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Let’s Just Card Everyone Buying Alcohol in Scotland

Posted on September 3, 2008
Filed Under Links to my Articles, Politics |

Cross-posted from ‘The Scottish Sketch.’

Whenever I visit America, I invariably travel through Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, and stop off at one of the concourse Bar and Grills. One of the things that I notice, but it perfectley acceptable by most of the domestic travellers is that whenever someone asks for an alcoholic drink, they are asked for ID (which of course as their date of birth on it). Even the couple who appear to be of pensionable age are carded, and think nothing of it.

In all the debate about the raising of the age where adults can buy alcholo outwith a club or bar from 18 to 21, the issue of the enforcement of the current 18 year old limit seems to have been lost. It’s all well and good proposing new laws, but if it is not enforced, it’s just as usless as the previous one.

We have enough items of ’soft’ ID that can be used to prove someone’s age that I would much rather see the idea of ‘carding everyone’ brought over from the States to Scotland, than a new law that makes good headlines but fundamentally doesn’t address the underage drinking problem that Scotland clearly has.

With the Scottish parliamentary session now open again, I’ll be resuming blogging on the Scottish and UK political scene at Scottish Sketch. Feel free to add the RSS Feed to your favourite blog serivce.

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