Alcohol age limits

[Katie22]

Does anyone else find that suddenly supermarkets have a 'under 21' policy now? This confuses me because i thought it was over 18, and if you have ID then theres no problem. However, in Asda, my boyfriend (who's 20) got refused when trying to purchase alcohol, even though he was going to pay with his credit card (proof he was over 18). When did this 'over 21' policy come into action, and does it mean you can't purchase alcohol in the supermarket unless your over 21? In which case are pubs going to do this too?!!

[CheekyChops]

The shop I work in has the same policy, we would sell to an 18 year old who provided ID but a credit card wouldn't be accepted as ID.

Yes, I know you have to be over 18 to get one but it could be someone elses card, he could have lied on the application form etc, we would need to see something with the date of birth printed it like a driving licence, passport or one of theoseproof of age cards.

[Katie22]

Ok fair enough i see that point. But when did it all change to over 21? Thats what i'm confused about!

[MarkyP05]

the 'over 21' policy is just to make cashiers vigilant in asking for ID. its also there to deter those under age trying to buy alcohol. if you are 18 and have a valid proff of ID then you can purchase alcohol.

A credit card, although can only be obtained by those over 18 is not a valid form of ID.

Cards such as a drivers license and your passport are the only real forms of ID that are accepted everywhere.

Further to your boyfriend using a credit card as a form of ID comes up with various problems as the card may not be his (could be stolen or borrowed) as it doesnt PROVE that it is his.

hope this helps.

[jammiedodger]

I work for Wetherspoons n we have a 'challenge 21 policy' where if anyone who appears to be under 21 has to show passport or driving license before bein served alcohol. We wont accept a credit card as valid id due to reasons stated above. It can sound silly the 21 policy but if i serve someone know to be under 18 then i can personally be fined and the pub gets shut down for 48hrs on the spot. Its just precautions to help staff .

[Buenchico]

(2-part post):

Most pubs (as well as supermarkets), which I've been into recently, have already introduced a rule on checking the ID of anyone under 21. (See below for why your boyfriend's ID wasn't acceptable).

When the licensing laws were changed to permit the 24-hour sale of alcohol, there were other changes in the legislation as well. Previously, if a pub or shop sold alcohol to someone under-age, then only the licensee could be prosecuted (and no immediate action could be taken regarding the licence to sell alcohol). This meant that licensees could sometimes escape prosecution by simply saying that one of their employees had broken the rules behind their back. Similarly, many staff weren't particularly vigilant about checking ages because they couldn't personally be prosecuted.

As JammieDodger has indicated, under the new legislation, if alcohol is sold to anyone under-age, both the salesperson and the licensee can be prosecuted and the police can order that no alcohol be sold from the premises for 48 hours. For this reason, pubs and shops are now being much stricter.

[Buenchico]

Regarding acceptable forms of identification: There have been many schemes to devise acceptable forms of ID for the purchase of alcohol but many of these have been circumvented by forgeries. Most outlets now only accept passports, driving licences and the newer style ID cards which include a hologram. No other forms of ID are accepted because there's always the possibility of either a forgery or 'special circumstances'. Such a 'special circumstance' would be where a parent (or other adult) has agreed to act as guarantor for a credit card held by a minor. (You don't have to be 18 to get a credit card. You just have to have an adult act as guarantor. Some multi-millionaires entrust their 9-year-olds with credit cards!).

If you're with your boyfriend when he attempts to purchase alcohol (and assuming that you're around the same age), most stores would expect their staff to insist that you should also prove that you're over 18. This is because the penalties for selling alcohol to a person over 18, where it is thought possible that the alcohol might be supplied to someone under 18, have also been increased. (There was a question on AB a few weeks ago regarding a store which refused to sell a bottle of champagne to a 20-year-old man - with ID - because he was accompanied by his 17-year-old girlfriend. The store had acted perfectly correctly).

Chris

[Katie22]

Thanks a lot for your explanations! I understand about the credit card not being valid proof, because, as stated, it doesn't have a photo. However, when my boyfriend told the cashier that he was 20, she said "well, then i can't serve you anyway because your under 21", so in this case, the age limit was 21 (even if he had photo ID to show he was over 18). Thats what confused me! Unless the cashier got it a bit muddled too..

[Greedyfly]

Retailers have takent the sensible approach, as alot of people have trouble judging age - I think this 'if you look under 21 you need I.D idea is a good one it safe guards staff a bit more and safe guards the underage drinkers a bit too.

I do think it is a voluntary action though but most places have jumped on it to protect themselves more. Its is sometimes very hard to tell someones age this is to help the question 'does this person look old enough (in this case 21) if not I.D please.

[ian.miller]

You can have a credit card and be under 18, I had a second card on my parents Barclaycard account when I was 16 for emergencies like getting stuck somewhere with no cash.

You might not be able to take one out yourself, but you can easily have one through other means.

And I think the cashier meant to say "appear under 21" rather than say he was under 21.

[dannydingbat]

Jammydodger - the pub could not be shut down for 48 hours on the spot if you sold to an under 18. That is nonsense and is no part of the law. A senior police officer can shut you down in the case of serious disorder but anything more than that he will have to get a court to agree.