Calls to raise Scotland’s drinking age to 21

Health experts are urging the Scottish government to raise the legal drinking age from 18 to 21-years-old in a bid to tackle binge drinking.

Health experts are calling for the legal drinking age in Scotland to be raised to 21-years-old

The new limit would be applicable to pubs, clubs, supermarkets and off licences and bring Scotland in line with other countries such as the US.

Recommended by NHS Health Scotland, the Scottish government’s health promotions agency, the suggestions were published in the report Best Preventative Investments For Scotland – What The Evidence and Experts Say.

“In Scotland, hazardous alcohol consumption in young people is a continuing problem,” said Neil Craig, the report’s author and NHS Health Scotland’s principal public health advisor.

“For both males and females, the largest increase in hospitalisation rates for alcohol-related conditions since the early 1980s has been in the 15-24-year-olds, and this was particularly marked for females.”

The Scottish National Party (SNP) tried to ban alcohol sales to those under 21 in some off-licences in 2010 but opponents rejected the move.

However, the Scottish Government has said it has no immediate plans to raise the legal drinking age, but will look to alternative measures if the Scotch Whisky Association is successful with its legal battle to block minimum pricing legislation.

“We are committed to tackling alcohol misuse and have outlined a package of over 40 measures to do this,” said a spokesman for the Scottish government. “These focus on education, diversionary activity, support for families and communities and preventive public health measures such as alcohol brief interventions.

“Together with minimum unit pricing and regulatory measures on issues such as the irresponsible promotion of alcohol, we believe this wider package will help to create the cultural shift required to change our relationship with alcohol.

“While we have no plans to change the legal age for drinking alcohol, we remain open to the consideration of any evidence-based proposals.”