Reducing under-age drinking

Under-age drinking can cause problems with disorder and crime, including violent crime, public disturbance and vandalism as well as health problems and issues at school or work.

 

There is a need to prevent young people gaining access to alcohol and to target areas in which they congregate by:

  • Police confiscating alcohol from under-age drinkers in public places
  • prosecuting adults who purchase alcohol for under-age people
  • test purchasing at off licences, general stores and supermarkets
  • creating 'alcohol free' zones
  • gathering information about where young people obtain alcohol from
  • environmental changes – removing trees and bushes and improving lighting to prevent young people drinking alcohol unobserved
  • sharing information and targeting of resources by police officers, PCSOs and Council enforcement officers.

 

What can the public do to help?

The Council continues to work with its partners, including the Police, to tackle all issues related to under-age drinking.

You can help by:

  • providing information to help identify premises selling alcohol to underage people
  • never buy alcohol for those underage, you risk an £80 on the spot fine.

 

To report incidents of alcohol being sold to minors either inform the Council's helpline on 01992 785577 or e-mail community.safety@broxbourne.gov.uk.

 

Alcohol Control Zones in the Borough

At the request of local police, Broxbourne Council using powers under the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 have made a number of Alcohol Designation Orders to restrict the consumption of alcohol on the street. 

Orders exist in the following areas of the Borough:-  

 

The legislation provides the police with powers to deal with anyone who is consuming alcohol in a designated public place, or they believe intends to consume alcohol in such a place.  The order allows a police officer to: -

  • require the person concerned not to consume in that place anything which is, or is believed to be, intoxicating liquor
  • require the person concerned to surrender anything in his possession which is, or believed to be, intoxicating liquor or a container for intoxicating liquor (other than a sealed container)
  • dispose of anything that is surrendered to them as they consider appropriate.

 

The Home Office has concluded that the confiscation provisions have proved to be effective in dealing with incidents of public disorder.