Holyrood considering raising the drink-buying age to 21

[pogofish]

Two stories today:

THE legal age for buying alcohol could be raised to 21 under proposals being examined by the Scottish Government.
Ministers are considering raising the minimum age from 18, as part of a long-term strategy for tackling the country's drink problem.
Shona Robison, the public health minister, is due to present a number of proposals later in the year.

http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Legal-age-for-buying-drink.3905088.jp

SUPERMARKETS and off-licences face being banned from selling cheap, high-strength booze as the Scottish Government steps up its drive against binge-drinking.
The SNP is drawing up plans to set minimum prices for every drink, based on alcohol content , in order to outlaw "cheaper than water" discount deals.

Cheap, strong ciders and high-strength continental lagers, often seen as the drink of choice by those wanting to get drunk quickly, are among those likely to see the biggest price hike.

http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/New-blitz-on-cutprice-booze.3905661.jp

Looks like the totally unelected & unaccountable & anti-drink, policy advisors to the Scottish Health Minister are having a field day.

Probably stands no chance of getting through this time but....

 

[danny la rouge]

Ludicrous. Just because Kenny has seen the light, we all need to.

 

[pogofish]

Yup, guess who invited them onboard.

Binge drinkin'quines-there's naething worse
They fa'aboot an'sweir an'curse
Wi' buttocks keekin'oot their drawers
They stumble oot o'clubs and bars
Oh bonnie quine fit are ye deein'
Squattin' in some shop door peein'
Syne staggerin'oot on tae the street
Yer knickers danglin' roond yer feet
Ye try tae hail a passin' taxi
But only fa doon on yer jaxie
Ye wander hame intae yer bed
And waukin up beside some ned
Puir quine ye're still a wee bit fu'
As ye struggle tae the nearest loo
Ye look in the mirror-oh whit a sicht
And ye canna mind onything that happened last
nicht!!

 

[geminisnake]

Like that's going to work Youngsters have been getting illegally drunk for an awfy long time and if they're doing it now when the legal age is 18 how is raising the age going to do a damn thing??

 

[equationgirl]

It works so well in the US too. Not.

 

[Meltingpot]

True, but a lot of the problem in the US is that almost everybody over the age of 18 drives, so that 18-19 year old drinkers tend to be 18-19 year old drink drivers, with all the associated risks.

That's a large part of the reason it's still illegal there. You can bet that in such a capitalistic society as America's the brewers wouldn't give up a highly lucrative market otherwise.

 

[osterberg]

Pogofish,who wrote that marvellous poem?
It brightened up my day

 

[pogofish]

No idea - It was quoted in the comments on one of Scotsman links in my OP.

Very apt tho - Union St on almost any weekend!

 

[poster342002]

More fucking neo-puritan shite. Expect the rest of the UK to follow quickly behind if this goes through - probably citing the number of shops and bars that already refuse to sell to under-21s as a justification ("we're just legislating for what's already the mainstream practise").

 

[osterberg]

No idea - It was quoted in the comments on one of Scotsman links in my OP.

Very apt tho - Union St on almost any weekend!

Only almost?

 

[pogofish]

More fucking neo-puritan shite.

Yup, they have more or less said that some serious change in legislation/regullation is coming.

 

[pogofish]

Only almost?

Well, I was surprised how sober & quiet things were on Friday night. So occasionally, yes.