Replies to LegCo questions
LCQ19: Alcoholic beverage consumption by minors
Following is a question by the Hon James Tien and a written reply by the
Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Ko Wing-man, in the Legislative
Council today (November 20):
Question:
Some members of the public have relayed to me that as minors (i.e.
persons aged below 18) can buy alcoholic beverages without restrictions
from retail shops such as convenience stores and supermarkets, etc. at
present, they may commit illegal or dangerous acts under the influence
of alcohol. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the number of cases in each of the past three years in which
minors allegedly committed illegal or dangerous acts under the influence
of alcohol, with a breakdown by type of act;
(b) whether it knows if there is any study report with findings showing
that the ready purchase by minors of alcoholic beverages has contributed
to an increase in the number of cases in (a) or the problem of alcohol
abuse among young people; if there are such reports, of the details;
(c) whether it has studied if the sale of alcoholic beverages by retail
shops to minors is subject to regulation in overseas countries or
regions; and
(d) whether there is any existing legislation or measure that regulates
the sale of alcoholic beverages by retail shops to minors; if there is,
of the details; if not, the reasons for that, and whether it has any
plan to impose regulation in this regard; if it has such a plan, of the
details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
Tackling the issue of alcoholic beverage consumption by minors entails
efforts in a number of areas.
According to the Dutiable Commodities (Liquor) Regulations (Cap. 109B),
only the holder of a liquor licence shall be allowed to sell liquor on
appropriate premises and no licensee shall permit any person under the
age of 18 years to drink any intoxicating liquor on any licensed
premises.
Apart from being the law enforcement agency for the above legislation,
the Police is also responsible for maintaining law and order, protecting
life and property, as well as taking law enforcement actions against any
unlawful acts in question.
Moreover, reducing alcohol-related harm is an important public health
issue that warrants priority action on the part of the Government. As
such, the Working Group on Alcohol and Health (Working Group) was set up
under the Steering Committee on Prevention and Control of
Non-communicable Diseases (Steering Committee) chaired by the Secretary
for Food and Health. The Working Group published the "Action Plan to
Reduce Alcohol-related Harm in Hong Kong" (Action Plan) in October 2011.
It sets out, in detail, 17 items where the Government should collaborate
with non-governmental organisations in taking actions to reduce
alcohol-related harm, including strengthening surveillance of the
profile of drinkers and relevant risks, promoting relevant research,
empowering the general public to make informed choices about the use of
alcohol, as well as enhancing community awareness and actions, etc.
Measures that target young people are being implemented in phases.
My reply to the various parts of the question is as follows:
(a) The Government does not keep statistics on the number of cases in
which minors committed illegal or dangerous acts allegedly under the
influence of alcohol.
(b) The 2005 Child Health Survey commissioned by the Department of
Health (DH) showed that 5% of children aged 11 to 14 had used alcohol
and 0.3% of them were current binge drinkers. Moreover, more than
one-third of those children who had consumed alcohol had their first
drink before the age of 11. However, the DH has not conducted any study
on the illegal or dangerous acts of minors under the influence of
alcohol as a result of the convenient availability of alcoholic
beverages.
(c) According to the World Health Organization Global Status Report on
Alcohol and Health 2011, among the 147 countries which provided
information about their policies on control of the availability of
alcohol, 23, 22 and 21 countries had not set any restriction on the
minimum age for off-premise legal sale and consumption of beer, wine and
spirits respectively. The Report shows that while the minimum age for
off-premise legal sale and consumption of alcohol is usually set at 18,
it ranges from the lowest at 15 (Angola) to the highest at 25 (Nepal).
The Action Plan published by the said Working Group also points out that
according to some studies, apart from enforcement actions, other
relevant promotional and community activities might also help reduce
sale of alcoholic beverages to minors.
(d) In Hong Kong, there is currently no restriction on the sale of
alcoholic beverages by retail shops to people aged under 18. However,
according to the Action Plan published by the Working Group, some
organisations have adopted a voluntary code of conduct to restrict the
sale of alcohol to young people. For example, the Hong Kong Retail
Management Association, which is the major retail association in Hong
Kong with a membership of more than 5 000 retail outlets, states in
their code of conduct that its members should not sell any alcoholic
beverages to people aged under 18.
The Working Group noted that as shown in overseas studies, setting a
minimum age for legal sale of alcoholic beverages is an effective
measure to reduce alcohol-related harm. Nevertheless, local studies
which can show the effectiveness of these measures in reducing drinking
among young people and alcohol-related harm are few and far apart. When
the results of more such local studies are available, the Working Group
will explore the relevant issues, including whether to advise the
authorities to study the regulation of off-premise sale of alcohol and
the related age restriction.
In examining whether we should regulate the retail sale of alcoholic
beverages to people under a certain age, the Government has to consider
a number of factors, including the justifications for restricting the
sale of alcoholic beverages to people under the age prescribed, the
expected outcome of such regulation, the feasibility and urgency of
regulation, as well as the impact of regulation on various sectors of
the community, such as the retail industry. Extensive consultation
should also be conducted before a decision is taken on whether to
introduce such a regulation and the regulatory approach. While the
Government does not have at this moment any specific plan on this
matter, we will continue to keep an open mind and listen to the views of
various stakeholders.
Ends/Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Issued at HKT 17:15
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