Scotland calls for rise in legal drinking age

Written by Harpers Editorial team   
Tuesday, 12 June 2007 00:00
18 years is too young for people to drink alcohol unsupervised.

michael_matheson
Michael Matheson Falkirk West (SNP)
The Scottish National Party (SNP) is looking into raising the age limit of off-license sales of alcohol.

During a debate in the Scottish Parliament, Michael Matheson Falkirk West (SNP) urged cabinet secretary for Justice minister, Kenny MacAskill to consider the "possibility of raising the age limit for those who may purchase alcohol from an off-license."

He said current legislation that allows 18 year-olds to purchase alcohol is too low.

"If someone drinks alcohol in a pub, technically they are under the supervision of the bar staff and the licence holder for those premises, but when they purchase alcohol from an off-sales, their drinking is unsupervised."

MacAskill, considering the issue, said: "I also want to crack-down on irresponsible promotions and discounts on alcohol.

"If the buy-one-get-one free approach is unacceptable in our pubs, why should it be acceptable anywhere else?"

The minister is due to meet with police and licensing boards to discuss tackling underage sales as part of the new licensing laws.
 

Comments

 
#11 Graeme 2008-07-21 08:48
I think that there are pros and cons about this, for example, the snp need only to look at the amount of alcohol related crimes and the amount of underage drinkers caught each year in Italy, and compare it with our own and with a country where the limit is 21.
Taking into account the relative differences in size, it should provide a resonable comparison (as the legal drink age in Itlay is 16).
I am 19 right now so i will most likely be affected by the age rise, so i am in a position to say how it will affect me (and most likely everyone else my age).
I will simply either try my hand in a corner shop or get a friend to by it - easy!
The people right now that supply underagers with alcohol are typically going to be from the underclass (not being biased) and so the snp should be looking toward preventing this than putting the age limit up.
The thereshold for people getting bought alcohol will just increase with the rise, it will make no DRAMATIC change (except more work for supermarkets).
 
 
#10 anon 2008-07-15 12:43
18 = adult

adult = you are resposiable for your own actions
 
 
#9 kirsty 2008-06-16 18:13
i think 18 is a good age to drink because at any age you are always going to get someone studip that takes it to far
 
 
#8 Noel 2008-06-04 14:49
It's pathetic to raise the drinking age to 21.
Although i will agree that some youths are irresponsible when it comes to drinking but why should the responsible youths miss out?
I believe that this will increase the crime rate.

Usually the more strict the parent is,the more likely the kid will rebel.
 
 
#7 kirsty 2008-04-15 08:32
putting the age for drinking up like what has happened with smoking, is only telling young adults that they are not responsible enough, therefor they are just going to drink on the streets and act irresponsible.
If you trust and allow young adults to drink sensibly in pubs the chances are the majority will act like mature adults as they relise they are bieng treated like adults. my honest opinion is that if you put the age up its taking human biengs rights away and only causing trouble
 
 
#6 Kathryn 2008-03-06 09:43
It's never going to work anyways- people who are under 21 will just go get a fake ID which will in turn fund shadier activities. Go on, our dear Establishment, fund the crimes you promised to crack down on. Good een.
 
 
#5 jon 2008-02-20 09:36
puting the legal drinking age up wont help anything all it will do is force 18 19 and 20 year olds out on the street to drink instead of being indoors at a pub or club and all it is going to do is make drinking look cooler to most young people these days and there will be an increase in underage drinking on the street and increase alcohol related crimes and violence if the goverment really wanted to solve the problem they would allow for younger teens to go to the pub for a drink so they wont be in the street causing trouble for everyone they should keep the age the same but if they want to reduce drinking in the street perhaps should look into allowing 16 and 17 year olds to enjoy a drink at the pub rather than the street
 
 
#4 louise 2008-01-24 09:02
I am Scottish and have lived in America for the past 12 years. I have seen more underage irresponsible drinking here than at any time when I lived back home. Dropping the age limit is not the answer.
 
 
#3 Daniel 2007-12-17 09:19
Okay, first they rose the smoking age from 16 to 18.

Now they plan to stop 18,19,20 year olds from purchasing drink?

there just asking for public disorder.
 
 
#2 Petra 2007-11-19 14:45
An age hike is a ridiculously ludicrous concept!! The impostioin of a higher drinking age will simply perpetuate regular binge (underage) drinking affairs------ its logical.
 

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