Alcohol buying age 'should be 21'

The age limit for people buying alcohol in Jersey should be raised in some places, a Jersey deputy says.
St Saviour Deputy Kevin Lewis said that the age limit should be increased from 18 to 21 in certain circumstances.
Deputy Lewis said those aged 18 and above should be able to buy alcoholic drinks in pubs and discos, but not in an off-licence or supermarket.
He said there had been problems with fake IDs and unscrupulous shopkeepers, and changes would help limit these.
In her 2008 annual report, Jersey's Medical Officer of Health, Dr Rosemary Geller, found that alcohol statistics were getting worse, with an estimated 42 people dying each year as a direct result of the effects of alcohol.
In 2007, the island's Health Department looked at raising the drinking age limit after it was recommended in a medical study
It said it would consider the proposal, but added it was not sure if the island was ready for such a move. (from BBC News)

Seems like double standards to me...

oooh dear!!! Here comes my soap box!!! Sorry mate!
Legislating is not the answer...it is in fact "the Problem"..
Ok, so by now you all know that I am Italian, (where the general attitude is like... "The RED Light (on the traffic lights) is a "suggestion"!!!)
But I do firmly believe that the act of "forbidding" actually induced the temptation to try!
As far as drinking alcohol ( I am harping back to my upbringing) that was never a "big deal"...our wine...when we were kids, was watered down to the consistency of "cordial" but we were not "missing out"...we were drinking what everyone else was drinking...only a much lighter shade of it! hehehe...but we never felt compelled to grab a drink on the sly...just to see what we were missing out of!...BUT
Someone saw fit to give me a lecture ( a two hours lecture) on the evil of smoking...I had never even contamplated the practice...but the minute I heard that it was a No No...I had to try it!! Maybe I am just "wired" the wrong way...but that is the effect that "proibition" has on me!!!
What I am trying to say, in my normal muddled, clear thinking way...is
Teach the kids to drink in a '"responsible way" ( my father in law...sat quietly by, while his 14 yrs old and a friend got Totally drunk (at home)
after which they were violently sick all night...they wanted to die...he supplied the bucket and never said a word...They never touched another drop untill much, Much later in life...and even than ....they did so in moderation, 'cause they had learnt ...

My mantra is Education, Education, Education!!!!

I agree...Educate...don't Legislate

As should be the case for all drugs, legal and illegal. The drugs war has been well and truly lost by the use of legislation, education is the only answer.

i agree educate dont legislate.they raised the age for buying ciggies to 18 by law.has it made an iota of difference no it hasnt .

When that doesn't work they raise the taxes....doh!!!!!

They'll raise the tax on anything they can.
All jokes aside,by rights my children should have been smokers as both parents were BUT they received the anti smoking message at school and both are still(20 odd years later)anti smoking.So yes educate,it works.

Perhaps we should start with educating the parents!

Kids learn from their Ma & Pa, if they are always in the pub or swilling back the wine, beer, spirits or whatever to the extent that they become drunk, they 'learn' that is 'normalised behaviour'. A lot of adults seem to have a binge drinking ethic which their children will copy.

After all, most other cultures such as in France, Spain etc, do not have the same drink related issues as the Brits. People still socialise in bars and restaurants and still take a drink, but they do not appear to do so to excess.

So, in my view, start with the parents and the kids will follow on appropriately. I am not naive, some will still succumb, but you have to start somewhere!!

karma wrote:My mantra is Education, Education, Education!!!!

Sometimes there is a need for legislation a simple example wear a seat belt whilst driving.I have no doubts there are many more examples were legislation is required.

Another example speed limits whilst driving.

With regards to the age limit of drinking people will always find somewere so i think its a bit of a no brainer.

Sorry but the seat belt example is one of the worst you could have used. For a start, there's no danger of causing anyone else any harm by not wearing one, secondly it has been proved that sometimes more harm is caused by wearing one than not, and lastly I think I'm right in saying that some people are exempted from wearing them i.e. delivery drivers. If that is the case what makes their lives less worth saving than normal everyday drivers?

I'll believe in the power of seat belts when buses full of children/adults are made to get their passengers to belt - also when they stop people standing in buses - this has got to be the 'ultimate' in stupidity!!!!

technophobe wrote:Sorry but the seat belt example is one of the worst you could have used. For a start, there's no danger of causing anyone else any harm by not wearing one, secondly it has been proved that sometimes more harm is caused by wearing one than not, and lastly I think I'm right in saying that some people are exempted from wearing them i.e. delivery drivers. If that is the case what makes their lives less worth saving than normal everyday drivers?

I totally agree with you Technophobe
and totally disagree with the seat belt thingo!
I cannot bear it...I cannot wear it...and yes they are compulsory here!
I am a claustrophobic there is no way I am going to strap myself to anything. I tried it once, had to pull over after 200 mt and compose myself, before I could continue driving. As my doctor said, when I asked him to write me an "exemption", " You are more a danger to the other road users, wearing a seatbelt, than you are to yourself by not wearing one!

What utter crap leave things as they are, raising the age of buying alcohol will not solve any problems