Will we soon have to be 21 to purchase alcohol from shops?

Question

Scotland are proposing legislation to up the age to 21 for people wishing to buy alcohol from supermarkets and off licenses.

Do you think this will actually happen? Will it happen in England?

What are your thoughts?

Personally, i'm 19 and a student and think that it's an outrage, for these reasons:

1) I'm 19 and thus wouldn't be able to buy alcohol in shops :(

2) Pubs would become filled with the people who drink in parks/streets

3) It won't work, people have older siblings/friends or lenient parents

4) Less alcohol would be purchased, so the Gov. would have less money from taxes (Most important reason of course :P)

Anyone think of a better solution, and for all those who are older and say it's a good idea, think about how you would feel if you were 1/2 years below the limit.

Answer 1

I think it should have been introduced years ago.

At 19 your liver is still developing and you want to poison it, thus increasing your chances of liver problems in the future?

You don't have the brains or wisdom to know this I guess, so YES you need to be prohibited from buying Alcohol.  

Answer 2

welcome to the club.

we went 21 two or more decades ago.     no matter what,  it doesn't change the fact that many can't handle the stuff... there's always going to be underage drinking and someone's going to get hurt or worse because of some idiot who can't treat the stuff with respect and drink wisely and use their brains while doing it.

there's no solution.     that's a joke if one thinks there is one.

Answer 3

Hello,

(ANS) This is ONLY a proposed policy it has to be passed by the Scottish Assembly and by all the political parties in Scotland. However, Scotland does seem to have a particularly dire problem with alcohol & a history of hard drinking to a level we don't see in the rest of the UK.  

**This policy is an attempt to get the horse back in the stable even after it has bolted and is running around the field wildly.

**My guess and it is only a guess is that if this policy were to become law in Scotland the UK government would watch with interest for a time before considering if the same policy would work in the rest of the UK. It would take time so I don't think its going to become law in the UK in the near future.

**The drinking laws in the UK were changed under Tony Blairs administration and to say they were naive is an understatement. We don't have the same drinking attitudes that people in the rest of the EU have, we don't have a cafe culture like Paris or Rome. Sadly, in the UK these laid back EU laws have lead to a disaster among younger people who don't know how to drink in moderation or with some restraint. Sadly young people seem to think its cool to get blathered & out of it completely.

**Its one thing to bring in a new law but its another thing entirely to enforce it. And further the best laws only work because most people accept or agree with them. Otherwise the police & the courts & the NHS have to pick up the pieces.

Ivan

Answer 4

As the daughter of an alcoholic, and the sister of three brothers who are very heavy drinkers, I think the d**n stuff should be banned.  Alcohol ruins lives.  Yes, I do agree with raising the age limit.  too many of my friend's children are given drinks because they are "almost" of a drinking age.  At fourteen.  So if the age is raised, the adults in the situation will have to raise their own levels of what is acceptable and what isn't.

Too many children and young adults are in the hospitals because of their drinking - it strains the NHS, for a start.

I know of three children who have been in hospital for alcohol poisoning.  If the age limit is raised, maybe it will mean that they are more mature when they eventually can drink.  

Answer 5

I'm from the USA and the legal age for drinking is 21. In the early 70's 1 State (New Jersey) made the legal age at 18. That didn't last long due to too many car accidents involving 18 year olds and drinking. I feel for you man, but the law is the law. But that didn't stop underage drinking.