Mexico 18

With a drinking limit of 18, Mexico is a favourite destination for underage American revellers who pour into the border town of Tijuana by the thousands every weekend. The biggest public health concern this poses is that young drivers travelling between the two countries are often drunk. According to some sources, approximately 30 per cent of those who return to the US from Mexico between midnight and 6 am have dangerously high blood alcohol concentrations. These statistics add to the case for more lenient laws in the US.

The United Kingdom Below 18 can’t purchase liquor

Although people under the age of 18 cannot purchase liquor, 16- and 17-year olds can be served cider, beer and wine in restaurants; they are required to be under adult supervision in England and Scotland, but not in Wales. Another somewhat bizarre law stipulates that it is acceptable to serve alcohol to a minor above five years of age, but only in homes and not in public places. Pint-sized closet drinkers apart, the UK is currently facing a serious problem with underage drinking -- for example, a study in Scotland found that around 68 per cent of 13-year-old children drank alcohol. A study by Alcohol Concern, a UK-based organisation, revealed that about one in five 11-year-olds admitted to drinking regularly.

France, Italy, Netherlands & Germany 16

Known for their permissiveness, these European countries share a minimum drinking age of 16, although there are distinctions made for the type of beverage: you have to be 18 or above to buy hard liquor in France, Germany and the Netherlands, although Italy has no such restrictions. A proposal to increase the minimum age in Italy to 18 was rejected by the parliament in 2007. The argument was that more relaxed laws "demystify" alcohol to youngsters and make them less likely to binge drink. However, a 1995 poll conducted by the US Department of Justice of 10th-grade students from America and Europe found that youngsters in Europe were actually more likely to drink and binge than in the relatively strict US.

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