Retailers launch Challenge 25 alcohol scheme |
| Thursday, 15 January 2009 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Retailers are today launching Challenge 25 in an effort to beat proxy purchasing of alcohol for children by adults.Under the scheme, people aged below 25 but over 18 will have to produce photo ID, if asked, in order to buy alcoholic drinks from retail stores. The off-trade industry claims the introduction of Challenge 21 has been successful and there have been fewer cases of underage sales. Home Office minister Alan Campbell said: "I hope every retailer will adopt these new guidelines and continue to confront anyone they believe to be underage or buying alcohol for under 18s. "We recognise that the majority of retailers take their responsibilities seriously, refusing to sell alcohol to around 1.5million underage children every month, and are determined to continue working with them to tackle the problem. "We will shortly consult on a new mandatory code of practice for alcohol retailers setting out tough new licensing conditions to help tackle alcohol-related crime and disorder." The comments come after the Association of Convenience Stores said that the perception retailers are irresponsible and sell drinks to children must be changed. Chairman of the Retail and Alcohol Standards Group Nick Grant added that the industry had never been "complacent" and that's why the new measures are being enforced. "Feedback from frontline staff suggests they want the freedom to challenge more widely to ensure young people are not breaking the law, either attempting to purchase alcohol for themselves or for others who are under 18. "Challenge 25 makes this a reality and raises the bar," he said. However, the British Beer & Pub association said Challenge 21 remains the best policy for the on-trade. The government proposed harsher penalties for binge drinkers towards the end of last year. Related Articles
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Comments (11)
c.l.Buchanan
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... I am still seething at the way I have been treated by a simpleminded till op in my local BRIDPORT store ( Diana are you out there.) I am in my late forties buying a normal weeks shopping with my nineteen year old son. She pointed an accusing finger at him and said I'm not serrving you with him. If she'd said could I see some id because of this new policy then the whole scenario could have been different. Instead my shy son walked out red faced and I asked ( as I really did want to buy the four pack of beer) whether I could now buy it as I was alone. Absolutely not as I had a teenager in my car, could I leave the shop and return alone, no. So incensed I asked to speak to the manager who was polite and a*sured me that I could as I am the cutomer. I was shaking with rage by this point ( and it was only supposed to be a little shop ) and I vowed never to return. The bottom line is that she publicly accused me of buying or attempting to buy alcohol for an 18 year. Are we not allowed to go shopping with our helpful teenagers anymore. I get more and more tired of telling them that not all older people are vindictive. |
Martin Pearce
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... Speaking as a forty-something, "Challenge 25" is absolutely outrageous. This proves, if further proof was needed, that 1984 has finally arrived. Apart from anything else, it is not fair on retail staff who have to bear the brunt of enforcing such totally unreasonable and ludicrous policy. UK retail industry has definitely lost the plot and are taking advantage of the frightened-for-their-job staff. |
Chris VS
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... At the age of 26, being told that I can't buy a bottle of wine with my girlfriend who is 23 is utterly ridiculous. I was the one with all my shopping, I was the one paying for the shopping and I was the one with valid ID to prove that I was over 26 but still in the Coop in Long Eaton, I was refused because my girlfriend didn't have her bag with here and hence, no ID. Needless to say, the remaining contents of my basket were left where they were and we went to Tesco where the lady, as a joke, asked me for ID and we laughed about the whole situation. I understand why this system has been adopted but can companies please train their staff to show a bit of commensense! If I had been buying wine with a son or daughter, would they have been asked for ID too? Needless to say, until I get an apology from the Coop, they will need be getting my business again - approx £2000 a year by my calculations! |
Anna Eason
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... I just went into Tesco's and attemped to buy a bottle of wine and i was refused as apparently i don't look 25yrs old.As i'm 21yrs and over the legal age to drink i didn't have any ID on me at the time and i was shocked that they wouldn't serve me.They allowed me to bring my friend in who was hoping to share the wine with me and had been waiting in the car, and as she was 30yrs and a police officer i didn't think there would be a problem, but they refused to serve her alcohol even if she paid for it herself for her own consumption.It was very embarra*sing and the shop a*sistant was very confrontational,needless to say we went elsewhere and didn't have a problem.Nice to be treated like adults though!!!!Tesco's have now lost our custom. |
Carolines
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... To my surprise I was refused the sale of 4 cans of lager, included in my weekly shop. The reason given (I am well into my 40's, and could not be mistaken for being under 18 or 25) was because I was accompanyed by my son who did not have ID. While I can understand the challenge 25 initiative and support it, (I work for a local charity which addresses the issues encountered by 16 - 25 year olds, not only alcohol, but drug misuse, homelessness etc etc), I was dumbfounded, while going about my usual business to be openly and publicly accused of buying alcohol for minors - it is not backed by legislation therefore is tantamount to slander. I did suggest that my son leave the store in order that I could complete the transaction - the managers reply was 'I know what you look like, so I will ensure you are not served at any of our checkouts'. If any of our clients, customers or funders had been present, at what was a very public discussion, and heard any or all of the conversation my professional reputation will have suffered. I was under the impression that within the spirit of british law a person is innocent until proven guilty, so find it inconceivable that I experienced such open contempt. I would like to know what made the staff think I was a criminal?? they way I was dressed? the contents of my trolley? or just that my son was helpful enough to a*sist me p***ing my bags? It does seem from my part that innocent persons going about their business are once again being persecuted because of the actions of the minority, and do feel that if ASDA staff continue to treat other customers in the same fashion they treated me, then their success in the retail trade will be short lived, not only from the loss of decent customers, but the potential for legal redress. |
Ashley
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... I think it's a joke. I'm 24, while I might not look 25 but I definitely do not look under 18 so why should we be treated like 14 year old chavs who sit on park benches drinking. I've set up a facebook page to discuss this if anyone wants to join. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=96033083016&ref=mf |
matt
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... Today one month before my 24th birthday, I went to the co op near where I live in Darwen Lancashire, a store I have been buying cigarettes in since I was 14. The people in the store know me, they have seen my ID before. I look older than 25, I laughed when they asked me for ID, I haven't had it in years, the same woman had served me for beer just last week, and the other guy for wine. They weren't joking, they wouldn't serve me. They actually believed challenge 25 was law, and they understood that "even though I know your old enough, and have seen your ID, I will still need to see it every time you come in store" He even resorted (in his pathetic attempt to explain the situation) to saying his own co workers would now ID him when he bought cigarettes at the end of his shift It was ridiculous, they've rolled out a Draconian policy the end user operative doesn't understand, I will never shop in a co op again, that may not make a huge difference to such a corporation, it will to me. |
Mathilde LV
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... This challenge is CHOCKING! I am 31. And, today, for the first time in my life, I haven't been able to buy some wine. The English government should educate the bad part of the English population instead of punishing the good!!! This reminds me of the tax on the chocolate to reduce the obesity problem. I love chocolate and I am slim and healthy, why should I pay for them? The GOOD shouldn’t have to suffer for the BAD!!!! |
Jake McKenna
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... Challenge 25 is possibly the most patronising policy that retail customers have ever had to face. Millions of shoppers are now forced to provide photographic ID when buying their groceries every week. So what if an under-18 drinks alcohol? Millions of teenagers across Europe do so every day. The media-led war against the young continues. |
Rebecca D
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... After Iceland not serving me today for alcohol i was buying for my fella, who's 34 as i don't drink myself and being 28 years old(feeling quite flattered), i decided to look on the Internet and see why this were(thinking that it was because a lot of underage people sometimes look a lot older than they actually are)and then to discover it was to stop adults buying underage children alcohol, i now feel quit offended especially as I'm a mother of 5 and it wasn't like it was my local convenience store, there weren't even a group of teenagers outside or anything. I'm all for this new rule but i have got one slight problem with it you could still be over 18 provide proof of age and be buying for a person(s) underage. |
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