Do you see this as another erosion of our civil liberties. or?

Question

a much needed tightening of the law ?

I think the latter as their are too many teenagers getting `out of their minds` on cheap drink and causing Murder (literally) and Mayhem.

The drinks industry predictably argue against it, but they are the ones that introduced sweet tasting, high alcohol drinks to encourage young drinkers, especially girls.

Answer 1

I think alcohol should not be available to under 21's personally. This has been law in most US states and whilst some young people will find a way to get it, they don't seem to have the binge drinking culture and associated problems we have here. I still don't know why Labour saw fit to change licensing Laws which has exacerbated the problem. Whilst Alcopops are appealing to young girls, there are many, many shopkeepers apparently willing to sell alcohol to them to drink in parks etc. If the young cannot drink alcohol responsibly we should raise the age they can legally buy alcohol. Our over stretched NHS does not need to have scarce resources wasted on Chavs that have overdone the booze every weekend.

Answer 2

There will never be a point in time that liquor is not consumed by minors. Because we make it "legally unavailable" to them just means that they are going to want it more. I don't think that the sweet drinks mean anything. They are going to drink what they can get, plain and simple.

I am not saying we should allow it, but there will never be a time where there is no mayhem or murder. We just need to use our resources to prevent it and take each day as we go. There should be higher penalties to those who purchase for minor age consumption and better ID techniques.

Parents need to monitor their children better, know where they are and who they are with.

Answer 3

I also work in retail and this will assist us totally in dealing with the scumbags. I take great pleasure in asking people in a group for ID to find that one or two of them that I have seen selecting booze do not have any, then they try to purchase it using someone with ID and I refuse them all, as I believe the minors are going to given it. Love the abuse after too. Poor little darlings.

Restriction of my Civil Liberties. I don't think so.Lets extend this to the pubs and clubs. Keep the scum at home and off the streets.

Just think of those poor Uni Students too. Poor things. Not enough money to live, to buy books,and to buy food, but they can always afford beer. Well now they can't buy the stuff in Supermarkets and have to use Pubs perhaps they'll spend a little less on booze and not leave with so much debt.

Answer 4

Yes it is an erosion and an abuse of people's human rights and anyone who thinks differently are stupid.

If  teenagers wants to drink alcohol that is their business and no one else's  How dare the Governmet try to stop this.  When I was a teenager if I wanted to drink I would drink and the Governement was totaly powerless to stop me.

Prohibition of any kind does not work and will never work.  When will people and Governements realise this?

Education on the other hand (when done properly) and leadership instead of force does tend to work.

Answer 5

Supermarkets in Edinburgh are not selling if you don't look 25 unless you have proof of your age.

Yesterday I was going into Morrison's in Gilmerton and saw a woman come out and hand 3 youngsters who looked about 15 to 16 a box of Carling telling them to enjoy the party.

How will we ever control under age drinking if people are buying on the kids behalf.

If drink is causing mayhem by teenagers then perhaps the law being changed is a good thing.

Answer 6

Yes, I agree.  They have commercialized and sexualized the youngest.  It's a shame.

Answer 7

banning people under 21 from buying alcohol WILL NOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE

seriously, at the moment you can't buy alcohol until you are 18, but that doesn't stop 14 year olds getting hold of it, so raising the age to 21 will not change anything.

And those that are causing "murder and mayhem" tend to be off their head on drugs, not just drunk.

It is unfair to punish the majority just because a few people get a bit drunk. There are plenty of older people who get drunk and end up going out and beating up people, and killing people, so are we going to stop 35 year olds buying alcohol too? no, i didn't think so.

So yes, i think it is another erosion of our civil liberties. A seem to remember a few weeks ago the government saying "we can't force kids to study RE as it's against their human right to choice"....well sorry, but what happened to my right to choice when it comes to alcohol?

Answer 8

If you look at the prohibition era when drinking and alcohol were illegal, you'll understand why it is the way it is today.

People make profit for buying drinks for underage kids, plain and simple.

I say let them drink, that way the immature stupid ones die sooner and stop plaguing our world.

Answer 9

Are you reading far too much yellow journalism?

I take it you are an avid follower of stories spun in the papers and you lust and abide by them all as the truth of the world?

If not, who are your true sources?

Do you get out much - travel etc...?  The world is a happier place than yours, that's for sure.

I'm sorry to speak the truth.  But you are clearly depressed in your own world.  Try spending some money, helping people more!!!  Get out and travel without any money at all!

You'll feel a whole lot better than you do now, that's for sure!

All the people I have met help one another and support each other.  What denied world are you living in?

Perhaps it's time to ditch your TV set [Idiot Box in Australia] and stop buying those dumb newspapers.

Answer 10

It's 21 in America and we still have these problems.  The problem isn't the age, it's the criteria for establishments.  People who drink at home are less danger than people who drink at pubs so your new law is backwards.

Answer 11

you have no civil liberties.  you have luck.  if you are lucky you do not get found out or do not get wrongly-accused.