Warning for adults buying alcohol for children

Ludlow’s Community Alcohol Partnership (L-CAP) is highlighting the dangers of adults buying alcohol for underage youths, following the charge of a man for purchasing alcohol for three minors.

Police had interviewed the 33-year-old Ludlow man, who was given a £80 fixed penalty for purchasing alcohol from a local shop for two females and one male.

The man was identified on the shop’s CCTV by Community Support Officers over the weekend immediately after the purchase.  The shopkeeper spoke to Community Support Officers about the purchase, after seeing the man handing over the alcohol to the young people.

L-CAP is one of several Community Alcohol Partnership groups set up to oversee a scheme to tackle underage drinking in Shropshire thanks to funding of £90,000, over two years (£45,000 per year), through the Department of Communities and Local Government.

The two-year project is being led by Shropshire’s Community Alcohol Partnership (Shrop-CAP), a multi-agency partnership  set up to oversee the scheme which comprises of Shropshire’s Drug and Alcohol Action Team, West Mercia Police, and Shropshire Council’s positive activities and trading standards teams.

L-CAP is working on many initiatives, including tackling proxy purchasing, where over 18s purchase alcohol and supply it to young people who are under 18; providing alcohol awareness and information to communities; and working with young people on developing positive activities.  The partnership also works with local traders to ensure they are fully aware of the possible consequences of selling alcohol to under 18s, and can provide information and training to licensees to help reduce proxy purchases of alcohol.

Karen Calder, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for health, and Chair of Shrop-CAP, said:

“One of our priorities for the Shrop-CAP project is to highlight the dangers of adults buying alcohol for underage youths.

“Those buying alcohol for under 18s are not only breaking the law and risking a criminal record but are, more importantly, putting the health and safety of young people at risk.

“I hope this arrest sends a clear message to any person thinking of buying alcohol for children that they will be dealt with accordingly.”

PCSO David Bell from West Mercia Police added:

“We are constantly working with trading standards to prevent underage drinking, including identifying adults who buy alcohol for youngsters.  If they are caught breaking the law again, they could end up in court.”

If you think a child is at risk of being bought alcohol, please contact your local policing team.  See www.westmercia.police.uk/localpolicing or call 0300 333 3000.

For more information about the Shrop-CAP project visit www.shropcap.wordpress.com. You can also follow us on twitter at http://twitter.com/shropcap. 

Further information

Shrop-CAP have already set up local Community Alcohol Partnership groups for each locality, which include Bridgnorth Community Alcohol Partnership (B-CAP), Whitchurch Community Alcohol Partnership (W-CAP),  Ludlow (L-CAP), Minsterley / Pontesbury (M&P-CAP), and the already-established Oswestry Community Alcohol Partnership (Os-CAP), to address the specific issues in their area.

The funding is helping to support each CAP to deliver many initiatives such as:

• Training, including licensing and Challenge 25, being made available to licensees
• Test purchase operations
• Joint enforcement (police, licensing, trading standards) patrols to increase public reassurance and engagement, and provide support to the alcohol trade
• Alcohol education and awareness sessions with young people, parents and the community as a whole
• Alcohol confiscations from minors, linked into further support for vulnerable young people and concerned parents
• Detached diversionary youth activities which will focus upon park-based positive activities for young people 
• Work to bring together a shared understanding and tolerance of all park users, including young people and local residents
• Proxy purchase campaigns
• Ongoing publicity and communication of key messages through local media and other relevant communications.