OT: Drinking Age in the UK

[Neil Ward]

No: HPFGUIDX 11678

AB said, in response to Scott:

> I don't think the drinking age in the UK is as high as
> 21. It may be 18 or even lower. I know it used to be
> 16 in France (over 15 years ago, when I was 17 myself,
> and was happy to be able to be served...) and likely
> still is.

The minimum purchasing age in the UK is 18.  Although it's not illegal for
anyone over the age of 5 to drink alcohol at home, 18 is usually accepted as
the legal drinking age because that's the age at whcih you can purchase
alcohol in a pub or off-licence [store].  You can have alcohol in a
restaurant, with a meal, at the age of 16 and you can enter a pub at age 14,
but not drink alcohol.  The government is currently considering a reduction
in the drinking age, to 16 or 17, but I can't see that happening.

Neil
_____________________________________
Flying-Ford-Anglia

"My wife used to sneer at my feeble charms but
one month into your fabulous Kwikspell course
I succeeded in turning her into a yak!
- Thank you Kwikspell!"

[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets]