Street drinking ban for under 18s

Police are to get new powers to confiscate alcohol from under-18s who drink in public, the government says. Currently police can seize alcohol only from groups suspected of alcohol-related crime or disorder. And although under-18s are not allowed to buy alcohol, there is no law preventing them from drinking it. The proposed ban, which will mean youngsters can legally drink only at home, will be announced by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith this week.  BBC News

British Beer and Pub Association director of communications Mark Hastings has pointed out that police already have the power to confiscate alcohol under the Confiscation of Alcohol (Young Persons) Act 1997.

"Under this Act the police have the power to seize alcohol from anyone under the age of 18 and to arrest anyone who fails to comply with the order to surrender alcohol," he said.

"The Act also empowers seizure of alcohol from persons over the age of 18 if it is believed they intend to supply it to someone under 18.

"This Act was extended under the Licensing Act 2003 to include unopened alcohol – specifically where it was considered that there was an intent to consume and that anti-social behaviour could result from that consumption. Once again, we don’t need new laws, we just need the enforcement of existing laws."  Morning Advertiser

Comments

[Ken Rogers MA(Criminology)FIISec.MIIRSM.]

Jacqui Smith Home Secretary in announcing 'Police are to get new powers to confiscate alcohol from the under 18's' reveals how out of touch she is with front line policing today.

As a Wivenhoe Town Cllr: responsible for police liaison and community safety working in close partnership with the local police, I appreciate their efforts in seizing alcohol from a small number under 18's found on our streets and other public places.
Police in other areas also carry out these duties successfully.

The Home Secretary should concentrate on the serious problem of night time establishments serving alcohol to customers who have already consumed far to much alcohol. How many are being prosecuted for this disgusting state of affairs that is costing the country millions in policing, NHS services and cleaning up operations?

[Andrew Brown]

I'm not sure I entirely agree with Ken.

I was being told the other day, by young people, about a car park where groups of upto 150 of their peers are gathering to drink and about the fights and other anti-social behaviour that followed.

Where that sort of thing is happening there seems there is a case for reminding the police that they have a duty to involve themselves in these issues.

Whether we need new legislation to achieve that seems unlikely, given the range of current law that is available to deal with ASB.

However, how the police do that and act in line with their new guidelines on policing young people will be an interesting challenge.

[Sid Parker]

Drinking should be banned all over the country. Anyone drink on the street "Alochol" at any age should be heavly find. Everywhere you go you have young kids lotering on the streets,it is time to get these kids off the street. And get them into work. And also fine the parents!Its time to stop shops,supermarkets selling alochol,and you can only by it by Pubs and Restaurants

[Sean Greenhalgh]

Sid,
Banning alcohol everywhere but in pubs and restaurants is in my opinion a ridiculous idea. Not only would it affect sales of alcohol and therefore the revenue the government gets from such sales and lead to cuts in revenue for things like the NHS and Police force. Far better to make the law harder on those who cause a nuisance by fining or even (in cases of extremely antisocial behaviour) jailing those who choose to get 'wasted' and make life miserable for others through their own behaviour.

I personally have been drinking in public places since the age of 17, mainly on the beach, and in the past 8 years (I'm 25 now) we have only ever had 2 problems with the police, one was when a friend tried to throw a bottle into the bin and it shattered, so another friend ran to get a brush that he could clean it up with, And the second occasion was when the music we were playing contained expletives, which was turned off as soon as asked by a member of the public with a young child before the police constable who was there on that occasion had a chance to ask us to himself.

In short, don't tar everyone with the same brush, I drink in groups of up to 50 people in public, we always try to keep ourselves away from areas where lots of people will be, always be careful of our behaviour and always move along when asked to.
Its far better to punish those who act stupidly than punish everyone else for trying to have a good time with friends.

[steve]

the legal age for drinking alcohol.. in this country is 5...not in public... and only administered by parent.
no public place is legal for consumption of alcohol unless a licence is issued by a magistrate.Teenies or any-one else needs one of these to consume alcohol in public ..its why we have pubs.