TOPIC:

"drinkstore Stoneybatter":d7qen27v wrote:

"k1john":d7qen27v wrote: a few ideas i had on this would be 1
adjust the ages you can buy certain strengh beers
in the pub
16 in company of parent but a limited quantity
18 any beer
21 any and all including alcopops
[/quote:d7qen27v]

Having different ages for different strenghts is absolutely ridiculous, and completely uninforceable .Your either legally able to consume alcohol or not. Imagine the scenario , a couple of lads out for the night 1 17 yr old, 1 19 yr old and 1 21 yr old ,all allowed to buy alcohol ,but all at different strenghts .C'mon that's impossible to police. Both in On-Trade and Off-Trade. And reminds me very much of this[/url:d7qen27v]

"k1john":d7qen27v wrote: however this should come with strong enforcement
and losing your trade for
7 days on first offense
30 days on the second
and losing it altogether on the 3
[/quote:d7qen27v]
This is already the case see HERE 'Temporary Closure Orders'[/url:d7qen27v]
What we need in my opinion is a cultural shift in the way we use/abuse alcohol in Ireland and this will never be achieved by legislation.

.[/quote:d7qen27v]

Germany manages quite well to enforce some of these laws.
16-18 year olds can stay in the bar until midnight at which point there is an announcement and they leave. They are not served spirits, beer only and this is also enforced.
They tend to self-regulate a bit as people often do when left to their own devices, the problem with the Irish is that they are so used to being treated as kids that they will act as such and refuse to take some responsibility on themselves. To say graduated laws like these are unenforcable is simply not true, the will must exist.

Does not sound like split ages would work. Some country's do it though[/url:nm9j486q].

How about social incentives, if everyone who binge drank got treated like a social parasite it would curb the problem.

"drinkstore Stoneybatter":xotuekep wrote: What we need in my opinion is a cultural shift in the way we use/abuse alcohol in Ireland and this will never be achieved by legislation.
[/quote:xotuekep]

Agree but a combination ofr legislation, enforcement and a sustained public information campaign is required. It has made a material difference with issues such as seat belts and drink driving.

When I lived in Australia (culturally similar to Ireland) I regularly saw people refused service in pubs. I've never seen that happen in Ireland.

"EoinMag":1s44dw85 wrote: Germany manages quite well to enforce some of these laws.
[/quote:1s44dw85]
At pedestrian crossings in Germany people wait for the green man ,In Ireland we take our chances j walking.

I just don't see staggered ages ever working. And it does smack of Nannystate-ism that would never be embraced over here. It is the abuse (i.e over consumption) of the alcohol which is the issue, not the strenght of the beverage.

I can see the pseudo- social education side of it being a very good idea but the enforcement of it, is impossible to police.

"a_friend_in_mead":3mo9segl wrote: Does not sound like split ages would work. Some country's do it though[/url:3mo9segl].

How about social incentives, if everyone who binge drank got treated like a social parasite it would curb the problem.[/quote:3mo9segl]

1.Theres not a hope in hell that barstaff in this country could be relied upon to enforce silly split ages rules.
2.If everyone who binge drank got treated like a social parasite, we would be treating the majoirty of the public badly.

[quote:3uooxj0j]silenus

1.Theres not a hope in hell that barstaff in this country could be relied upon to enforce silly split ages rules.
2.If everyone who binge drank got treated like a social parasite, we would be treating the majoirty of the public badly.[/quote:3uooxj0j]

I dont see split age rules working here. Some sort of split between off-licence and pub ages might be vaugely enforcable but even there I have doubts.

True that scorning those who binge drank would leave more scorned than scorning, and I certainly am not one to cast stones on this. Still though most improvements in our drinking culture seem to be as much caused by social incentives as legal ones (Drinking while pregnant, drink driving say).