Friday, April 19, 2024
In BriefBacklash over alcohol policy for foreign students

Backlash over alcohol policy for foreign students

By Kirsty Topping

 

A SUPERMARKET has caused fury over their strict alcohol policy.

Morrison’s has introduced a policy which asks its staff to refuse to accept ID other than a British passport of a European driving licence.

The decision has angered students in the Fife town of St Andrews so much it has led the town’s foreign student population to boycott the chain.

A senior manager at the St Andrew’s store claimed it was too difficult to train staff to identify genuine international passports but admitted the policy was causing a

“major headache.”

Around a third of the university’s undergraduates are from overseas and they are now urging fellow students to follow them and do their shopping elsewhere.

St Andrews student president, Owen Wilton, said:

“We understand that companies must do everything they can to prevent underage drinking, but it’s unreasonable to insist upon the possession of British passports and driving licences, especially in areas with hundreds of international students.

“If they are old enough, and can use their own official ID to enter the country, why can they use it to buy a bottle of wine? “

The policy is being enforced at Morrison’s stores across the UK and also covers the sale of knives and cigarettes.

 

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