Age limit idea brewing

Malay Mail: A MINIMUM age bar for alcohol consumption is in the offing. The Health Ministry is already working on the framework for the implementation of this ruling, which will see those 18 and below prohibited from drinking alcohol.
Currently, outlets are only prohibited from selling alcohol to teenagers.
The Ministry’s Health Education division principal assistant director, Chandran Kanniah, told The Malay Mail that once the new ruling comes into effect, it will be illegal for teenagers to consume alcohol — even in private.
If that is not enough, the Ministry is also looking into making it illegal for teenagers to have alcohol in their possession.
"This will include situations like parties and social gatherings," he said.
Chandran said the Ministry is aware of the seriousness of the problem and is tackling the issue in the same way they are cigarette smoking.
"We will use the same platform we are using to curb smoking among minors," he said.
Chandran added that this year, the Ministry included alcohol prevention as a fifth component in its ‘Healthy Lifestyle’ campaign.
The other four components are healthy eating, exercise, anti-smoking and stress reduction.
"Our aim is to highlight the effects of alcohol to the public.
"As part of alcohol prevention, laws related to alcohol will be reviewed and amended," he said.
Details on when the ruling will come into effect could not be obtained.
Once implemented, Malaysia will join a long list of other countries prohibiting minors from consuming alcohol.
The legal age for the consumption of alcohol in countries across the world varies, between 16 and 21 years old.
Currently, according to the figures released by the Health Ministry, 47.3 per cent of the population are "drinkers".
A study conducted last October also revealed that 2.1 million Malaysians who consume alcohol risk suffering chronic diseases.
The Weekend Mail, in its July 15-16 edition, front-paged a report on how easy it was for the underaged to get their hands on alcoholic drinks at entertainment outlets and shops.