Calls grow for debate on 16-year-olds drinking in pubs

Trade leaders have joined calls for a debate on whether 16-year-olds should be able to drink in pubs and other on-licensed premises.

They believe teenagers should be allowed to learn about alcohol in a controlled environment instead of binge-drinking supermarket booze. Federation of Licensed Victuallers Associations chief executive Tony Payne said there was a case for lowering the drinking age as long as 16 and 17-year-olds were monitored when they were on licensed premises.

Payne said: "I think youngsters have to learn how to cope with alcohol correctly, and allowing a 16-year-old to drink in a supervised environment, monitored by a responsible adult is the way forward."

He was joined by Bar Enter-

tainment & Dance Association executive director Paul Smith who said education of youngsters would influence the way they drink in the future.

The comments follow calls from leading medical expert Professor John Ashton, who wants teenagers to learn in a properly sanctioned environment, rather than drink in a park with no controls.

Ashton, director of public health and county medical officer for Cumbria, claimed the whole way in which the binge-drinking problem was being addressed was wrong.

JD Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin is another high-

profile advocate of taking the education route to responsible drinking.

However, Everards boss Stephen Gould said: "I think it would be ill-advised. As an industry, we are making strides with responsible drinking, but moving [the age for buying alcohol in pubs] to 16 would open several challenges we could well do without."

l Coulson's column - p17

l MA Opinion - p18