Liquor ID Check Policy In Effect On Oct 1st
The Ministry of National Security are reminding the public that the Liquor License Amendment Act comes into effect on Wednesday 1st October 2014.
A spokesperson said, “The Ministry of National Security in partnership with the Department of National Drug Control and CADA, launched a community awareness campaign to announce the enactment of the new regime for mandatory identification requests/carding on the 9th September 2014.
“A series of media releases, radio interviews, public service announcements and social media presentations are scheduled to highlight the enactment of the mandatory carding regime and the “We Card” Initiative.
“The key message of the campaign is “No Alcohol under 18 – We Card.”
“What does this mean? It means that if requested, you’ll need to present your photo ID when buying alcohol at any licensed premises, such as a bar, restaurant, grocery store, night club or anywhere where alcohol is served.
“The Ministry of National Security introduced the Liquor Licence Amendment Act 2014 which was passed on 21st July.
“The Amendment does four main things:
- 1. It sets out a definition of minor, that is to say, a person who is under the age of eighteen years;
- 2. It requires certain licensees to demand ID of persons thought to be minors before the sale or supply of alcohol;
- 3. It requires bars and nightclubs to demand ID on entry;
- 4. It requires those establishments holding licenses other than nightclub licenses that offer music etc until 3am to ensure that they demand ID after 11pm from persons who appear to be minors.
“Additionally, the Amendment Act creates offences for the breach of these new requirements. This Amendment Act will compliment efforts by organizations like CADA, the DNDC and PRIDE, providing the enforcement safety net also required as part of reversing any trend towards alcohol abuse in the community.
“The Ministry of National Security continues its undertaking of collaboration with internal and external stakeholders. The public will recall that in the summer of 2013, the Minister for National Security convened a meeting of the owners and operators of liquor licensed premises in Bermuda.
“The matter of mandatory ID checks was an item discussed and identified as a priority. Mandatory ID checks at licensed premises also fulfill one of the recommendations of the Framework for Alcohol Policy produced by the Department for National Drug Control.”
The Premier and Minister of National Security Michael Dunkley said, “The overarching aim of the Liquor License Amendment Act 2014 is to add to the safeguards required to prevent underage drinking. Underage drinking and its associated problems have profound negative consequences for minors, their families, their communities, and the society as a whole.
“I wish to thank CADA and the owners and operators of licensed premises in Bermuda for their desire to work with the Government on the We Card initiative and the implementation of the law on Wednesday 1st October 2014.”
The minors are still going to get in the nightclubs because “they demand ID after 11pm from persons who appear to be minors”. SMH.
Exactly….stupid written law….and IDing persons whom appear underage has been law since forever
not sure where you get your information, but it hasn’t been law before. It was a matter of policy left to the establishment- now it is mandatory.
3. It requires bars and nightclubs to demand ID on entry;
What about gas stations?
As far back as I remember the legal drinking age was 18. Meaning, obviously, that alcohol could not be served to a minor.
It is hard to believe that this is only now bieng amended to really be a law.
Wow- ignorance surely is bliss- Read the Liquor License Act and you will see these places can only open as a club at 11pm…smh
This is a waste of time. First of all an over 18 can buy liquor for under 18. And many of those under 18 have fake id. This is a known fact. I hv been in a resturant with my under 18. And he was able to purchase a beer with no Id. Which I did not allow him to drink. He was trying to prove a point to me as to how easy it was to drink.
Put voting age back to 21. And legal use of liquor 21 as they do in the USA. At least the young people will be a little more mature. Basically the drinkers will stay out of the establishments and party elsewhere, home, beach. Boat. Etc.
Actually, I think you will find that in the cases of countries where the drinking age is lower than 18 ie France and the majority of the EU, that drinking is done more responsibly. Prohibition only breeds glamorisation of both drugs and alcohol. Raising the drinking and voting age (not sure why we would be raising the voting age as that seems quite irrelevant to the situation) still doesn’t target the way bermudians drink in GENERAL. This isn’t just an underage problem. There is a problem with the way our society engages with drink on a whole, regardless of age. Remember also that age does not coincide with maturity.
lol raise the drinking age to 21 this island would go completely mad and all that is going to happen is more underage drinking but think about it this way in america you can go fight for ya country in war and risk your life but yet you cant come home and have a drink with family how would you feel to no that your old enough to make such an important life decision but not old enough to drink a beer and bermuda alone as a tourist destination we would loose alotta money having our drinking age at 21
At least they are trying!
Without sounding overly cynical, as was the stated by many on the Bermuda Tourism Photoshop issue,, “Big Deal”. Did store merchants and club owners really need legislation to deter them from selling alcohol to persons who “appear” underage.. God Help Us.. (Let’s legislate common sense aswell, cheesh)
One day left to go and get full hot without having (maybe) to bust out a fake ID, all you underage alcoholics in the making!
Nowadays which 16,17 year old child can’t bust out a fake id on the computer? Scan it, print it, and laminate it, with mom’s handy little laminater, abra cadabra B!
This law is pointless, that legal drinking age is 18, cashiers, bartenders, waiters have always had the right to ask for a valid ID if they suspect someone is underage and trying to buy alcohol. All I see this law doing is giving a reason to cashiers with attitudes to hassel people who are clearly over 17, by demanding they see an ID with every alcohol purchase. Guarntee this will happen.
Since I’m not bringing my passport to the bar, I guess if I get turned away the bar will lose my business.
If I LOOK under 18 you’ll card me but if I’m under 18 and look 22 I’ll be just fine. Just dumb.
If you want to make a point, this shouldn’t be random, everyone should be made to comply.
The bright people with their not so bright ideas.
News Flash: this won’t change a d.mn thing. Government needs to shift their attention elsewhere. With all the death and craziness going on, this is the least of our concerns at this point in time.
They are just gonna get liquor some where else. It’s not gonna change a thing. It’s just the controlling attitude that people like him have. Wanting to know everything that’s going on etc.
Sure it should have been done sooner, but this is a step in the right direction. Soon to come also, penalties for licensees who do not card people correctly. Have you ever wondered why in the US people are carded who are clearly well over the legal age? Because the ATF randomly check licensed premises to see if the law is being complied with. If it isnt, you lose your licence.Imagine The Beach and Cairo, Docksiders being closed for not enforcing the legal drinking age? That is what should be happening.
And to young Bermudian, most of the death and craziness you mention is because of irrisponsible alcohol use. Something needed to be done.Well done to those involved.
All the winos are quiet. What’s up?