17 year olds and pubs

[glenis]

can an 18 year old boy legally take his 17 year old girlfriend into a pub? he drinks beer, she would have a soft drink -coke or a juice

[IggyB]

legally yes - but it is at the pubs discreation to allow anyone to enter so some bars / pubs do not allow anyone under 18 in (generally this is the case with bars that have bouncers on the door - places that do food will almost always allow children in)

[saxy_jag]

Legally, yes. In fact, if she's not drinking alcohol, the seventeen-year-old would be able to go into the pub on her own and buy a drink (I think).

However, the management reserve the right not to allow individuals or groups of individuals onto the premises. We went into a pub a few years ago with our very mature sixteen year old who wanted nothing more than a glass of coke. They poured our beers and then decided that because he was under eighteen he would have to leave. So we all left, leaving them with two unsold pints of Stella on the bar. Served 'em right.

[dannydingbat]

A 17 year old can go into a pub at any time but cannot buy or drink alcohol (except as detailed below). Under 16s can only go into a pub if accompanied by an adult but, after midnight, they cannot go in either alone or with an adut.

The 18 year old can, in fact, buy alcohol consisting of beer, wine or cider for a 16 or 17 year-old with a table meal . In all other cases, it is illegal for children under 18 to knowingly consume alcohol on relevant premises, or to buy or attempt to buy alcohol. Where the alcohol is consumed by accident, the child will have committed no offence.

[vivandorron]

Thanks for having confirmed your question.
I've always understood that anyone over the age of 14 can be taken by an adult into a pub or bar; but cannot consume alcoholic drinks if under 18yrs of age.
Furthermore, I believe that the law allows children over 3yrs to drink wine in a restaurant if eating a meal.(Please someone correct me if i'm wrong.)

[ummmm]

I thought it was 5. I know you can give your children alcohol at home from the age of 5.

[dannydingbat]

They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. It is correct that you could, under certain circumstances, give alcohol to kids in beer gardens and rooms set aside for the service of food in pubs. That was until 24th November last year when the law changed. Now the law is all about sales of alcohol and who can buy it. It is an offence to buy alcohol for anyone under the age of 18 (except the limited circumstances I referred to above), to allow the sale, to make the sale and, if someone under the age of 18 tried to buy it, they would also commit an offence.

Clearly, the law is quite complicated and I cannot put the whole Act here. Check it for yourself at

www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2003/30017--h.htm#150

[gavinbecky]

The other thing is of course that a lot of pubs employ bouncers these days. A lot will ask for identification. If someone is under 18 (even if they only want bottled water) they may be refused entry. And of course ''we reserve the right to refuse admission' comes into play.