Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Practice Activity

Report addressing the question ‘Should the legal age to purchase alcohol in Wales be raised to 21?’

Scenario

In Wales, the legal age to purchase alcohol is 18. However, research by the Welsh Government has revealed that Wales has the highest number of underage drinkers in the UK. The Office for National Statistics has found that people in Wales are more likely to be binge drinkers than anywhere else in Britain.

Using the link below, study the infographic which shows the top 10 countries in Europe for binge drinking (for boys and girls). It shows how Wales compares to other countries in relation to teenage binge drinking.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6208243/British-girlsnamed-heaviest-binge-drinkers-Europe-study-finds.html

The consequences of alcohol misuse are significant. According to Senedd Research (2019) there were 14,588 alcohol-specific hospital admissions and 540 alcohol deaths which represented an increase of 7.1%. The Office for National Statistics reports that alcohol-related deaths in Wales increased by 19% to a 20-year high in 2020, and most of these deaths can be attributed to liver disease.

While Wales has a minimum drinking age of 18, the USA’s minimum drinking age is 21. Some countries, however, have no legal age or simply ban alcohol consumption.

You are asked to write a report to address the question ‘Should the legal age to purchase alcohol in Wales be raised to 21?’, making use of the five sources of secondary information provided below.