Drinking age to move up to 18

Government intends to move the legal age of drinking from 16 to 18 years.

That’s according to Minister of Energy, Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Kerrie Symmonds. He made the disclosure in the House of Assembly yesterday morning as he led off the debate on the Liquor Licences Bill.

Minister Symmonds said the new legislation, which repeals the existing 1957 Liquor Licences Act, will in addition to increasing the legal drinking age, correct a “trilogy of mischiefs” regarding the sale and supply of intoxicating beverages to minors.

“The old legislation did not deal adequately, in our view, with the sale of intoxicating liquor to minors; neither did it deal adequately, in our view, with the issue of aiding and assisting a minor in obtaining or consuming intoxicating alcohol. And then the third part of the trilogy of mischiefs is employing minors who are going to be involved in the business of the sale of alcohol,” Symmonds said.

The Minister noted that under the existing legislation, persons 16 years old could do all the above.

As a result of those changes, he said, amendments will also be made to the Minor Offences Act. Symmonds stated that under this new legislation, any of the three types of behaviour will result in the person who commits them, if convicted, incurring a fine of up to $10 000, a term of imprisonment of up to five years, or both.

“So the offences relating to the sale and consumption of liquor will be inserted with respect to a person who sells or supplies liquor to a minor; with respect and a person who aids a minor in obtaining or consuming liquor; and with respect to employing a minor in connection with the sale or supply of liquor... We are by this Act resetting the legal age for consuming intoxicating beverages in Barbados from age 16 where it now stands to age 18, where it shall be,” he stated.

Minister Symmonds noted that this age change has long been advocated for by several interest groups and stakeholders in the country, including the insurance industry. Their position, he said, is that it is in the best interest of our young people to have the age raised, and in doing so Barbados will become consistent with a number of international countries.

(JRT)