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1st April 2008
Raising Drinking Age Not The Solution Says MSP
North East Tory MSP Alex Johnstone has
criticised proposals by Justice Minister Kenny MacAskill to
raise the age limit for purchasing alcohol from off licenses
to 21.
Mr Johnstone said "I believe that this is a
knee jerk reaction that will do nothing to halt what appears
to be a growing problem of underage binge drinking in our
communities. Alternatively, the proper regulation of the law
as it currently stands, along with more effective policing
and better education about the health problems associated
with this life style, would have a much better chance of
success. Recent experience of 'Test Purchasing' by people
under the age of 18 in Aberdeenshire showed that we do have
a problem but also served as a warning to those retailers
who were flouting the law that their actions would no longer
be tolerated."
"Better policing is needed because it is not
necessarily young people buying drink for themselves.
Sometimes family members, even parents, are known to source
alcohol for kids and members of the public are sometimes
pressured into buying booze by groups of kids outside off
licenses. I am also aware that some people, who themselves
may have a drink problem, are willing to take 'orders' and
purchase alcohol for young people in exchange for drink or
cigarettes. These characters become known to young people
and so it goes on."
"Neither can I support raising the price of
alcohol in an attempt to price it out of the reach of people
who binge drink. The fact is that people who currently
binge drink will continue to do so even if the costs rise.
This means that the extra money needed to purchase alcohol
will come from other household budgets and this will hit
those on modest incomes the most, increasing levels of
deprivation. It seems to me that the only benefits of this
move would be for the treasury."
Mr Johnstone continued "Anecdotal evidence
from France, a country traditionally associated with
introducing alcohol to youngsters in a responsible way,
suggests that raising the price of alcohol discourages those
who only consume healthy amounts anyway, but perversely,
binge drinking among young people appears to be on the
rise."
Concluding, Mr Johnstone said "Blunt
legislation of the kind proposed by Mr MacAskill will do
nothing whatsoever to help in the fight against binge
drinking and the anti-social behaviour that it often fuels.
Scotland has a complex relationship with alcohol and if we
are to be successful in combating it, we need to find
solutions that address the issues the lie behind it.
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