Scottish Government proposes to raise drinking age from 18 to 21. Under-21s may no longer be able to buy alcohol from off-licenses.

If the proposals are adopted, alcohol-only checkouts would be introduced in off-licenses and supermarkets in order to stress that alcohol is not just another product.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: “We believe that by raising the age for off-sales purchase of alcohol to 21, together with better enforcement, we will reduce excessive consumption among young people.

“Setting a minimum price for a unit of alcohol will mean price better reflects the strength of alcoholic drinks. This will end the heavy discounting which allows strong drink to be sold cheaper than bottled water”.

The SNP announced that alcohol abuse costs Scotland more than £2.25 billion a year. Furthermore, people in Scotland are twice as likely to die from alcohol-related illnesses than anywhere else in the UK.

However, the Scottish Government’s plans, which would see 18-year-olds still being served in pubs, have been roundly condemned and labelled as “confusing” by angry students and retailers.

It is feared that raising the drinking age could be counterproductive, encouraging irresponsible attitudes towards alcohol instead of normalising responsible drinking.

The Coalition Against Raising the Drinking Age in Scotland (Cardas), whose members include NUS Scotland, the Scottish Youth Parliament and many other individual students’ associations across Scotland, have led the campaign against the SNP’s proposals.

Tom French, Cardas co-ordinator and former EUSA Vice President for Services said: “We have shown the Scottish Government, beyond doubt, that the evidence from abroad and at home is clear - raising the minimum purchase age for alcohol is a bad policy.

“It will not help solve Scotland’s alcohol problem and could increase alcohol misuse as it has done in the United States.

“It is a policy that demonises young people and infringes on the rights of the responsible majority of young adults who would be trusted to go to war, get married, and even run a pub at 18, but could not have a glass of wine over dinner with friends or family.”

As part of Cardas’s campaign, a petition against the proposals has been signed by over 10,000 people and will be submitted to Holyrood’s public petitions committee.

Indeed, it has been revealed that thousands of students are against the SNP’s plans to ban under-21s from buying alcohol.

The Facebook group ‘If they raise the drinking age to 21 in Scotland...I’m leaving’ attracted more than 500 students in one week.

Opposition politicians have also fiercely attacked the plans. Lib Dem health spokesman Ross Finnie MSP said: “Liberal Democrats exposed the shockingly low number of prosecutions handed down to retailers selling alcohol to minors. The SNP should be cracking down on these rogue retailers before stigmatising all those aged between 18 and 21.”

Tom French claims that the Scottish Government are determined to implement their plans despite their apparent popularity and “in the face of all the evidence”.

He said: “By relentlessly pursuing this policy in this pig-headed manner the SNP administration risk appearing arrogant, out of touch, and in the business of following the politics of spin - where grabbing the headlines is more important than doing the right thing.”

EUSA President, Adam Ramsay, has voiced his support for Cardas, telling Student that “Raising the drinking age for off licenses is a ridiculous idea.

“There is a big problem with alcohol abuse but this will do nothing to solve it. Instead, it will re-enforce the false idea that alcohol is only for getting drunk.”

In a discussion paper on alcohol consumption, EUSA claims that the role of students’ associations should be “recognised and supported by the Scottish Government”.

“Students’ associations take their responsibility for looking after the welfare of students very seriously and already have experience of promoting responsible messages to young people,” the paper argues.

‘Boozy Betty’, a recent initiative run by Herriot-Watt’s student association and targeted at female students to make them re-think their drinking habits, is to be rolled out nationwide in an effort to control binge-drinking amongst university students.

In light of the recent heavy criticism from students’ associations, youth groups, retailers and politicians, a spokeswoman for the Scottish Government made an effort to defend the policies: “We welcome all engagement with the consultation process, because alcohol misuse costs Scotland at least £2.25bn every year.

“It’s affecting our health service, our criminal justice system and our economy, and we need to take action now to rebalance our relationship with alcohol.

“When we have clear evidence of successful pilots - which carried the full support of local off-licence sellers, and resulted in a significant decline in anti-social behaviour, we have a responsibility to consult on spreading the benefits across Scotland.”