Asda's plans to prosecute under 18s who try to buy alcohol

[AB Asks]

Those under 18 who try and buy alcohol from the supermarket Asda will be reported to the police. Asda wants police officers to really push with prosecution, and if all else fails they will consider a private prosecution. The company is aiming to send out a message that offenders are not tolerated. The supermarket giant is also planning to stop selling alcohol between midnight and 6am in many stores as well as stopping selling alcohol fruit shooters in a bid to tackle late night crime and violence. What do you think? Is this a approach all supermarkets should be taking?

[Le Chat]

Is is already illegal for inder 18's to buy alcohol, so really what is being said is that now supermarket cashiers and police alike, should be doing their job properly.

[poohshunny]

I work in an off licence and think asda has a point. the problem we have is adults (30 - 40 years old!) buying alcohol for minors. on several occasions we have seen the alcohol being passed on after we have sold it. we have passed cctv tapes of the offender buying the alcohol to the police and given statements, but nothing ever happens about it. we are trying our best, but don't seem to have the proper support from the police. the local council send in underage kids to attempt to buy alcohol, cigarettes or lighter fuel etc and we are pleased that we have passed on every occasion. we can safely say we are doing our jobs properlly.

[New Judge]

As Le Chat has already said, ASDA is simply trying to get the police to do their job of enforcing the law.

It becomes tiresome to see and hear politicians whingeing on about alcohol-related problems � many of which they have exacerbated with their foolish extension to licensing hours. Their stock answer is always to either impose punitive taxes or introduce new laws. Neither of these is the answer.

Price is not an effective way of controlling drunkenness. Those charged with alcohol related offences are very often allegedly broke, but still find the funds to buy booze. Under 18s (whom, we are told, are a big problem) seem to have limitless cash for gadgets and will have no problem finding a few extra pence if the price is increased. Furthermore, other countries where drink prices are much lower than ours do not seem to have the sort of drink related problems that we endure (apart from Brits visiting their cities on stag and hen nights).

There are already sufficient laws in place to control drinking. When was the last time any readers saw a pub customer refused a drink because he or she was drunk? They are allowed by pub managers to drink themselves into oblivion when the licensing laws clearly state that people who are drunk should not be served.

Adults buying alcohol for minors is a big problem as poohshunny points out. Adequate laws exist to prevent it; adequate policing to enforce them does not.

There is no point in the government considering new laws (of any description, not only to tackle this problem) unless and until those currently in place are properly enforced. Current laws are adequate if properly enforced. The sad truth is that they simply are not. If ASDA succeeds in its attempt to get the police to do their job then more power to their elbow.