Under 21 Alcohol Ban

This petition is in reference to the potential alcohol ban detailed on the BBC News Website and in the Cambrian News from Liberal Democrat Councillors Ceredig Davies and Carl Williams who are behind proposals for a weekend long ban on alcohol sales from all shops and off-licences to all persons under the age of 21 in Aberystwyth.

We believe that this proposal reeks of blatant age-ism by the local councillors and displays further the resentment that the town has of the hand that feeds it. Considering the above inflation price increases over a variety of groceries already and a student loan that relies on the RPI, which does not take into account at all the basic needs of students, but on the overall state of the UK's 'shopping basket', students clearly have to rely on groceries and, in addition, cheaper alcohol than that which could be bought by people in their mid-50s. By implying that for us to purchase alcohol we must rely on the pubs and clubs rather than cheaper alternatives from shops and off-licences, this is yet another way that the Council is extorting students.

There already exists an alcohol-free zone implemented by the Council that has respectively dropped crime, anti-social nuisance and noise rates in the zone by 6\%, 80\% and 10\% and 15\% respectively, clearly displaying the increased respect the students have for the area where they study. Such figures show that though unruly students may be an issue, other factors such as the behaviour of local individuals should also be taken into account prior to the approval of such an unwelcome scheme.

This scheme is being discussed now, prior to the start of a new academic year and when for the last few months there have been hardly any students within the local area. Does this possibly mean that trouble has recently escalated through no fault of the student population, but that students will be targeted?

Ben Hallett, current Guild President, had this to say:

"For students this ban would be disastrous. If you push students away from shops and off-licences then they'll head to the pubs.

"Recruitment is a big deal for the university, and if recruitment falls then the university receives less money and that means the town's economy could suffer"