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Councils sign up to Boris alcohol ban on under-21s
Danny Brierley, Evening Standard18.07.08
A ban on selling alcohol to young adults looks set to be rolled out across London after councils gave their backing to the groundbreaking anti-binge drinking plan.
Authorities across the capital revealed plans to consider asking offlicences to stop selling alcoholic drinks to people under 21.
The scheme is to be tested in Croydon,where shops will be asked not to sell alcohol to 18 to 21-year-olds, even though they are legally entitled to.
Today more councils came out in support of the plan, including Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham, Westminster and Ealing.
Some are meeting police imminently in a move to introduce the new scheme, backed by Mayor Boris Johnson.
Ealing council leader Jason Stacey said his borough was fully supporting the scheme. He told the Standard: "It is a great idea and we hope as many off-licences as possible sign up to the scheme. I hope it will reduce bingedrinking among teenagers."
Daniel Astaire, Westminster council ' s community protection spokesman, said: "We take binge drinking very seriously and welcome innovative ideas to deal with this serious social problem.
"We have pioneered our own voluntary-agreement with supermarkets and off- licences in parts of Westminster which are prone to anti-social behaviour.
"The indiscriminate sale of alcohol which blights towns and cities across the country must end, and that applies to both the age of people being served and the type of alcohol. We all need to address the very real social problems which alcohol causes and contributes to, and the industry must play its part in helping to deal with this breakdown in society."
Merrick Cockell, leader of Kensington and Chelsea council, said: "London needs some fresh thinking on antisocial behaviour and this looks like an idea worth exploring. We'll certainly be talking it through with our local police."
The support came as an official report found hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren were drinking six pints of beer a week. The data from the NHS Information Centre found that one in five 11- to 15-year-olds in England - 640,000 pupils - had drunk alcohol in the past week.
Despite the widespread public concern over binge drinking, Diageo, the world's largest drinks company, dismissed the under-21 sales ban idea as "ill conceived".
In a letter to the Standard the company's managing director, Benet Slay, said: "The fact that an 18-year-old could drink alcohol in a pub, club or restaurant, yet would not be old enough to purchase a bottle of beer and drink it at home is clearly illogical.
"If Mr Johnson wants to 'banish the scourge of binge-drinking' he should look to solutions such as enforcing existing alcohol legislation, intervention schemes for alcohol misuse and wider information campaigns on responsible drinking, including information for children on the dangers of underage drinking.
"He should not adopt a policy that will penalise all responsible adults between the ages 18 and 21."
Reader views (15)
So Carlos, you are stating that the majority of those "abusing their (drinking) rights" are the 18-21 year olds? Look at any A&E department on a Fri/Sat night and you will see a whole range of ages - idiots who have consumed their weight in alcohol and are wasting valuable resources, abusing staff, or those not in A&E are causing trouble in the clubs and streets.
Don't tar all of us with the same brush - I'm 21, I barely drink and when I do I know when to stop and my circle of friends (aged 18-23) are mature types who know how to handle their alcohol and would rather be having a meal with friends then "getting pissed."
If it was found that any other minority groups (based on sexuality, race of religion) were found to cause problems regarding drink then would we 'boycott' them from drinking? Of course not.
I have friends training to be doctors, lawyers, and sporting individuals who have even (successfully) represented their country this year.
I suggest you open your mind and stop being so stereotypical. Don't let a few idiots give our age range a bad reputation - eventually they will simply not be able to keep defending it and it will drive individuals to act this way as no one will believe they are above it or that they can do better. But, I assume you have heard of the labelling process? ;P
- Amanda, London
I moved to London to experience university, and being one of the younger members of the year I have not long since turned 19, and I rightly feel aggrieved that Boris wants to take away the privileges I have only recently gained.
Boris Johnsson is an absolute fool, I m sure many people who voted in the election must have gone crazy-voting in a bumbling baboon. All he seems to be doing is taking away any past-times and pleasures many people enjoy, yes I can see how taking alcohol away from the tube makes others peoples journeys more 'pleasant' but just the other week I was returning home from a night out, and a man joined the night bus and promptly broke somebody's nose on the service- so surely his 'master plan' has some very large flaws.
Perhaps he could bring in a blanket plan on the whole of the capital, prohibition appeared to work so well in 1920's America.
He shouldn't be wasting his time with alcohol banning, and be championing the thing many people are afraid of; crime, gang crime and youths being stabbed. If he can do this he will earn mine, and many others respect until then the city of London has made a very large mistake appointing this idiot!
- Josh Wheeler, South Tottenham, North London
All this is Boris trying to push his weight around and not looking at long term plans such as structured rehabilitation. It would be interesting to see figures between 18-21 to 22-31. As I believe the difference would be minimal.
- Lewis, pinner
This is a great idea.
Most kids, when they get out of school and are released into the world, when they have alcohol around them, begin to fall into the lifestyle of working 9-5 and then going out on weekends with the intention of drinking instead of meeting people like you're supposed to.
The whole point of going out of your house, is meeting people, increase your chances of survival in the world (contacts) and reproduce (get a woman/man).
Binge drinking in 18-21 year olds has skyrocketed in the last ten years, and they've proved that though they may be considered an adult, they can't control themselves like adults.
I think it would be interesting and better! 18 year olds will actually have to turn to socialising and actually talking to each other instead of drinking. In other countries where people don't drink til 21, a lot more gets done and a lot more sport is played too.
But in the UK, kids try to drink as fast as possible and whenever you ask one what she/he'd rather be doing, they'll answer "get pissed". I'm 19 myself, but I've seen all of this happening day in day out.
People are complaining about having rights taken away from them. They were given the rights, and they abused them. And it's not a minority, It's too many in the country to just ignore the problem. Plus, the body isn't fully developed at 15-18. Livers only mature by 21-25. More so in women where they have less dehydrogenate to get rid of alcohol which is why they have more hangovers
- Carlos, London
Even if you ban alcohol for under-21s outright, they will still binge drink. I speak from experience.
The only difference is the government would make a trifle more money on fines (which would be consumed by the extra law enforcement, legal fees, ect.) and the under-age population would have to do stupid things (like run from police. regularly) to avoid being punished.
- Mcguire Irvine, Houghton, MI, USA
I think this is ridiculous, are us as young people ever going to have our own rights? We live here also, I just think its highly unjustified, as we don't have the vote till we 18, we do not have any choice and we can't make our decisions. There is always someone older to buy alcohol for you, maybe you should try to prevent that instead. I could go on and on, but we should not let our country turn into a nanny state!
- Daisy, Brighton, UK
Well done Boris it would be nice to see the rest of the country follow your lead.
However how can we stop irresponsible parents buying grog(alcohol) for their kids?
- Andrew Mason, Brisbane Australia
I'm a liberal-minded person but I believe democracy and freedoms have to be restricted when they are abused and become dangerous for public safety.
- Polly, London, UK
Recently turned 18, only to find out my newly acquired right may be taken from me!
The 'binge drinking culture' starts from the age of 15 approx. Boris should target the underage drinkers rather than those who are legal! ridiculous.
- Sam, London
The age should be increased across the board and the whole nation with severe penalties for stores that serve under age people. In the U.S. they set up stings in stores and send the violators to jail, that gets the message across and ensures everyone IDs.
- Brandon Thomas, London UK
As a former resident from the UK.
I highly applaud the voluntary ban for the 18 to 21 year olds.
Here in Australia alcohol is restricted to Bottle Shops. It is not available in shops or supermarkets.
I worked in the Emergency Health Care Sector in London. The most violent and verbally aggressive clients abusing NHS resources were the 18 to 21 year old whom could not tolerate the amount of alcohol they were drinking.
Lets us not forget, the first 2 drugs people consume in there lives are nicotine and alcohol.
Nanny State... What the country needs in a Nanny to supervise the young.
Well done Boris.
- Phil Smith, Sydney Australia
I'm old enough to drink, I drink responsibly. Why am I going to be punished? Surely its the 15 year olds at the bus stops who Boris should be dealing with? This is nannying.
- Sean Kirwin, London
Most definitely need to ban drinking in the street. I don't mean outside a pub which has a drink on license I mean super market and off license sales should not be allow to be consumed in the streets or in side vehicles. Impose a fine £500 on the spot would stop it. There has been a massive increase in recent years with foreigners drinking in the streets and all that comes with that sort of behaviour. Nu-Labour have brought in over 3,500 new laws yet we are a lawless country.
- Mike, London
Nanny State!
- Anthony, Esher, Surrey
This is utter nonsense: an assault on the human rights of tax-paying, voting adults which is unenforceable in law and will do nothing to stop what it is ostensibly designed to stop. Where is the evidence anyway that people between the ages of 18 and 21 buying drink in off-licences are contributing to a problem?
- Terry Collmann, London England
