Too much too young
Populus' poll for the Times last week included a series of questions on what age limits should apply for things like smoking, drinking and getting married and revealed a broad consensus in favour of higher age limits.
As one might expect, there is a difference between responses from different age groups - younger people are less likely to favour increasing age limits (in his commentary Peter Riddell compared the average age limited suggested by people and commented on how small the differences were. I think looking at it that way minimises the difference - it is certainly there. For example, only 19% of under 25s would like to the age limit for buying alcohol raised to 21 or higher, while 41% of over 65s would. Only 1% of over 65s would like the age when you can legally drive lowered to 16, but 19% of under 25s would.)
Even so, even respondents under the age of 25 support increases in some age limits - 59% would like to see a higher age limit on buying cigarettes, 60% a higher age limit on joining the army, 88% a higher limit on when people can marry, 55% would like to see the legal driving age increased. Of course, these are only figures for over 18s and the present limit for all the items mentioned above is either 16 or 17 - so increases to 18 would not affect respondents. It may just be a case of pulling up the drawbridge after respondents themselves have crossed it - there was notably not much support for increased age limits amongst the 18-25s on things that presently have an age limit of 18. Standard political opinion polls do not include any respondents under the age of 18, so we don't know whether those people who are still too young to drink or drive think there should be a lower limit. I suspect they might be more favourable towards it!
Overall there was broad support for increased age limits in most areas. The majority of people thought the age when people can get married should be raised to 18, with 22% favouring a limit of 21. 74% favoured an age limit above 16 for when people can join the army. Only 15% of people thought the current age limit for buying cigarettes was ideal, 48% said 18 and 22% said 21. 79% of people favoured a higher age limit to be able to drive, with 53% opting for 18 years. 49% of people favoured an increase in the age when people can buy fireworks.
There was broad support for the present age limit of 18 for buying alcohol, supported by 53% of respondents, though a substantial minority of 32% supported a limit of 21 years. The only area where there was any significant support for a reduction in age limits was participation in politics, but even then it was minor and outweighted by support for higher age limits. 15% of people favoured giving the vote to 16 year olds, with 3% saying the vote should be given at the age of 17. 20% of people, however, favouring a higher age limit than the present 18. 19% of people favoured an age limit on standing for Parliament lower than the present 21, but 50% of people favoured a limit above the current one.
