Half-term crackdown on underage drinking

ENGLAND – New measures to tackle underage drinking across the country, including a national football tournament, best practice guide and money to enforce new police powers, has been launched.

Building on the government’s on-going drive to reduce underage drinking, the measures are designed to educate and support young people to make sensible decisions about alcohol, as well as cracking down in areas where underage drinking is causing anti-social behaviour.

The measures mean that:

• Over 2,000 young people will take part in a Kickz football tournament, providing a positive alternative to drinking alcohol. Along with over 35,000 young people involved in wider Kickz activity, participants will be encouraged to have open and honest conversations about the dangers of underage drinking in workshops.
   
• Young people across the country will see new cinema advertisements showing them the risks associated with drinking alcohol as part of the government’s ‘Why Let Drink Decide?’ campaign.
   
• Every local authority will have a good practice guide to help them work with the police, Trading Standards, children’s services and youth services to prevent underage drinking becoming a problem in their area.
   
• Parents will have greater confidence to talk to their children about drinking following new research which shows how influential parents are in a young person’s relationship with alcohol.
   
• The 69 Youth Crime Action Plan (YCAP) areas will receive additional funding of £350,000 (NZ$nnnnnn)to help police forces implement their new alcohol powers, including confiscating alcohol from young people and cracking down on retailers selling alcohol to underage young people.

Speaking ahead of the Kickz launch at the Emirates Stadium, London, Schools Minister Vernon Coaker said:

“Today’s research shows that parents underestimate their influence over their child’s drinking and attitudes to alcohol, yet a quarter of young people have never spoken to their parents about the issue. That’s why through the ‘Why Let Drink Decide?’ campaign we are giving parents and young people the confidence to have open conversations about alcohol, to ultimately delay the age at which young people start drinking.

“Some young people need more help, support and fun alternatives to drinking, which is why we are launching the Kickz Cup 2010.

“Through the tournament and the Kickz staff, young people will get to have fun with their peers on the pitch, alongside the chance to learn about the risks associated with drinking to help them make sensible decisions about alcohol.

“A very small minority let their drinking get out of control and this can lead to anti-social behaviour and problems in communities. We have given the police all the powers they need to crackdown on young people drinking alcohol.

“In the last six months of 2009 alone over 6000 litres of alcohol were confiscated from young people in our YCAP areas as part of the government’s crackdown. We are determined to do all we can to prevent alcohol ruining the lives of children, young people and their families.”