What Gibraltar's Underage Drinking Laws Say
It is a criminal offence under the Children and Young Persons (Alcohol, Tobacco and Gaming) Act 2006 http://www.gibraltarlaws.gov.gi/articles/2006-11o.pdf for a person to sell alcohol to or procure alcohol for a person under the age of 18 years.
This does not apply, however, where:
The sale of beer, wine or cider is of an alcoholic strength not exceeding 15% or sold in, or poured from a pre-packaged container and is of an alcoholic strength not exceeding 5.5% to a person aged 16 or 17 years where the sale is for consumption on licensed premises; or
Beer, wine or cider of an alcoholic strength not exceeding 15% or sold in, or poured from a pre-packaged container and is of an alcoholic strength not exceeding 5.5% is procured for a person aged 16 or 17 years for consumption on licensed premises; or is procured for consumption by and under the supervision of a person who has parental responsibility for the child (a “parent”) or is 18 years or over and has the consent of a parent.
Where a person under the age of 18 is or has been consuming alcohol in a public place the Royal Gibraltar Police may require the person concerned to surrender anything in his possession which contains or which the officer reasonably believes to contain alcohol and may dispose of anything surrendered to him in such manner as he deems appropriate.
It is a criminal offence for a person stopped by the police to fail without reasonable excuse to comply with a requirement by the police to surrender anything in his possession which contains or which the officer reasonably believes to contain alcohol.
New Guidelines on the consumption of alcohol were published in 2016 by the UK Chief Medical Officers. The Guidelines are based on an evaluation of current evidence on the potential harms of alcohol.
The guidance focuses on three main issues:
Regular drinking
Single-drinking sessions; and
Drinking during pregnancy.
Regular drinking
To keep your risk levels low, the guidelines recommend:
Not drinking more than 14 units per week. 14 units is equivalent to a bottle and a half of wine or five pints of export-type lager 5% abv (alcohol by volume) over the course of a week – this applies to both men and women.
If you do drink as much as 14 units per week, spread this evenly over three days or more.
If you wish to cut down the amount you are drinking, a good way to achieve this is to have several alcohol free days each week.
If you have one or two heavy drinking sessions, you increase your risks of death from long term-illnesses and from accidents and injuries.
The risk of developing a range of illnesses (including, for example, cancers of the mouth, throat and breast) increases with any amount you drink on a regular basis.
Single drinking sessions
The new guidelines also look at the potential risks of single-drinking sessions, which include accidents resulting in injury or death, misjudging risky situations and losing self-control.
The Guidelines recommend the following as measures to reduce these risks:
Limiting the total amount of alcohol you drink on any occasion;
Drinking more slowly, drinking with food and alternating alcoholic drinks with water;
Avoiding risky places and activities, always ensuring there are people you know around you and ensuring you can get home safely.
Some groups of people are more likely to be affected by alcohol and should be more careful of their level of drinking. These include:
Young adults
Older people
People with low body weight
People with other health problems
People on medicines or other drugs.
Drinking and Pregnancy
Drinking during pregnancy can lead to long term harm to the baby. The more you drink, the greater the risk.
If you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy the Guidelines recommend that you do not drink alcohol at all. This will reduce the risks of harm to your baby.
If you have just discovered you are pregnant and have been drinking you do not need to panic. It is unlikely in most cases that your baby has been affected; but it is important to avoid further drinking.
If you are worried about how much you have been drinking when pregnant, talk to your doctor or midwife.