About us
See other news storiesNew powers to tackle underage drinking
29 January 2010
New powers to tackle underage drinking in England and Wales have come into effect. They will make it easier for police to confiscate alcohol, move-on groups of teenagers causing trouble, and stop retailers selling alcohol to children.
The powers were introduced through the Policing and Crime Act, which received Royal Assent in November 2009.
They include:
- making it an new offence for under-18s to persistently possess alcohol in a public place
- extending the police’s powers to issue ‘directions to leave’ to include young people aged 10-15
- amending police powers with regard to the confiscation of alcohol, so that they no longer need to prove that the individual ‘intended’ to consume it
- changing the offence of persistently selling alcohol to under 18s from three strikes within three months to two strikes in the same period
Councillors will now also be able tackle problem premises by calling for a review to restrict or remove an alcohol retailer’s licence.
Tough action
Home Office minister Alan Campbell said, ‘The majority of young people are model citizens, but there are a minority that are not. These powers will make it easier for police to take tough action against those groups whose behaviour can affect a whole community.
‘Alongside this, we are challenging young people’s attitudes about binge drinking. Our ‘know your limits’ campaign continues to make people think about how much they are drinking.’
The new powers are part of a wider government strategy to tackle underage drinking and associated crime and disorder which was set out in the youth alcohol action plan (new window), published in 2008.
Find out more
Take a look at our Crime Reduction website (new window) for guidance on the new tiered approach to tackling young people drinking alcohol in public places, as announced in the youth crime action plan. This includes information on the new offence of persistent possession of alcohol, and directions to leave.
