As The Daily Telegraph writes, this is part of an anti-alcoholism program, whose supporters hope it will reduce the number of cases of violence and vandalism committed while intoxicated. However, this does not apply to clubs and pubs, where it will still be allowed to consume alcohol from the age of 18. This measure has already caused discontent in the country. Retailers believe that it will encourage young people to buy drinks in clubs and bars. Those who disagree with the proposal also suggest that the additional restriction will lead to young people traveling to England for alcohol.
Raising the age threshold for selling alcoholic beverages in stores is part of an experiment that began in the city of Armadale. There, a ban on selling alcohol to teenagers on weekends was introduced, which led to a reduction in incidents of physical violence and vandalism. The sale of alcohol products to persons under 21 has been banned in American supermarkets for more than 20 years. According to statistics, this has reduced deaths in road traffic accidents by 13%.
Much less controversial in Scotland are plans to ban discounts during promotional sales of alcoholic beverages and to raise the minimum price to 50 euro cents per unit when selling alcohol at retail in stores.
The UK Cabinet is also considering introducing a minimum price level for the sale of alcoholic beverages. They plan to closely monitor the Scottish experience. Scotland was a pioneer in introducing a ban on smoking in public places, and its experience spread throughout the UK.
Fiona Moriarty from the Scottish Retail Consortium says that the new proposals encourage young people to drink more in pubs but do not allow them to buy alcohol and consume it at home. 'I think it would be better to direct additional funding to educational work in schools and in the places where teenagers live. They need to understand that alcohol consumption must be approached responsibly and sensibly,' Moriarty concluded.
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