Post by Madhatter on Apr 16, 2007 14:18:40 GMT
Britain should consider making the legal drinking age 21 as it has "lost the plot" when it comes to regulating alcohol, policy pundits claim.
The UK has one of the worst problems in Europe with a fifth of children aged 11 to 15 drinking at least once a week.
Public Policy Research (PPR), the journal of the IPPR think-tank, says it is time to practise "tough love", such as reviewing the minimum drinking age.
The government said there were already tough measures in place.
Binge culture
But columnist Jasper Gerard argues in PPR: "When it comes to booze, society seems to have lost its senses."
He says current regulations are failing to tackle the growing trend of underage and binge drinking.
By raising the age threshold, he claims: "It is at least possible that those in their early and mid teens will not see drink as something they will soon be allowed to do so therefore they might as well start doing it surreptitiously now."
Alternatively, he proposes getting 18-year-olds to carry smart cards which record how much they have drunk each night and making it an offence to serve more alcohol to anyone under-21 who had already consumed more than three units.
Crackdown
He conceded that no measure would stamp out youthful drinking entirely, but said it was time for a crackdown.
Alcohol Concern agreed that further action was needed, but did not think raising the legal drinking age would help, pointing out that other countries which have already done this, including the US, still have a problem with youth drinking.
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6551887.stm
I can't see how raising an age limit will make any difference, I'ts enforcing the law that will make a difference.They drink because they know they'll get away with it.
The UK has one of the worst problems in Europe with a fifth of children aged 11 to 15 drinking at least once a week.
Public Policy Research (PPR), the journal of the IPPR think-tank, says it is time to practise "tough love", such as reviewing the minimum drinking age.
The government said there were already tough measures in place.
Binge culture
But columnist Jasper Gerard argues in PPR: "When it comes to booze, society seems to have lost its senses."
He says current regulations are failing to tackle the growing trend of underage and binge drinking.
By raising the age threshold, he claims: "It is at least possible that those in their early and mid teens will not see drink as something they will soon be allowed to do so therefore they might as well start doing it surreptitiously now."
Alternatively, he proposes getting 18-year-olds to carry smart cards which record how much they have drunk each night and making it an offence to serve more alcohol to anyone under-21 who had already consumed more than three units.
Crackdown
He conceded that no measure would stamp out youthful drinking entirely, but said it was time for a crackdown.
Alcohol Concern agreed that further action was needed, but did not think raising the legal drinking age would help, pointing out that other countries which have already done this, including the US, still have a problem with youth drinking.
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6551887.stm
I can't see how raising an age limit will make any difference, I'ts enforcing the law that will make a difference.They drink because they know they'll get away with it.
