Alcohol age laws

[Skint Gull]

BBC NEWS | England | Sussex | Store stops father buying alcohol

I had this recently when I was in ASDA in Eastbourne with a mate of mine who is 17 who was off to a house party so (with his mothers permission) i was getting him a couple of tins. The woman on the checkout said I can't buy the alcohol unless he has ID as well.

Now I can understand it to an extent because there are definitely too many under age kids drinking in the streets but surely the only way to reasonably stop that is for the Police to stop the kids who are doing it and trace where they got the booze from?

I was always under the impression that if you are drinking in someone's private home there are no minimum ages for drinking alcohol (or it might be 5 or something daft)? Is this not the case? If it is surely this rule that supermarkets are imposing is crazy? So long as they don't sell it to someone underage, after that it's up to the consumer what they do with it shirley?

 

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Reading the article it seems the over-cautiousness is caused by a change in the law allowing for the individual that sold the alcohol to be punished as well as the supermarket.

Of course any shop has the right to refuse to sell goods, should they believe that it is being bought on the behalf of somebody that is underage. But I agree, this does seem to be taking things a tad far.

 

[Bevendean Hillbilly]

The cashier can refuse to sell you alcohol if she/he believes you are buyig it for someone under 18 (which you were) so well done ASDA.

I know you were buying it with his mothers permission but that doesnt make it legal does it?

I was in the offie that used to be Threshers at Fiveways a while back and there was a woman in there trying to buy a load of cans of cider (she was totally hammered btw) anyways after a load of hassle she was knocked back and off she staggered. The assistant was telling me that she is a local drunk who the kids use to buy alcohol for them in return for a couple of quid for her vodka (There was a load of teenagers hanging about outside sure enough.)

If dibble nick the kids later and find out that the shop was selling drink to her for her to pass on to under 18's then the shop can still lose it's licence.

Also pretty sure ASDA have been in trouble for selling booze to people supplying kids before.

 

[drew]

If the article is about Asda and the bloke with his daughter then the store were stupid. I shop with my 5 year old and frequently buy wine and beer. If Tesco's stopped everyone then they would lose a lot of custom.

However, Skint Gull, you must be living on another planet if you think it is ok to go and buy alcohol on behalf of a teenager. There is no difference to what you are saying than if kids hang around outside off licences and get strangers to buy alcohol for them. Last week a 22 year old alcoholic died because of drink. He had been drinking since he was 13 I think. Someone was supplying him with alcohol at that age. Was that right

 

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Also pretty sure ASDA have been in trouble for selling booze to people supplying kids before.

My sister used to buy alcohol for trading standards when she was 15 in the Worthing and Bognor areas... she seems to think that Sommerfield and little corner shops were the worst offenders.

 

[sten_super]

If Asda correctly enforced the law (which seems to be the case; they were being OTT, but were correctly carrying out the law) then it is the law which is ridiculous and should be changed.
As far as I'm aware a child is allowed to drink in the home (presumably his/her home, under supervision from parents) from the age of 5, unless they've changed the law in the last 12 months or so. On that basis how can they stop any adult buying alcohol for their child, as long as it is for consumption at home?

 

[Bevendean Hillbilly]

My sister used to buy alcohol for trading standards when she was 15 in the Worthing and Bognor areas... she seems to think that Sommerfield and little corner shops were the worst offenders.

All pf them need to watch themselves...I remember Tesco Express at Broadwater was banned from selling booze for 6 months for selling to people who were buying for kids.

 

[sten_super]

Another thing that bugs me about this is that it is all pissing in the wind anyway. Attempting to stem the supply of alcohol to under age drinkers is a fruitless exercise that simply allows the incumbant government to say that they are trying to do something about the alcohol problems in our society. What really needs to happen is a serious discussion of the drinking culture that is inherent in our society, and what can be done to tackle it.

 

[Pavilionaire]

I can't see that Asda have done anything wrong here. It's down to parents to teach responsible drinking to their kids.

And if I was going to buy booze for an Under-18 the first thing I'd do is make sure they were WELL out of sight.

 

[Gwylan]

As far as I'm aware a child is allowed to drink in the home (presumably his/her home, under supervision from parents) from the age of 5, unless they've changed the law in the last 12 months or so.

That is indeed still the case - although the BMA want it raised to something really high (13 or 14 I think).

It does seem a strange thing for supermarkets to do. We get a Sainsbury dellivery every month and that often contains wine- are drivers going to refuse to deliver that because there are kids in the house? I don't really see the difference.

 

[strings]

Another thing that bugs me about this is that it is all pissing in the wind anyway. Attempting to stem the supply of alcohol to under age drinkers is a fruitless exercise that simply allows the incumbant government to say that they are trying to do something about the alcohol problems in our society. What really needs to happen is a serious discussion of the drinking culture that is inherent in our society, and what can be done to tackle it.

The words nail and head come to mind.

I was on my Holidays recently and both me and my less-observant girlfriend noticed something - the majority of Brits sit around the pool getting pissed all day. The other nationalities tend to drink just as much, but do it with meals and hence enjoy their alcohol without getting totally wrecked.

Now as a young person I enjoy having one too many drinks from time-to-time, however I think you are spot-on. It seems to be the British approach to drinking that is the problem.

 

[Pavilionaire]

What really needs to happen is a serious discussion of the drinking culture that is inherent in our society, and what can be done to tackle it.

This 'discussion' has already been done to death.

We have Pubwatch where pubs in a location can share information about particular risky individuals or groups, there's been media campaigns to up the price of booze, TV ad campaigns ridicule people who get legless and so on.

 

[Acker79]

That is indeed still the case - although the BMA want it raised to something really high (13 or 14 I think).

It does seem a strange thing for supermarkets to do. We get a Sainsbury dellivery every month and that often contains wine- are drivers going to refuse to deliver that because there are kids in the house? I don't really see the difference.

Well, there's a difference between delivering alcohol to someone at home with children (where it is legal), and serving someone in a public shop where it is illegal for the kids to drink.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

The interesting thing is that you can buy alcohol for someone under 18 as long as you are not acting as their agent, that means they are not aware of the purchase and do not pay you for it. So for example little Johnny off to a party and you think I'll buy him some beer, then outside the shop give it to him and he is unaware that you were going to do it, thats within the law. The difficulty in law is proving the minors ignorance to the purchase.

A somewhat stupid point and many thought that this type of thing was going to be redefined in the latest act but wasn't.

 

[Trufflehound]

My sister used to buy alcohol for trading standards when she was 15...

Lazy bastards. They should buy their own.

 

[sten_super]

This 'discussion' has already been done to death.

We have Pubwatch where pubs in a location can share information about particular risky individuals or groups, there's been media campaigns to up the price of booze, TV ad campaigns ridicule people who get legless and so on.

The discussion may well have been had, but no useful results have come from it, have they? My initial point about the legislation being useless still stands.

 

[Gwylan]

Well, there's a difference between delivering alcohol to someone at home with children (where it is legal), and serving someone in a public shop where it is illegal for the kids to drink.

But, unless the law has changed, it's also illegal for adults to drink too, alcohol is served for home consumption only, you can't drink on the premises.

And you can certainly get fined for drinking in the streets of Brighton

 

[tinx]

So if I go shopping with my two kids one is 1 and one is five and I want a bottle of wine will I be refused? Of course not, in which case why should I be refused if I am shopping with an older child.

 

[newhaven seagull 85]

The interesting thing is that you can buy alcohol for someone under 18 as long as you are not acting as their agent, that means they are not aware of the purchase and do not pay you for it. So for example little Johnny off to a party and you think I'll buy him some beer, then outside the shop give it to him and he is unaware that you were going to do it, thats within the law. The difficulty in law is proving the minors ignorance to the purchase.

A somewhat stupid point and many thought that this type of thing was going to be redefined in the latest act but wasn't.

the person buying the alcohol is still breaking the law and can get an on the spot fine its called proxy selling. i think a first offence is £80.

 

[Pavilionaire]

The discussion may well have been had, but no useful results have come from it, have they? My initial point about the legislation being useless still stands.

The biggest problem with this country is nobody wants to take responsibility for their actions anymore, and the lily-livered response from today's politicans whenever they're faced with a tough subject like, booze, drugs, burkhas etc is too often "we need to have an open debate on the topic".

Bollocks to that. It's very simple; either the price of booze goes up so that the cost of drinking is prohibitive (as in Scandinavian countries), or people start drinking responsibly.

I favour the latter course of action, with FAR tougher penalties for binge-drinking troublemakers.