Talking point
December 2016 | Youth Hong Kong
No cheer in youthful drinking S tephanie Hung looks at how Hong Kong drinkers are getting younger amid calls for stricter alcohol licensing policies.
I was alarmed by the recent headline, “Hong Kong children drinking alcohol as young as 10, study finds.” This survey, by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s School of Nursing, found that children in the city are starting to drink at an average age of 10.9.1
In Hong Kong, although there are laws prohibiting bars and restaurants with a liquor licence from selling alcohol to under 18s under the Dutiable Commodities (Liquor) Regulations (Cap 109B), there is nothing to prevent them buying alcohol from retail or convenience stores.
The report suggests many possible reasons such as peer pressure, stress at school, boredom or emotional pain due to problems at home or relationships2, but the easy availability of alcohol is another significant factor.
This is a serious problem.
I’m fairly sure that young people are not fully aware of the dangers of alcohol, but they risk suffering irreversible brain damage that could hamper their development. Underage drinkers are also 4.65 times more likely than non-drinkers to develop behavioural problems, such as skipping school or not doing homework, and they may have more trouble learning than their counterparts. Furthermore, as alcohol is a depressant, it has been suggested that drinking leads to suicidal tendencies. This problem did not appear overnight. In fact, the Working Group on Alcohol and Health was established in June 2009 to advise on priorities for action. It published the “Action Plan to Reduce Alcohol-related Harm in Hong Kong”3 in October 2011 but even with such a comprehensive plan, it seems that not much has changed in recent years. The Action Plan showed that while training and education about alcohol-related issues may raise awareness among the young, it doesn’t change their behaviour. Instead, it seems the best way to reduce consumption is to address the questions of accessibility and availability of alcohol and to conduct a review of pricing policies.4
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Lan Kwai Fong Association director Spencer Chan is among the people who are concerned. “Right now we’re talking seriously with the police about the underage drinking issue, but it’s also a legislative issue,” he said. “The dilemma is that we don’t have an ordinance or common law to restrict the sale of liquor to underage kids.”5 In May 2016, the Lan Kwai Fong Association sent a letter to the Liquor Licensing Board urging the Hong Kong government to impose liquor licensing laws on retail outlets. More than 100 establishments signed the petition. Yet again, no action was taken.