Klein disagrees with raising drinking age beyond 18

Alberta Premier Ralph Klein is among those panning a proposal to raise Alberta's drinking age.

A new report by a provincial roundtable on curbing violence in bars has proposed restricting service hours, raising the drinking age beyond 18 and establishing minimum drink prices.

Klein said Thursday raising the drinking age could mean an increase in fake identification and more older drinkers illegally buying alcohol for underage drinkers.

Thereport was published Wednesday after a series of roundtables involvingparticipants from communities across the province.

It included owners and operators of licensed establishments, representatives from municipal governments andthe hospitality industry, law enforcement officials, legislators, regulators, researchers, policy-makers, liquor inspectors, addictions counsellors and staff from Alberta Gaming, Alberta Solicitor General and Public Security, and the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission.

'Responsible behaviour a function of age'

While the recommendations still need to be approved by the provincial government,the idea of raising the drinking age isn't proving popular in some circles.

Marlene Kingsmith, who coordinates the youth counselling program at Mount Royal College, has worked withyoung adults for 35 years.

"Kids are going to find and drink no matter what age.We need to teach them about responsibility," she said. "We need to teach them the difference between use and abuse."

Calgary's Deputy Police Chief Peter Davison, whosat on the roundtable, says it may not be fair to single out one age group and blame them for bar violence.

"I don't know if we've ever done an analysis of the actual people involved and their ages. That whole age debate – that's probably left for someone else to determine whether or not it actually has a deterrent."

However, the roundtable participants that proposed raising the drinking age felt that maturity and responsible behaviour are a function of age, the report said.

They also acknowledged that raising the legal drinking age might simply displace the problem of violence, encouraging underage drinkersto drink at bush parties, for example,instead of bars.

Campus bar is safe

Emily Wyatt, the student president at the University of Calgary, says the campus bar provides a safe place for students to drink and shedoesn't want to see illegal drinking elsewhere on campus.

"For those who live in residence, I think they would drink in the residence hall, which puts a strain on others that are trying to study and keep up with their academics."

One bar manager, Missy Macdonald,said drink price minimums are a good idea.

"I think a 25-cent drink is just encouraging kids to over-drink. So maybe just some responsibility on that. I support them freezing prices," she said.

The legal drinking age is 19 in most Canadian provinces. Only Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec have set the age at 18.

There have been a number of attempts to raise the drinking age in Alberta, most recently in 1999, whenBill 212 received 2nd reading before being adjourned.