Underaged drinking on rise in Delhi

The drinking age among youngsters in Delhi has gone down to 19 years compared to 28 years in 1990, a new survey has revealed.
    
The culture of visiting pubs are increasing among the youngsters in this metropolis and nearly 80 per cent of occupancy in pubs and bars in the city is of those below the age of 25 years.
    
Sixty one per cent of these are even below 21 years of age, the survey conducted by Community Against Drunken Driving
(CADD) said.
    
"The drinking age may come down to 15 years in another five to seven years," the CADD said.
    
It said every year about 2,000 youth under the age of 21 die due to motor vehicle crashes, other unintentional injuries, homicides and suicides that involve underaged drinking.
    
"Nearly 33 per cent of those below 16 years of age easily procured alcohol from government authorised liquor vendors,
bars and pubs," the survey said, adding that nearly 44.4 per cent of class 12th students have consumed alcohol in the last 30 days.
    
The survey was carried out over a period of two months of December 2008 and January 2009.
    
It also said there was no evident structure of enforcement of underaged drinking laws by police or excise department.