How stupid is your country?

I

IronDuke

Ancient Mariner
In Canada, you can legally drive a vehicle when you're 16 (if you pass the tests)
You can consent to sex (legally) at 16
You can vote at 18
You can join the military and die when you're 18 too
But to buy beer, wine, liquor, or tobacco you have to wait a year.

How looney are age laws in your country?
 
IronDuke said:
In Canada, you can legally drive a vehicle when you're 16 (if you pass the tests)
You can consent to sex (legally) at 16
You can vote at 18
You can join the military and die when you're 18 too
But to buy beer, wine, liquor, or tobacco you have to wait a year.

How looney are age laws in your country?
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NZ is same as Canada except alcohol and Tobacco is 18 too  :yey:
They are thinking of putting it back up though to 20 or something, because they think it will stop teenagers binge drinking or something... <_<
We also are having party pills banned (the energy ones).
OH, you can start driving at 15 here too, although you need an adult with a license in the car with you.
 
In Italy, the minimum age to take a driving licence is 18.
Age of consent should be 14.
You can vote and join the military at 18.
The minimum age to buy alcoholics and cigarettes should be 16.
 
Age at which you can have a driving license: 17
Age at which you can consent to sex: 17 and 3 months (have a guess why, from the maths ;)
Age at which you can purchase alcohol: 18
Age at which you can vote: 18
Age at which you can buy cigarettes: 16[sup]1[/sup]
You can join the military at age 16, with parental consent.

[sup]1[/sup]But you can only smoke them in a private or open place, not in pubs, bars, restaurants, offices etc.
 
In Finland:
You can get a driving license at 18.
You can vote at 18.
You can buy tobacco at 18.
You can get a driver's license at 18.
You're conscripted at 18, though you can delay it up to 8 years (maybe a bit more or less).  You can voluntarily start at 17, I think.
You can buy alcohol under 22% ABV at 18, and over that at 20.
Age of sexual consent I have no idea about, actually.  I'd say probably 18.

So you pretty much get "the whole package" at 18, which is pretty logical to me.  However, there are a few stupid things too:
1. You lose many of your benefits of being a child at 17.  For example, child benefits stop being paid at 17, and as far as public transport is concerned, you're no longer a minor at 17.  I'm 17  :p
2. You can actually legally consume alcohol, and I think tobacco too, if you're a minor.  However, there are strict laws that prohibit minors obtaining and possessing them.  Eg. It's not legal to sell, or even give, the aforementioned products to a minor, and it's not legal for a minor to possess them.  So whereas drinking alcohol is legal at under 18, there's no legal way for a minor to get that alcohol in the first place.  So, in practice, the legal age of alcohol and tobacco is 18.
 
Raven said:
Age at which you can buy cigarettes: 16
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From what I gather, there is a plan to increase this age to 18 - but how that would be implemented can be a bit of an headache. I mean, do make this change on a certain date and any smoker between the ages of 16-18 will be immediately breaking the law? Or do you allow these people to smoke? Do you allow them to buy them? What rules should retailer adopt? I'm sure the Government has thought it through.

Raven said:
Age at which you can consent to sex: 17 and 3 months (have a guess why, from the maths ;)
Click to expand...
I had the impression that this was 16. However, for two men to have sex - its 18.
 
Albie, in Virginia, the smoking age used to be 16 but was changed to 18 in the late 80's. Everyone that was 16 - 18 when the law was passed was grandfathered under the old law and was still allowed to smoke. I imagine it would be similar there.
 
I think everything should be 16 with the exception of voting and military service, which should be 18 still.
 
LooseCannon said:
I think everything should be 16 with the exception of voting and military service, which should be 18 still.
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The problem with that, at least in our country, is that the school leaving age is 16 and if that school leaver wants a career in military what should they do for two years?
 
Albie said:
The problem with that, at least in our country, is that the school leaving age is 16 and if that school leaver wants a career in military what should they do for two years?
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Change their mind!
 
Perun said:
Change their mind!
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:lol:

Possibly, they might. But this won't be for all. It takes a certain type of person to want to make a career out of it. Whether they have this trait at the age of 16 or not, I don't know. Or maybe be they only develop it by being in the armed services.
 
Nothing wrong with serving in the military.  It's a good stable job, pay isn't half bad, they'll pay for you to go to school (at least here), you get practical experience in your field, and you get to see some of the world.  As long as everyone else is at peace with you, anyway, it's not a bad job.
 
And that's a personal decision you've made based on your own personal beliefs, and I respect your desire to conscientiously object.  That doesn't make serving in the military a bad career option, though.  It just means it's nothing you ever want to be a part of!
 
Geez, that first post wasn't supposed to be taken seriously...
 
Netherlands:

You can drive a car at 18.
You can vote at 18.
You can buy tobacco at 16.
Age of consent to sex (all categories): 16
The age for more serious drinks is 18
You can buy mild alcohol (beer, wine, Breezers) at 16

This last one should be changed soon. Last couple of years the alcohol abuse has increased amazingly fast with youngsters. Kids from 12-15 busy with coma-drinking and all that.

Albie said:
I had the impression that this was 16. However, for two men to have sex - its 18.
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Not in England, Scotland, Wales Jersey and Isle of Man, mate: It's 16

http://www.avert.org/aofconsent.htm
 
Mexico age of consent:
Male-Female Sex: 12-18
Male-Male Sex: 12-18
Female-Female Sex: 12-18


In Mexico the federal law varies according to the age gap between partners and is often overruled by regional laws.
 
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