Ministers in Scotland are moving cautiously towards raising the legal age for buying alcohol from 18 to 21 as a key part of tackling the country’s damaging relationship with drink.

Scottish Executive sources emphasised yesterday that no firm proposal was yet on the table and would not be for several more months, but they agreed that ministers were giving “consideration” to the move.

If the age limit were to be raised it would bring Scotland into line with countries such as the United States, Ukraine and Egypt, but out of line with the rest of Britain.

There is a growing body of concern that more and more young Scots are drinking at an earlier age, and anecdotal evidence suggests that many youngsters seen the worse for wear for drink on Scotland’s streets at the weekends are under age. However, the licensed trade in Scotland can be expected to oppose vehemently any move to raise the age to 21 while health campaigners say the present limit should be enforced more rigorously.

It appears that Nationalist ministers at Holyrood have been looking at the legal age for buying alcohol as they draw up a long-term strategy for tackling Scotland’s “booze and blades” culture and the health problems associated with drinking too much.

Shona Robison, the Executive Public Health Minister, said that nothing had been ruled out but other sources indicated that any move to raise the legal age could be seen as only “one answer” to what was a multi-faceted problem. Ms Robison said: “We all know that Scotland as a nation has a drink problem and the implications of this are very serious – not least for our health.

“The Scottish government is in the process of developing a long-term alcohol strategy and we have been looking at a range of issues including availability, accessibility and age of purchase.”

Figures last year showed that Scots were twice as likely to die from alcohol-related deaths as drinkers in the UK as whole. Other recent statistics showed that there were 1,648 youngsters aged 15 to 19 admitted for treatment to hospital last year for alcohol-related conditions – 1,006 boys and 642 girls. The idea of raising the legal purchasing age is not new and has been considered by previous devolved administrations in Scotland but without any subsequent legislation.

Sources within the Executive accept that raising the age limit might well lead only to illegal drinking among 18 and 19-year-olds but they point out that with the limit at 18, many 15 and 16-year-olds are abusing alcohol. “There is an argument that by having a higher age limit, you would drive up the age of purchase,” one source said.

Scottish ministers said this week that they are to give health boards £25 million to combat alcohol abuse – double the amount of last year. The money forms part of £85 million earmarked in the next three years for tackling problem drinking.

— Women who drink more than government guideline levels are 50 per cent more likely to develop breast cancer, according to an unpublished Department of Health report. A £10 million advertising campaign will target middle-aged women who underestimate how much they have drunk.

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