The Sale of Alcohol, Who Can Buy It, When and Where

Alcohol is readily available in a surprising number of easily accessible outlets. The sale of it is no longer the privilege of dedicated off-licences. Corner shops, mini-markets and the ever-popular high street supermarkets all stock a vast range of alcoholic beverages.

Although staff training for alcohol sales should be rigorous, strict compliance is sometimes difficult to adhere to, particularly as anyone wanting to purchase alcohol will find a way around the restrictions if they want to. The purchase of intoxicating liquor, by anyone under the age of 18, is strictly against the law, and yet this rule does little to dissuade minors from attempting to, and succeeding in, purchasing and consuming it.

Who Can Buy It

It is a well-documented fact that the law states anyone under the age of 18 should not be sold alcohol. Any one who is in fact 18, or over, should also not be sold alcohol if the purchase is intended to be consumed by a minor. However, there is a slight loop-hole there as an adult parent is allowed to purchase alcohol, that a minor may drink, provided it is consumed in the privacy of their own home. An exception like this starts to create confusion with regards to what is and isn’t allowed, and results in incidents where alcohol is sold incorrectly.

A lesser-known fact is that anyone under the age of 18 shouldn’t even enter a dedicated off-licence, unless in the company of a parent or guardian.

Selling alcohol to anyone already intoxicated is also against the law, and staff are trained to look for signs, in order to prevent the drunken person from endangering themselves. Slurred speech, staggered movements and uneasy swaying will all be noted by watchful staff members, and your purchase will not be allowed.

Identification Parade

It is increasingly difficult to correctly gauge a young person’s age. No matter how strict a training programme each staff member goes through there will usually be one example that slips through the net. Accepting proof of age, of anyone under the age of 18 is vital. Valid photographic identification is also required from anyone who is legally able to purchase alcohol but may look young for their age. Staff are taught that it is better to decline the sale of alcoholic beverages to someone, than to mistakenly sell it to a minor.

Practical guidelines are set up to provide the retailer with protection against unknowingly selling alcohol to minors. The national age card helps to protect a retailer from being prosecuted, so it is in their best interests to ask to see this card at every available opportunity. Vigilance, at all times, is also important, and besides checking a customer’s age the guidelines also suggest checking the quality, and mix, of the products being purchased. For instance, is the customer buying a number of smaller products instead of a larger bottle of the same quantity?

A Time And A Place

The permitted hours, for the purchase of alcohol, vary depending on the type of retailer. Dedicated off-licences will have longer opening hours, and may operate different time restrictions during public or Bank holidays. Whatever the hours are, it remains an offence to buy and consume any type of alcoholic beverage within a 100 metres of the shop it was bought from.