There are laws to stop people who are under 18 buying alcohol and to encourage responsible behaviour when you're drinking. Make sure that your night out doesn't end up with you getting into trouble with the police. Getting a fine or a criminal record could also affect your career opportunities and can even prevent you from entering some countries, such as America.
At what age can you legally drink?
- It is an offence to give alcohol to a child under five years old
- Children of any age can go into parts of pubs that are set aside for meals or as family rooms
- Children over 14 can go into pubs unaccompanied by adults but cannot be served alcohol until they are 18
- Young people are not allowed to drink alcohol in a bar or buy alcohol in a pub or off licence until they are 18
- It is illegal for anyone under 18 to buy or be bought alcohol, unless they are 16 or 17 and with someone aged 18 or over who can buy them beer, cider or wine during a table meal in a bar or restaurant
What's against the law?
If you drink too much, what starts off as a laugh could end up with a fine or a night in a police cell - or even a criminal charge.
It is illegal to:
- Be drunk and incapable or drunk and disorderly in a public place or on licensed premises
- Be drunk in charge of a child under 7
- Buy alcohol for someone who is already drunk
'Drunk and incapable' means that you are so drunk that you are unable to stand or walk or are unaware of what you are doing or unable to understand what is said to you. 'Drunk and disorderly' could include shouting and swearing, threatening other people or damaging property. If you are drunk, you can be refused entry to licensed premises or be made to leave. If you are convicted of an offence committed in licensed premises involving violence you can be banned from those premises.
If you are arrested for being drunk and incapable, you have no 'previous' and you are not 'disorderly', you will be taken to a police station and kept there until you are sober. This could mean a night in the cells and you will be woken up every half hour to make sure you are okay.
If arrested for being drunk and disorderly, again you will be taken to a police station and will probably appear in court the next day. If you are found guilty, you are likely to be fined.
If you committed any other offences while drunk, like threatening behaviour, assault or criminal damage, you are likely to be prosecuted for those too.
The police can also fine you if you are behaving in a way that is anti-social or illegal.
You can get a £50 fixed penalty for:
- Drinking in a pub, bar or restaurant if you're under 18, unless you are 16 or 17 and having a meal
- Being drunk in the street
- Drinking in a public place that's been designated a 'no alcohol' area.
You can get an £80 fixed penalty for:
- Drunken behaviour in a public place
- Harassing or distressing somebody while you're drunk
- Buying or trying to buy alcohol if you're under 18
- Buying alcohol for other people who are under 18
- Vomiting or urinating in the street.
Drink driving
The advice for drinking and driving is simple - don't do it. Any amount of alcohol in your blood will affect your ability to drive. The legal limit for driving is 80mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood. You can't easily translate that into a number of drinks - it depends on factors such as your age, gender, weight and metabolism, so its much easier to have nothing to drink than to try and calculate how much is safe and risk being over the limit.
It might not be safe to drive the day after a big night out - alcohol stays in your system for some time.
If you're convicted of drink driving you face:
- A minimum one year driving ban
- A fine of up to £5,000
- Up to six months in prison
- Endorsement of your driving licence for 11 years.