On Tue, 9 Sep 1997 Metthyew@aol.com wrote:

 This has been bugging me for awile; I've read a lot of fanfics {mostly
Ranma} where one or more charachters gets incredibly depressed, walks into a
bar, and gets stinking drunk. It's an excellent story device, but there is
one problem: THESE PEOPLE ARE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS!! The oldest among them is
17, tops. Either the drinking age is incredibly low in Japan or nobody there
checks I.D. 
 
                       -Matthew Giglia, the Magnificient Mr.Bean.-

In Switzerland, you drive with 18, but drink with 16 (legally, nobody
makes a fuss if a 12-year old buys wine for his parents. As far as I know, 
only the U.S. have this 21-year limit. I personnaly don't drink, but I
suspect that more U.S. teens drink in excess when they get the chance
than swiss teens. After all, they know that we can drink a beer or two any
day. 

Andre Hafner