(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Just to clarify, in the United Kingdom drinking laws require you to be 18 to purchase alcohol.

"The minimum age for the purchase of alcohol is 18. People aged 16 or 17 may consume wine, beer or cider on licensed premises (pubs/bars/restaurants) with a table meal. In England and Wales, it must be an adult who orders. In Scotland, no adult is required to be present. The legal age for the purchase of alcohol from an off-license (store/supermarket) is 18. (The legal age to buy liqueur chocolates is 16. but this is rarely enforced.)"

I personally feel that at the age of 16 you should be able to purchase alcohol.
Why? - Well by the time you're 16 you'll of left/be leaving school, that's a big point.
After leaving school you're now finished with compulsory education, you're deemed mature enough to decide and pursue any future education leading to employment, specialised or not.

If you're mature enough to decide whether you receive future education and whether you get a good job or end up on benefits, then in my eyes you're mature enough to decide whether you can drink alcohol or not.

Now I know what you're thinking "We have a 15/16 year old here who wants to drink but mommy and daddy won't let him"
A few things wrong with that:
1) I don't know my Dad Haha
2) I am allowed to drink. My mom purchases it occasionally for me.

One thing right with that sentence:
1) I am 15.

But the fact I understand the pro's and con's of being mature enough surely should justify my maturity.

What's your thoughts on the matter?

/facepalm

Seriously...

Let's go ahead and stop the argument posts and just talk about the topic. You guys can bicker at each other in a PM or kiss and make up.

Main reasons why people start drinking young, family and peer pressure. I was raised with two parents who drank regularly, so naturally I became a winding up in jail drunk by 17. It didn't help much growing up in Los Angeles with gangs and bad types of people who basically did nothing but drink..

Sooner or later though, you grow out of it. I basically can't drink anymore, makes me feel like shit now. Haven't had a sip in a year almost, and haven't gotten black out drunk in longer.