Binge drinking and the 21 limit in the US

One of the most interesting differences I’ve observed between Europe and the United States has been the very different drinking cultures. A lot of those observations have been prompted by the unique experience of my brother, who moved to Switzerland at 16 when my father was transferred there for his job. As a high school sophomore in the US, he would have had five more years before he could legally have a beer.

But since the drinking age in Switzerland is 16, as it is in most of Europe, he was able to drink right from the start. Obviously his high school experience was quite different from mine in many ways, but one of the most notable aspects was his social life. While I had little access to alcohol in high school and my social life was mostly composed of small parties or trips to the local diner, he’s spent his weekends with his high school friends clubbing at some of Zurich’s premier nightspots. And while you might think that an American teenager arriving in a European country where he could suddenly legally drink would overdo it, I’ve observed that he’s been quite responsible and moderate about drinking. He’s been in a culture where binge drinking is not common and teenagers see alcohol not as just a means to getting yourself obliterated but rather a normal part of social interaction.

Last round on the underground

Having lived in the UK for awhile now, I've become pretty accustomed to scenes of mass public drunkenness. But nothing compares to the insanity of Saturday night's tube drinking party, when an estimated 50,000 people descended on London's circle line underground stations and trains to hold a booze fest the night before the new London mayor's public transport drinking ban was to go into effect.

The chaos and destruction that followed shouldn't have been surprising to anyone familiar with British drinking culture. But the complete ineptitude with which the new mayor handled the drinking ban roll-out may be just a preview of the new London.