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Alcohol
Overview:
There are serious risks associated with drunkenness, particularly for young people.
Misusing alcohol can be dangerous for the following reasons:
- Drinking large amounts of alcohol over a short period to get drunk quickly is called bingeing
- Mixing drinks can be risky at any age
- Some types of drink preferred by young people are much stronger than average, for example, strong beers and ciders. There can be as much alcohol in a 330ml bottle of ‘alco-pop’ as a generous shot of whiskey.
After drinking, people are far more likely to have an accident, and some are more likely to become involved in violence.
Long-term heavy use of alcohol can lead to many problems including liver, heart and stomach conditions.
What the law says
Under 5?
It is illegal to give an alcoholic drink to a child under 5 except under medical supervision in an emergency.
Under 14?
They cannot go into the bar of a pub unless it has a 'children's certificate'. They can only go into parts of licensed premises where alcohol is either sold but not drunk (eg. a sales point for consumption away from the pub), or drunk but not sold (eg. a garden or family room).
14 or 15?
They can go anywhere in a pub but not drink alcohol.
16 or 17?
They can buy or be bought beer or cider to drink with a meal but not in a bar. In Scotland this applies to wine too.
Under 18?
Except for 16 or 17 year olds having a meal in a pub, it's against the law for anyone under 18 to buy or be sold alcohol in a pub, off-licence, supermarket or other outlet, or for anyone to buy alcohol in a pub for someone under 18. Police officers are allowed to confiscate alcohol from anyone under 18 drinking it in a public place.