Ripsaw Posted July 26, 2004 Share Posted July 26, 2004 In January, Mr Brown wrote to Chief Minister Richard Corkill, who chairs the strategy committee, suggesting banning people aged under-21 from buying strong drink. He said teenagers are regularly involved in drink-fuelled problems and a major cause may be the growing culture of drinking booze with high alcohol content... ...no decisions have been taken and the pros and cons of all ideas gathered have to be weighed up. Source: IOM OnlineThe law CURRENTLY says that at the age of 18 you are old enough to consume alcohol, but next year you may have to be over 21 if your prefered beverage exceedes 5% ABV. So if next year you are aged 20 and would like to consume a glass of wine, a vodka and lemonade, or a bottle of WKD you will be refused service. Despite it already being an offence to serve alcohol to a person already suffering the effects of drinking beyond an acceptable limit, our Government want a blanket ban on all "strong" drinks to Under 21s. Just like the intention to introduce new speed limits despite the inability to enforce the perfectly adequate existing laws, now we are likely to see another example of using the proverbial hammer to crack the proverbial nut. There were mixed views and some concerns about certain aspects of the practicalities of enforcement, but I believe my views were taken on board.' One concern is the difficulty a law change would present to licensees and pub workers in determining who whether customers were over 21. 'I made the point that I don't see any major problems with policing or controlling it,' Mr Brown added. 'At the moment some people are required to produce identification to prove they are 18 or over and legally able to buy alcohol. This would be an extension of that. The law says you are an adult at 18, ID proves your adulthood, Are the IOM Government now going to legislate 2 levels of adulthood? Young adults and "proper" adults? If there are problems inside public houses involving excessive consumption of alcohol, then either licensees are still not adhering to existing laws by refusing to serve customers, or sober customers are going to the bar for their drunken friends (also an offence as the law refers to "consumption on premises" as well as "purchase"). The introduction of a law like this also appears to be ignoring the problem of the under 18s who drink at home or 'borrow' alcohol to drink with their mates down the local park. It also fails to deal with the Over 21s who can be just as vunerable to the effects of higher content drinks. The Government's Alcohol Strategy is a rolling 5 year programme. If it has already been running for 4 and a bit years, is this new proposal an admission that things are now worse than they were when the strategy started? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mission Posted July 26, 2004 Share Posted July 26, 2004 Silly isn't it? If you are an adult, surely you are able to make your own decisions in life. I think they should focus more on the problems of underage drinking (nd everything else they get up to) rather than spoil it for those that have reached the legal age for drinking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Declan Posted July 26, 2004 Share Posted July 26, 2004 Well that is one way to get first time voters to vote. A disgraceful, and scandalous proposal. I don't see the comparison with the sensible proposal to introduce a speed limit though. Cars are always dangerous at great speeds; drunk teenagers usually not safe. (Oogie watch this ... I expect SirDick will have something to say about this) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirdick Posted July 26, 2004 Share Posted July 26, 2004 Hello! What a load of bollocks this is. Despite being 21 next year it's still aggrivating me that the Government just can't get a grip on anything. There is obviously a large underage drinking problem over here, the tarts and dickheads who stumble around xxxxed off their faces are not probably legal to drink (no matter how much slap and pastel-shade shirts they stick on) and these will be the ones Brown has spotted and thinks he's aiming this at. Still, perhaps the brewery will have to start selling more Mild in the pubs now Grrrr I'm angry now. Why did Declan have to show me this... *mutters* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
germann Posted July 26, 2004 Share Posted July 26, 2004 What the proposal is saying is that it's ok for under 21s to drink American Budweiser, but they have to wait to try the genuine Czech stuff. Three years of drinking urine is a bit harsh, eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirdick Posted July 26, 2004 Share Posted July 26, 2004 Can the mods change that smilie, he doesn't really look like he's winking. More sulking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Declan Posted July 26, 2004 Share Posted July 26, 2004 Dickie you drink mild anyway. I doubt Brownie has anything against mild. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.K. Posted July 26, 2004 Share Posted July 26, 2004 Totally stupid. If you are the sort that likes to do things properly then when you go out for a drink you will want to feel the effects. Of course, if the stronger stuff is barred then you will just have to drink more of the rest, and you will.... Would someone kindly point out to those highly-paid "politicians" that the effect will be exactly the same. Just what planet are these people on.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirdick Posted July 26, 2004 Share Posted July 26, 2004 Apparently he's a bit of a secret lemonade drinker himself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Observer Posted July 26, 2004 Share Posted July 26, 2004 Same old story of not targeting the right people and also not enforcing the laws that we already have in existence. Don't know if anyone ever happens to be up by Prospect Terrace in the evening ever, but there are frequently groups of very obvious underage drinkers who are 'off their faces' up there. Saw a girl last night who looked no more than 15 picking herself up off the pavement, falling again, crawling around trying to gather up the pieces of her mobile phone which was scattered in several bits across the pavement. (she was one of a group) Probably just large amounts of fairly weak alchopops - I don't know. Maybe I'm just getting old and moany or summat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Peters Posted July 26, 2004 Share Posted July 26, 2004 I'm over 21 and don't drink much, so could reasonably be expected to think it's an absolutely spiffing idea. One of these days one of us will hit one of those booze-laden pastel-shirted idiots who try to wave down every single car on Douglas Prom thinking it's a taxi...and then there'll be hell to pay. But I'll admit to not liking aggressive drunks, and leave it at that. Which is unlike the anti-speed lobby which doesn't like driving fast yet wants to spoil things for those of us who can drive safely at higher speeds than many of the morons out there who are dangerous at ANY speed. Except 0-10mph, according to the stats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lectro Posted July 26, 2004 Share Posted July 26, 2004 How the hell would they police that ffs? They can't even stop 15 year olds getting off their t*ts in the Venue at the weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Observer Posted July 26, 2004 Share Posted July 26, 2004 How the hell would they police that ffs? They can't even stop 15 year olds getting off their t*ts in the Venue at the weekend. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Exactly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.K. Posted July 26, 2004 Share Posted July 26, 2004 But the point is that bringing in what would almost certainly be totally un-enforceable (is that a word?) legislation will not solve the problem of youngsters getting completely bladdered. It is all a question of degree, IMHO of course. I can (vaguely) remember being introduced to alcohol. Out with your mates it started with "Get it down you, you know it'll make you feel good" and after puking up your ring crawling around on Port Erin beach (The Falcons) it was followed with "Bring it all up, you know you'll feel better!". So youngsters being confused about alcohol is not new. But it being a problem probably is. This "Election coming start appealing to the voters" crap legislation will solve nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posters Posted July 26, 2004 Share Posted July 26, 2004 Despite it already being an offence to serve alcohol to a person already suffering the effects of drinking beyond an acceptable limit, IF this was enforced , I think it would cut down a lot of the booze related problems. I can't remember every seeing anything in the papers about anyone being done for this. Stupid Nanny State think more rules, rather than correct enforcement, is the answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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