frowned-upon, even for over-21s. Also, ID-checking is rigidly enforced over there. Not a criticism - underage drinking is bad!
ValidGarry@reddit
It is extremely common and Americans drink plenty alcohol and, outside Southern Baptist churches, is not frowned upon. Where are you getting your views of America, an online church?
Significant-Leg5769@reddit
From having visited the USA several times
ValidGarry@reddit
Weird. I've lived in the US for 13 yrs now and, while most don't drink like Brits (pubs etc) alcohol is common and has no social stigma outside certain religions organizations. Virginia has state licensed stores for selling spirits and gross sales are around $1.5bn per year as an example of normalized alcohol.
Significant-Leg5769@reddit
I got the impression that anyone who drank more than two beers or glasses of wine in one session was deemed a 'problem' drinker. Also having a drink before 5pm was considered transgressive. I suppose some Americans drink occasionally but it's a country without an established drinking culture. Not a bad thing per se!
ValidGarry@reddit
It is a vast country and some parts do have more of a drinking culture. There's a lot of home drinking.
LumpyScreen5536@reddit (OP)
Interesting thank you :)
PM-me-your-cuppa-tea@reddit
Because it's factual
"A third of 11-year-olds and more than half of 13-year-olds in England have drunk alcohol - putting it top out of 44 countries examined in a report by global health experts."
https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/25-04-2024-alcohol--e-cigarettes--cannabis--concerning-trends-in-adolescent-substance-use--shows-new-who-europe-report
LumpyScreen5536@reddit (OP)
I do have to break it to you it is not, children underage drink in every country.
PM-me-your-cuppa-tea@reddit
Yes... I never said otherwise. And even supplied you with a research paper showing that AND showing that the England had higher rates of children getting drunk.
LumpyScreen5536@reddit (OP)
Okay im confused, if you agree that children in other countries drink underage why did you said its factual when im talking about the claim that they dont drink underage?
PM-me-your-cuppa-tea@reddit
It's factual that kids in England drink more. No one is going to even try to argue that underage drinking doesn't happen elsewhere because of course it does. I wouldn't even feel confident saying it doesn't happen in Vatican City and there's only 20 children in the whole country
LumpyScreen5536@reddit (OP)
Oh i apologize for the confusion! I’ve been more careful about saying it’s factual in response to things that you’re not agreeing with in the future though :)!
tannercolin@reddit
The article doesn't suggest that children do not underage drink in countries other than the UK
LumpyScreen5536@reddit (OP)
Yes, i’m not disagreeing with the article. I’m disagreeing that it’s factual other children don’t drink in other countries which is the point of my post that they responded was factual.
tannercolin@reddit
You have to be trolling at this point.
Only you are saying this
No they didn't.
ShiningCrawf@reddit
No one thinks that.
LumpyScreen5536@reddit (OP)
Then why are people in my comment section defending the idea right now?
ShiningCrawf@reddit
I can't find a single comment doing that. Show me.
LumpyScreen5536@reddit (OP)
Do you see the person saying “because its factual” and then posting an article that doesn’t prove that other countries don’t underage drink? I consider that believing that the claim is true because it’s saying that they believe that post is true to me saying that it’s factual means that you believe it’s factual. Sorry if it doesn’t i’m really struggling to understand why people are telling me no one in the common section is saying these things. Maybe my definition isn’t meeting yours, heres another one maybe the guy whos claiming underage drinking in America is a 19 year old at a frat party to defend the claim (this is odd because its like exactly what im talking about- americans drink as preteens and the idea that just saying they don’t as proof for why you can believe they dont is bewildering)
tannercolin@reddit
There aren't any. I think they're a troll.
amhumanz@reddit
Aww you still think we're people
LumpyScreen5536@reddit (OP)
Yes? You are people
DarkStanley@reddit
Who thinks that? Like the vast majority will have no idea what the youths of other countries are getting up to.
LumpyScreen5536@reddit (OP)
Many people even in this comment section
tannercolin@reddit
Zero people in this comment section have agreed with you.
LumpyScreen5536@reddit (OP)
I didn’t say they agreed with me. I said they agreed that they think other places don’t underage drink.
PM-me-your-cuppa-tea@reddit
Find one comment that says that. Or even implied that.
The "that" being that other places don't underage drink.
tannercolin@reddit
No they didn't.
ClassicalCoat@reddit
People pull from their experience(s), we can only judge
We can judge our own society from first-hand experience but can only judge a foreign society based on what we've heard/read.
The Brit's experience could range from being as thorough judgeing france after living in Paris for 10 years to as weak as judging Nigeria based on one news report from Niger.
LumpyScreen5536@reddit (OP)
Interesting thank you for the input :)
alex21dragons@reddit
Lately I've seen more moaning that young people aren't drinking anymore than anything about teenage drinking.
LumpyScreen5536@reddit (OP)
Oooh so its your media, the people are talking about it that way interesting thank you :)
tannercolin@reddit
You need to actually read and comprehend the comment replies to you, rather than reading them and doing mental gymnastics so it fits the (stupid) idea you've presented with this post.
Read the comments. We're all telling you you're wrong.
VodkaMargarine@reddit
Underage drinking in America is being 19 and having a keg at a frat party.
Underage drinking in the UK is being 15 years old, taking your school tie off and hiding behind the only boy in your friendship group who has facial hair as you order three pints of cider and three carvery dinners.
LumpyScreen5536@reddit (OP)
Interesting, this isn’t really explaining why the mindset happens, but instead just saying the mindset- this is like exactly what I’m saying they think and asking why they think that. Um also Americans drink in middle school, which is 11-13.
tannercolin@reddit
What they were doing was legal though, it said so in the teenage law book. Plus Brett was born 15th of bloody May 1989
PMc1666@reddit
Britisher here. I’ve never thought that and I’m doubtful any other British person has thought about it too.
LumpyScreen5536@reddit (OP)
I’m glad you don’t, but several British people are in my comments right now telling me that they do think that and defending the idea
tannercolin@reddit
I've seen zero comments backing up what you're talking about. Somebody supplied you with data showing British kids drink more than others but this somehow has turned into evidence of your point, which it is not.
ValidGarry@reddit
So. Many people saying not a thing, OP is defending it hard
LumpyScreen5536@reddit (OP)
Yeah, I don’t understand how “half of the people can be like yeah because it’s true. The reason I believe it is because it’s true” and the other half of people are like “I’ve never seen a person believe that” and I’m like scroll one comment down
MurderousButterfly@reddit
I'm British and just assumed that when you ban something for teens, they're going to want to do it anyway and the more inventive ones will work something out. Never considered that we did it more, or that other countries didnt do it.
It is possible that underage drinking for us is younger, because you can drink legally at 16 if you're eating out with an adult and buy it yourself at 18. My friends and I were having alcohol parties at 13-14. Our parents knew and were ok with it (most of them, anyway) because we were at a friend's house under semi-supervision.
I know the age is absurdly high in the US, you can drive, get married, join the army and own a gun before you're allowed to drink there. I don't know about other countries because they don't dominate the film industry and I don't care enough to find out on my own.
LumpyScreen5536@reddit (OP)
Yeah i was also having alcohol parties around that age :) thanks for sharing and helping me understand more
notacanuckskibum@reddit
The UK consumes a lot of American pop culture. The US has higher legal drinking ages than the UK, and seems to take underage drinking far more seriously (as in trying to stop it)
So the main comparison point British teenagers have for other countries is a less teenage drinking tolerant country.
LumpyScreen5536@reddit (OP)
Thats very interesting thank you :)
Far-Sir-825@reddit
No one has ever thought that?
LumpyScreen5536@reddit (OP)
Then why are people in my comment section defending the idea right now?
AgingLolita@reddit
Is it the whole of the UK or is it a couple of 14 year olds?
LumpyScreen5536@reddit (OP)
I don’t think it’s the whole of UK. I just think it’s a thing that regularly comes up in my conversations with British people when we talk about alcohol.
ValidGarry@reddit
Weird take. Teenagers around the world do things they aren't supposed to do.
LumpyScreen5536@reddit (OP)
Yeah, i know that. Many British people act as if they don’t and i wanted to know why .
tannercolin@reddit
I've been British my entire life and I've never come across what you're talking about. Of course teenagers drink alcohol underage in other countries?
Do you have any examples of what you're talking about?
LumpyScreen5536@reddit (OP)
Yes, look at the other comments in this comment section where people are defending the idea.
tannercolin@reddit
Perhaps its true?!
LumpyScreen5536@reddit (OP)
It is not, even if it’s more extensive people still drink under age in other areas
tannercolin@reddit
What are you even trying to say? That British teenagers drink underage and think they're unique in this? If this is the case you are wildly mistaken
qualityvote2@reddit
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